Pike could create community kitchen
An empty storefront on the market square in downtown Zebulon is being eyed as the place where local agricultural crop diversity meets entrepreneurial product creativity. The business network is in place and the blueprints are laid out for what would be Pike County’s first incubator kitchen – a shared facility designed for small-scale food businesses that may be stymied by regulations and can’t afford the more expensive commercial kitchen equipment.
A couple of pieces of the puzzle are still missing: adequate finances needed to get the incubator off the ground and a manager to pursue grant funding for the sustainable agriculture project. Despite the bend in the road, Curry said, the county has helped farmers develop value-added items to meet consumer demand for locally grown products. Pike is considered part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area. For two years, the Pike County Agribusiness Authority has forged ahead with the aid of an $8,400 Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Sustainable Community Innovation Grant.
“We envision this incubator kitchen to be the place where our farmers and entrepreneurs can take local farm crops and develop them into value-added products that can be sold to farmers markets, consumers, businesses and caterers in the area,” said Chris Curry, executive director of the Pike County Agribusiness Authority. “The economic downturn kind of spoiled our plans but we aren’t giving up.”
For the whole story, read the July 20 print/e-edition of the Pike County Journal Reporter.
To subscribe, click here.
“We envision this incubator kitchen to be the place where our farmers and entrepreneurs can take local farm crops and develop them into value-added products that can be sold to farmers markets, consumers, businesses and caterers in the area,” said Chris Curry, executive director of the Pike County Agribusiness Authority. “The economic downturn kind of spoiled our plans but we aren’t giving up.”
For the whole story, read the July 20 print/e-edition of the Pike County Journal Reporter.
To subscribe, click here.
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