Hardwick, Vermont

CAE's Food Hub + Farm Connex

Problem

Rural areas grow food but often can't access it affordably. Lack of processing, storage, and distribution infrastructure forces dependence on distant supply chains.

Solution

The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), a Hardwick nonprofit founded in 2004, runs the Vermont Food Venture Center at 140 Junction Road and, since early 2025, a Food Hub at 325 VT Route 15 in the Yellow Barn complex that houses its Farm Connex delivery service and rentable cold and frozen storage. Farm Connex, a logistics-only service that does not buy product, reports 80 to 100 producers, 15 to 21+ weekly truck routes across 12 or 13 of Vermont's 14 counties, and roughly $13 million of local food moved per year.

Patterns used: Food Infrastructure Spine

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