Photo caption: Left to right – Meryl Friets (Logistics Manager, Farm Connex), Meggie Patton (Food Hub Logistics Manager, GMFTS), Hilary Rosa (Food Access and Logistics Coordinator, GMFTS), Yarrow Fought (Food Hub Operations Manager, Farm Connex), Becca Perrin (Food Hub Account Manager, GMFTS), Catherine Cusack (Executive Director, GMFTS).
Our Farm Direct team is very excited for the upcoming opening of CAE’s new warehouse space, called the Food Hub. CAE is a critical partner for Farm Direct, with their local food freight and trucking program, Farm Connex, providing Farm Direct with warehousing and distribution services.
The new warehouse is part of the state-of-the-art Yellow Barn complex in Hardwick, VT. The 25,000-square-foot, net-zero warehouse space will be equally shared by CAE and Jasper Hill Farm. Read more about the redevelopment project in this Seven Days article.
Meggie Patton, Food Hub Logistics Manager, shares, “For Farm Direct, this new space will mean expanded capacity for inventory and more space for aggregating new producer products. By increasing our inventory options and onboarding new producers, we can make more options available for customers on limited routes and in general, expand our product list for all customers. Increased inventory space also allows us the flexibility to potentially purchase by pallet instead of case; pallet rates invite cost-saving opportunities that we can hopefully pass on to the customer.”
On January 24th, our Farm Direct team took a tour of the new space. Afterwards, we spent time identifying opportunities for more collaboration for our two organizations to work together as we strive to create a more equitable, just, and sustainable local food system.
