LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/830178
Summer 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 27 LOCALadk He emphasizes that the need for local food distribution is real. "It was a persistent topic during a gathering of farmers and local food buyers that ANCA co-hosted at the Hub last November," he notes. The same concerns regarding distribution were echoed by Adirondack Harvest members in a recent survey—and in a survey of regional northern New York farmers. According to Bakelaar, many farmers are already traveling to the same places, so a shared truck will save resources, giving them a boost as they work to make their farms into sustainable businesses. By expanding their delivery radius, these producers can increase revenues. The truck will be able to keep harvests cool without the engine having to run. This will allow the truck to be loaded in advance of a delivery, explains Dillon Klepetar, one of the engineers involved in designing the solar refrigeration system. This will enable deliveries to go longer distances, which will allow farms to expand their markets in larger urban areas. Wekin estimates that the Hub currently serves about 6,250 people annually—or put another way, about 73,666 meals. With the truck, she and her team believe they'll be able to serve an additional 71,200 meals. The truck itself is still in development. Wekin and Klepetar recently drove the used refrigerated box truck up from Maryland, where she bought it. "The solar panels are here. The solar design is in place," Wekin says. "The engineer is still tweaking the details." There's also a graphic designer who will be giving the truck a fresh facelift. "How it all rolls out is still to be determined," she explains. "The response from the community has been very supportive," Wekin notes. In addition to the four paid employees who work at the Hub, Wekin receives a significant amount of help from volunteers eager to see the Hub succeed. And she's always looking for more volunteers to help grow this movement. Wekin has big goals. For example, she's working with a farm- to-school initiative to bring local farm products into school cafeterias. She is also working on getting solar power at the Hub, to offset current energy needs. But what remains most important, she notes, "is that the resources of this space are available to everyone." For more information, contact Jori Wekin at hubonthehill@gmail.com