Michigan grown apples will be able to be on retail stores shelves longer thanks to a major new facility getting underway in the Van Buren County community of Hartford, where Hartford Farm Supply is launching construction on a new 13,440 square foot controlled atmosphere storage project to increase their capacity going forward.
Operating under the Paw Paw River Produce brand, Hartford Farm Supply has been in business for decades and will construct the new facility to allow not only greater capacity, but also more efficient storage for apples grown both here in Southwest Michigan and in the Traverse City region.
Jason Meachum is Owner/Manager of Hartford Farm Supply. He says the new facility will increase storage capacity, allowing for additional days of packing and keeping Michigan apples on the shelves in retail stores longer. The project will also reduce the need for apple imports, prevent apples from leaving the state for storage, and expand the customer footprint for Michigan growers.
Meachum says, “Southwest Michigan has a shortage of controlled atmosphere storage, so this project will be a great start in helping bridge the gap between growers and the packing house.” He adds, “From the packing house perspective, more controlled atmosphere storage equates to more packing days, which leads to more opportunities for workers.”
The new facility represents a $1.2-million investment and is expected to be completed prior to the fall harvest season. The company was awarded a $75,000 performance-based grant to construct the facility, which will provide storage for some eight to ten Michigan apple growers. The grant comes from the Michigan Commission of Agriculture & Rural Development which voted to make the grant award at it’s meeting in late January.
Jamie Clover Adams is Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. Adams says, “Whenever we have the opportunity to help Michigan food and agriculture businesses expand, improve their operations, and create more jobs, that’s a good day.” Adams says the Paw Paw River Produce approval not only will have a direct impact on the local economy in Hartford, but will also “help provide more fresh, locally grown produce throughout the year to everybody who lives in our great state.”
The Food & Agriculture Investment Program provides financial support for good and agriculture projects that help expand food and agriculture processing to enable growth in the industry and Michigan’s economy. Projects are selected based on their impact to the overall agriculture industry and their impact to food and agriculture growth and investment in Michigan.
