January 29, 2015 I The Lovell Chronicle 1 3
Food hub feasibility study under-way FML0000ESo00mI00ERpE-[JECT
BY PATI'I CARPENTER
According to USDA
definition, a regional food
hub is an organization that
provides a combination of
services like aggregation,
storage, packaging, val-
ue-added processing and
marketing services to farm-
ers in a way that allows
them to gain entry into ar-
eas that would be difficult
to access on their own. The
model works in areas like
Billings, Bozeman and Mis-
soula, but would it work
in less densely populat-
ed areas like the Big Horn
Basin? This is a question
at the heart of feasibility
study currently under way
by VISTA volunteer Remy
Cline.
Cline, who is paid a
nominal salary through the
VISTA program, is using
a $25,000 grant obtained
last October to conduct the
study.
"There are a lot of dif-
ferent business models that
have grown up around that
(food hub) description," ex-
plained Cline. "One model
is the producer to consum-
er model (farmer's market,
CSAs, online models that
pick up and deliver to con-
sumers at designated loca-
tions) and the other is an
institution model, which is
far more complex and in-
volves more of the aggrega-
tion, distribution and mar-
keting components."
Cline said the model he
is studying encompasses a
Basin-wide network of both
producers and consum-
ers, including institutions
like schools, senior centers,
restaurants and grocery
stores.
He said he envisions a
centralized storage facili-
ty that would include some
value-added processing ser-
vices like washing, cleaning
and repackaging vegetables
into boxes and cases that
are in quantities that insti-
tutional customers would
require
Though this would put
small producers up against
the likes of big box stores
like Walmart and already
established institutional
are actively pursuing being
able to buy local foods.
"Their standards might
be more difficult for local
producers to comply with
and/or the prices might not
be as good as you would get
from some of these other
sources, but it may still be
worthwhile."
Since his hiring in April
of 2014, Cline has spent
time visiting farmer's mar-
O
.....
/
supply services like Sysco
foods, the combined effort
could allow smaller produc-
ers to compete in a way that
would not be possible alone.
"The competition in this
model would be with Sy-
sco and others who are al-
ready out there," said Cline.
"It will be a challenge, but
I wouldn't say that it would
be impossible to compete
with Sysco, since even those
big distributors and big
box stores like Costco and
Walmart recognize the val-
ue of locally grown foods.
"There is the poten-
tial to work with them. All
of these major institutions
have implemented a lo-
cal foods policy where they
kets and state fairs, trying
to get a reading of interest
for such a project. He's also
taking a good hard look at
the consumer base avail-
able in the area and wheth-
er enough demand exists.
"These are all things
that we are looking at
through the feasibility
study that we're doing," said
Cline. "We're trying to fig-
ure out what the best mod-
el would be for rural Wyo-
ming. Some of the more
successful models that are
competing with the Syscos
and the big box stores are
in Montana, in larger cit-
ies like Bozeman, Missoula
and Billings. Those models
are centered around a local
food co-op or grocery store
for lack a better defini-
tion and those stores are as
big as an Albertson's or in
some cases as big as Cost-
co. They have their own re-
lationships with producers
who supply them with local
produce and they are highly
successful in those markets
competing with the big box
stores, while at the same
time providing services to
the producers."
Cline said, who is also
an attorney, said a regional
food hub in the area would
most likely be a co-op form
of entity or ownership. He
said a food hub is typical-
ly producer owned from the
legal perspective, and he
thinks that's a good model
because there's more "buy-
in" from the farmers than if
it's privately owned.
So far, he's finding local
producers interested in the
idea.
"I don't think we'll be
short of producers, particu-
larly on the meat side," he
said. "On the produce side
we have some catching up
to do, but I think it's less of
an issue if we can show pro-
ducers we have the demand
for their products. If there
is a demand, people will
step up for it. The bigger
opportunities are out there
and producers are definitely
interested in them."
Cline admitted that the
short growing season in the
area is a challenge but not-
ed that it +is a challenge that
has been overcome in simi-
lar areas using greenhous-
es to extend the growing
season.
"There are locations
throughout the world where
sugar plants have a co-lo-
cated greenhouse," he said.
"The greenhouse uses the
waste heat from the sugar
plant in the winter and the
waste CO2 to either grow
produce through the winter
or to start growing earlier
in the spring."
He gave an example of
a 26-acre greenhouse ad-
jacent to a sugar plant in
Great Britain. The nursery,
called Cornerways, claims
to produce 10 percent of
the tomatoes for the en-
tire country. He pointed out
that with two very estab-
lished sugar plants in the
Basin, the idea is not far-
fetched for the area.
Cline currently has an
on-line survey geared to-
ward producers. He plans
to follow up with an insti-
tutional survey that should
be out by the end of this
month. The survey for pro-
ducers can be found at
www.wyofoodhub.com.
Cline said he envi-
sions the regional food hub
as a physical facility, with
cold storage and a central
place for delivery and pick-
up, with various value-add-
ed processing services like
making sausages, mak-
ing hamburger patties and
washing and packaging
fresh vegetables.
"So instead of just sell-
ing heads of lettuce or pep-
pers, there would be wash-
ing and bagging to sell to
grocery stores or institu-
tions," said Cline. "Con-
sumers like convenience,
so I think we have to make
it convenient. I think
that is something we will
have to do in order to be
successful."
For more information
contact Cline at 548-6707
or email him at remy.cline@
gmail.com.
Wyoming Legislature
House lifts state science standards ban
BY PATrl CARPENTER
. ++ The: ++ Wyoming = House
of Representatives voted
to allow sexual assault vic-
tims to file a protection or-
der against the accused even
before a conviction has tak-
en place, offering additional
protection to victims of sex
crimes. The House also vot-
ed to lift a ban on "next gen-
eration" science standards,
which would allow teachers
to teach various theories of
climate change, including
human caused, and voted
against a bill that would re-
duce penalties for marijua-
na possession, along with a
plethora of other bills in the
first two weeks of the 63 rd
Legislative session. Those
bills will now be heard in
the Senate, said Rep. Elaine
Harvey, ofLovell.
............... the second week
of the session, that began
Jan. 19, another 62 bills
were filed with the House
and 31 were filed with the
Senate, bringing their col-
lective totals to 179 and
116 respectively, according
to information released to
the press on Monday of this
week.
Two bills focusing on
campaign contributions
were passed by the House,
including HB38, which lim-
its PAC campaign funding
to $3,000 for most candi-
dates, excluding statewide
candidates. A related bill,
HB39, repeals aggregate
campaign contribution lim-
We Care about you and your heart!
bythe
Horn County Nurse
2 &26
-1 p.m.
See you at the North Big Horn Senior Center
757 6reat Western Ave., bvell, 307-548-6556
its, removing a limit on
the total amount candi-
dates can accept duringan
election.
A bill passed in the
House would eventually
make it easier for motor-
ists to pay for traffic tick-
ets when pulled over by
law enforcement. The bill
would allow law enforce-
ment agencies to keep half
of the fees collected and to
use those dollars to upgrade
their electronic citation
equipment. Harvey said re-
ducing the amount of time
officers spend on the side
of the road, in turn reduces
their risk of injury by pass-
ing cars.
HB 7 also cleared the
House, and would make it
easier for motorists to col-
lect road-killed animals.
Similar bills have been seen
in previous years.
A bill that would have
raised the minimum wage
failed in committee and a
program that provided as-
sistance with telephone
fees to low income individ-
uals was repealed. Harvey
said since very few people
are using a landline any-
more, the telephone assis-
tance program had become
obsolete.
Governor Matt Mead
signed a proclamation high-
lighting the strong role of
towns and counties in the
state's prosperity. Ohio
Governor John Kasich
spoke to legislators about
a strategy that would force
the federal government to
balance the federahbudget
through a constitutional
convention.
The issue of Medicaid
expansion continues to be
a hot topic into this week,
with numerous meetings,
both in the public and be-
hind closed doors, among
Gov. Mead, legislators and
the State Dept. of Health Di-
rector Tom Forslund taking
place. Harvey said the effort
continues to combine a num-
ber of proposals into one bill
that is palatable for most.
She said, though the pro-
cess has been a challenge,
she wouldn't be surprised if
a bill reached the floor of the
Senate as early as this week.
at Greenhouse Gardens us-
ing, in part, some volunteer
help the chamber will as-
semble, he added.
Emmett said he would
like to see sponsors sign up
by March 1 so the green-
house can provide enough
flowers and baskets. To sign
up as a sponsor, contact the
chamber at 548-7552. Hein-
err said about 10 poles are
spoken for so far.
As for the former Main
Street planters, some are
still being used by the town
around the community, but
there will be others the town
may offer for sale as surplus
property, Emmett said.
FUEL STORAGE
continued from page 1
Lovett will be able to help
people develop a plan on the
spot during the workshop.
"They'll leave with a
document in hand," he said.
Attendees are encour-
aged to pre-register by
Feb. 4 at noon in order to
be provided with an aeri-
al map of their storage fa-
cilities to facilitate comple-
tion of the self-certification
plan during the workshop.
Lovett will be able to as-
sist and answer questions
during the workshop.
"Failure to have a plan
is considered non-com-
pliance," Boardman said.
"Non-compliance can have a
fine of $8000 to $20,000 per
day. We encourage ag pro-
ducers to be proactive and
take advantage of Brian's
knowledge and help."
The Natural Resources
Conservation Service will
also be on hand to discuss
funding for required sec-
ondary containment.
The Shoshone Conser-
vation District will have in-
formation on a variety of
topics and will also provide
the lunch.
For more information,
call Tilley at 548-7422 or
contact the conservation
district at shoshonecd@
tctwest.net.
POLICE STATS
continued from page 1
of arrests in the youngest
age group recorded, which
is ages 15.5 - 24 years old,
while the numbers for ser-
vice to motorists skewed
somewhat higher for those
identified as more than 49
years old.
Lewis said the statis-
tics, which are released an-
nually, are much easier
to calculate since the new
RIMS dispatch system was
put into place. He said the
new system allows much of
the information to be sorted
electronically using the sys-
tem's database.
of Jackson Hole
Musical entertainment for the whole family
February 12, 2015, 6:30 p.m.
Hya rt Theatre
s20 per ticket
Tickets available -
call Nick (307-272-3094) or Renae (307-272-2737)
at Minchow's Sinclair station or
through Bob at the Lovell Fire Hall
Dog Licenses
Liuestock Permits
Town of Cowley
Licenses can be obtained at
Cowley Town Hall, 20 S. Division
9am-lpm Tues., Thurs., Fri.
1-5 pm Mon., Wed. and
Soturdog, Feb. 7, 9 am to 12 pm
LUednesdou, Feb. 18 until 7 pm
Dog tags ~
Neutered/Spayed: +3
+
Not altered: 5
Proof of rabies vaccination is required.
Livestock permits ~
+5 per animal
NEW MZ00m00i
MM0000rrmNc
Bob
Doerr
Open House
