Strengthening Local Businesses Through the Intervale Food Hub
The Intervale Food Hub provides farms and food producers with access to markets and resources through sales and services like wholesale, storage, and cross-docking. This work is essential to developing a regional supply chain that feeds our community and supports our farmers.
Pitchfork Pickle: A Market Access Success Story
Founded in 2019, Pitchfork Pickle started as a small project by Julia Irish and Pitchfork Farm to create value-added products from fresh farm produce. Now solely owned and operated by Irish, the business has grown with support from partners like the Intervale Food Hub.
While developing local markets, Pitchfork Pickle began using the Intervale Food Hub’s storage and cross-docking services. These services help small producers connect with regional delivery routes by transferring products through a centrally located hub. This allowed Pitchfork Pickle to work with distributors like Myers Produce and Farm Connex to reach general stores, co-ops, and farmstands across Vermont. Pitchfork Pickle now cross-docks so much product with Myers Produce and Farm Connex that both distributors stop at Pitchfork Pickle independently of the Intervale Food Hub.
“Our food hub was created on farm and producer viability,” said Intervale Food Hub Manager Kristen McDowell, “so it’s really exciting to see a vendor become successful enough to grow out of our services.”
