Food Hub Timeline
The Province of BC, VanCity Credit Union and The Victoria Foundation contributed $2.3 million to the purchase of #102 – 808 Viewfield by The Mustard Seed Street Church (MSSC) to operate a community food hub to support and strengthen the Capital Region’s food security.
A feasibility study and business plan was completed by agri-food consulting group Farm Food Drink. This plan laid out the development of the food hub utilizing the existing warehouse, linking food security related initiatives and infrastructure to support local food producers and distributors.
Implementation of the Plan is propelled forward with the onset of the pandemic. The VCFHS SI FarmHub is program is developed with an investment from the Rapid Relief Fund. Less than a year later the SI FarmHub has achieved $265,000 in sales of over 20 Farms and 6 processors.
June 2019
Jan 2020
May 2020
VCFHS completed an evaluation with the Ministry of Agriculture, and were then invited to apply with the City of Victoria, to continue to build management, equipment purchase and communications for a full scale food processing and innovation hub. This plan outlines the implementation of the business plan for the next two years.
The B.C Government announces plan to invest 2 million dollars in regional Food Hub network across Vancouver Island. The Capital Region Food Hub development is in partnership with the City of Victoria, the Victoria Community Food Hub Society, and the Mustard Seed Street Church.
September 2020
March 2021
June 2021 Facilities Plan completed (The site will include equipment to wash local produce that can move directly into the shared HACCP kitchen for processing and a processing line that will increase the efficiencies of cooking, pureeing, packaging and vacuum sealing products)
June 2021
Renovations begin!
August 2021
This phase of the Food Hub gets a branding makeover! Introducing "Kitchen Connect: Food Business Incubator and Processing Facility"
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Fall 2021
Renovations and facility tours with potential processing tenants are in full swing! Due to supply chain issues, progress has been delayed. However we are excited to be on track for a late Summer opening!