GREENFIELD — The Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center, a program of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (CDC), is expanding its Valley Veggies program to include retail sales to individuals, allowing residents to eat local produce all year long.
Kate Minisie, food business manager for the Franklin County CDC, explained the food processing center is partnering with Pioneer Valley farms to produce a line of flash-frozen fruits and vegetables in 12-ounce packs.
The vegetables are flash-frozen within 24 hours of harvest. Current products include blueberries, bell peppers, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, potatoes and broccoli. This year’s farm partners included Long Plain Farm in Whately, Bostrom Farm in Greenfield, David Mokrzecki Farm in Hadley, Joe Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, Plainville Farm in Hadley and Kosinski Farms in Westfield.
Valley Veggies has been in existence since 2014, but previously only sold bulk orders to institutions like schools and hospitals. Places like Mount Holyoke College, Springfield Public Schools, Deerfield Academy and Boston Medical Center have taken advantage of the program since its inception.
“We’ve been doing this for many years,” Minisie said. “It has always been our way of partnering with local farms, as well as schools, hospitals, elder care facilities and more. We decided we wanted to see what it would look like to sell to the ‘regular’ consumer.”
In 2019, the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center partnered with Just Roots to pilot the concept of retail pack Valley Veggies as part of the farm’s Winter Box Share program, a winter community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Valley Veggies can now be found at a variety of retail locations, including State Street Fruit Store in Northampton, Hager’s Farm Market and Graves Glen Farm in Shelburne Falls, and Muffin’s General Market in Whately.
“This will help move more products to a number of retail outlets throughout the area,” Minisie said. “It’s a neat way to extend the local food season. There’s a limited opportunity for purchasing local fruits and vegetables at this time of year. We’ve found a nice niche for ourselves.”
For more information about Valley Veggies, visit fccdc.org.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.