BUSINESS: USDA grant moves Hub on the Hill toward 2016 marketing, distribution

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>By KIM SMITH DEDAM Press-Republican</p>

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<p>ESSEX — Time to start thinking about what to grow next year. </p>

<p>That's when Essex County will have a food hub in place for processing and distribution of wholesale products made from local foods.</p>

<p>The new project, called Hub on the Hill, was awarded $95,000 as a pilot program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</p>

<p>Owners of the 3,000-square-foot facility are looking to develop wholesale processing, juicing, bottling, food-drying, storage and distribution systems for local growers.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div>