Local growers and food businesses have been in the spotlight lately. Their resiliency is an integral part of the Massachusetts food system. The newly released Massachusetts Food Processors Resource Guide supports new and growing value-added agricultural and entrepreneurial food businesses.
What is a value-added food product, anyway? According to the USDA, “Value-added products are raw agricultural products that have been modified or enhanced to have a higher market value and/or a longer shelf life.” Think of fruits made into jams or pies, wheat turned into flour, or tomatoes and peppers becoming salsa.
How far does a blueberry travel from a local bush to your home freezer? Normally not a very big journey. But finding out whether or not those same blueberries can be frozen and sold commercially in your local market is proving to be a long a winding road.
