The BC government is investing $800,000 to open a new food innovation hub in Summerland.
The new Okanagan Food and Innovation Hub (OFIH) will be part of the growing BC Food Hub Network, which currently has 13 facilities throughout the province.
Food hubs provide a commercial shared food-processing and innovation space that are helping increase the volume of food grown and processed locally, creating more demand for ingredients from local farmers, and increasing the number of people employed locally by the food industry, while addressing food safety and security issues.
“Like many other producers in the area, I believe this food hub facility will help increase the possibility of primary production and create opportunities for new added-value revenue streams for farmers in Summerland,” said Thomas Tumbach, owner, LocalMotive Organic Delivery and Low Waste Market.
“At LocalMotive, we would be interested in the use of a value-added processing line for various products like preserved fruits, jams, syrups, salsas and pickled vegetables, which would primarily be made from ingredients from our farm and neighbouring farmers in the area.”
Minister of Agriculture and Food Pam Alexis says the new food hub will create more opportunities for farmers and food processors once it opens in mid-2024.
