Michael Shuman, project director for the Northeast Ohio Local Food System Assessment and Plan talks about the need to build a supporting infrastructure for local food systems to increase opportunities and reduce barriers to entry for farmers and food entrepreneurs. He refers to the local food assessment recommendations for creating food hubs, kitchen incubators, and processing facilities to provide access to equipment and facilities that, in many cases, would be too expensive for businesses to afford on their own. Stronger facilities for processing, packing, and distribution can expand the scope of activity in the local food economy and get the region closer to the goal of 25% localization.
