Farm-to-Table Co-Packers
Farm-to-Table Co-packers is a co-packing company located in Kingston, New York that manufactures and packages value-added food products for its clients. IT Works with many farms in the surrounding Hudson Valley as part of the local food movement.
History
The company was founded in 2010 by Jim Hyland and Luc Roels with the stated goal of supporting local farms. The company started in the Hudson Valley Food Works facility in Poughkeepsie but to support its growth it moved to the Tech City complex in Kingston with the help of a $230,000 dollar loan from Empire State Development. In 2013 the company received $775,000 in state grants to help expand the facility and buy additional equipment.
Operations
As a co-packer the company processes, stores, and distributes produce, with the ability to flash freeze, bake, jar, and brand the food to create a value-added product. Hyland says that the company's focus is on local agriculture but that they also deal with non local products and distribution to maintain the company when the local food is not in season.
Role in the local food movement
A 2010 USDA study says that the lack of opportunities for small farmers to get their food into the mainstream market inhibits the development of local food systems. Farm-to-Table Co-packers was created with the goal of filling that gap and connecting farmers and markets, supporting the farms by giving their unused produce a longer shelf-life and branding opportunities and giving people more access to local food.