small scale food processing

Marla Rhodes (mrhodes1@emerald.tufts.edu)
Thu, 30 May 1996 11:58:47 -0400 (EDT)

HI---
I am looking for information on community kitchens or
grant-funded/govt-funded small scale food processing facilities. Such
facilities I believe existed in the past (ie the 1940's) and were built
specifically for private
citizens personal use, such as community canneries. More recently (from the
1970's on, I believe) they have been funded as economic development
opportunities--allowing growers and others to create value added products
on a small scale, or allowing potential entrepreneurs to get started in a
small business without huge financial costs or huge volume requirements.
For example, in St. Albans VT the Food Venture Center is about to open
(next week!) as a do-it-yourself commercial food processing and packaging
facility to be rented by the hour. The state dept of ag and the local
economic development council are supporting it and will provide many
other forms of assistance to start-up and growing companies.

If anyone knows of similar projects and contact names or literature
citations, I would love to hear about them; I need leads on
projects in Spokane, WA, Sand Point, Indiana, and Poughkeepsie, NY.
I am interested in projects
that no longer exist, as well. The thrust of my research is what the
stated goals are for starting such facilities, how they gain public
support and funding, and if its "worth it" to fund such projects--can
they become self-supporting, or are the perceived advantages great enough
to warrant continued grant support?

Thanks so much in advance.
--Marla Rhodes
mrhodes1@emerald.tufts.edu