Goal 4 – Infrastructure
Enhancing the Capacity of Our Regional Food System
Dane County’s food infrastructure is currently at an inflection point, defined by the upcoming launch of landmark facilities and the mounting pressures of market consolidation. The county is fortunate to have existing and emerging pillars of innovation to support the infrastructure demands of our food system. Unfortunately, these facilities alone will not be sufficient to meet the future needs of a growing community. Continued investment in food systems infrastructure will strengthen our economy, apply downward pressure to prices, and make Dane County more resilient to future threats.
Despite recent successes, long-term sustainability will remain a challenge as the need for shared infrastructure outweighs the currently available facilities. Commercial kitchen space for entrepreneurs and food repackaging remains a high need, as does operational support for equipment and facility maintenance at locations that prioritize accessibility. With new opportunities shadowed by economic threats like inflation and consolidation, new infrastructure investments today will pay significant dividends in the future.
Strategies
1. Support and Optimize Existing Food System Infrastructure
Dane County has existing assets that provide community-wide food system benefits. Strengthening and amplifying existing resources for storage, commercial kitchen space, and food business incubation will encourage entrepreneurship and expansion of infrastructure functions to fill community needs.
Actions
- Inventory existing infrastructure and the demand for services to project capacity needs.
- Support expansion of existing facilities to meet the high level of demand.
- Develop systems to network and connect existing businesses with similar operations so they can share functions and services to reduce costs.
- Align institutional, governmental, and community policy and resources around the need for infrastructure investments.
2. Expand Local Storage Capacity
Storage and distribution limitations hinder the growth of production capacity and consumer access to local products. New facilities for aggregation, including cold and dry storage, will allow small and mid-sized producers to store excess product, sell it wholesale, and extend the life of products that can be sold during non-peak seasonality. Advancements in season-extension infrastructure and processing—such tools for bulk freezing, vacuum sealing, or drying—will further allow the system to manage production gaps in winter or during climate-driven crop failures.
Actions
- Increase access to decentralized spaces for medium-term cold and dry storage for the aggregation of local farm products.
- Advocate for state, federal, and private investment in new facilities that allow retail and institutional buyers to aggregate produce from a variety of farmers in order to fulfill their orders.
- Invest in proven and innovative technology to extend the growing season.
3. Seek Efficiencies in Local Distribution
The 2020 Terminal Market study commissioned by the City of Madison identified an opportunity to improve last-mile distribution in the Dane County area. In the 2022 evaluation of recipients of Madison’s Healthy Retail Access Program funding, multiple small and mid-sized retailers reported high costs of time and funds associated with frequent trips to Chicago and other locations to procure specialty products. To the degree that it is possible, businesses should explore ways to streamline shared distribution and transportation challenges.
Actions
- Enhance distribution networks to create efficiencies in driving and route logistics for small farmers looking to offload products.
- Coordinate logistics for similar businesses to share transportation and distribution costs for recurring trips for specialty products.
- Explore innovative solutions to address last-mile distribution challenges, such as refrigerated lockers or local distribution points.
4. Increase Production Space Availability
Commercial kitchen and production space for packaging and preparation of hot food is a limitation for many segments of the food system. From producers looking to find places for storage for mass produced products to entrepreneurs seeking to pilot new business ideas, access to production space is a constant challenge.
Some restaurants and faith-based institutions have kitchens that could function to support food businesses or recovery efforts during non-peak use hours. Similarly, some school buildings may have production spaces that are underutilized after school, on weekends, or in the summer. Forming relationships between those who need access to space and the existing spaces in our community that may support their needs can increase capacity on production.
Actions
- Inventory underutilized production spaces that could be activated during periods of low activity such as a restaurant in the morning, faith institution on a weekday, or school in the summer.
- Invest in new and expanded spaces for processing of products to improve storage or create value-added products that have a longer shelf life.