Leveraging and Leavening

Comments made to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors
2/4/9

I speak in support of the Local Food Hub and urge you to allocate the small amount of funds they are requesting. I was a market gardener and baker for years at the city market. Although my wife and I made of profit in our first year of business, we struggled to discover ways of bringing that business to the next level. A Food Hub would have been a huge help. I am committed now to contributing what I learned in establishing that small business and see the food hub as a locus for a wealth of local wisdom. I cannot imagine a better return on your investment than this allocation of funds. The Local Food Hub has already gotten a commitment of matching funds, so your allocation would immediately be leveraged. And it would be leveraged further by the energies of the local growers and artisans that would find ways of bringing their talents and gifts and products to market. The benefits to the local community would be legion, but as a baker, I think a lot about leavening. I think of the Local Food Hub as a source of leavening that would lift the energies and talents of our local artisans and bring great benefit to Albemarle County.

Thank you for the chance to speak and for your consideration of this worthy initiative.