Pepperell Planning Board Tours Food Hub as Town Weighs Building Its Own

PEPPERELL — March 24, 2023 — Pepperell Planning Board visits a regional food hub to study a potential local model. The board traveled to the Franklin County Community Development Corporation's farm facility in Acton on March 24, touring its packing shed, cold storage, and a new seven-bay loading dock under construction. Executive Director Usha Thakar and Director of Strategy and Operations Dylan Frazier told board members the hub moves roughly $800,000 to $900,000 in annual produce sales through a 12-truck fleet but does not break even — Frazier put the break-even threshold at "north of $6 million" in sales. The visit is part of Pepperell's multi-phase effort to develop a food hub and commercial kitchen to support farms in the Pepperell, Dunstable, Groton, and southern New Hampshire region; the town has earmarked funds for the project and has authorized consultant Holly Fowler to complete a phase-two business plan following a phase-one demand study.