What Does Food Access Have to Do with Water? More Than You’d Think.
Healthy communities need healthy food systems — and healthy food systems need healthy water. That’s why we’re sharing news about a project happening right here in our region that deserves your attention and your support.
The Beaver County Food Hub is a transformative facility in the works for Ambridge, PA — built on a former brownfield site — that would tackle food insecurity, support local farmers, and create real economic opportunity for thousands of residents. According to economic modeling from the University of Pittsburgh, the Hub is projected to serve more than 10,000 community members annually and generate an estimated $18 million in annual economic output.
The problem it’s solving is real. Thirteen communities in Beaver County are USDA-designated food deserts — even though the county has more than 500 farms. More than 22,000 residents rely on SNAP benefits, yet most can’t use them to buy locally grown food. Meanwhile, over 80% of the produce grown there gets shipped out to surrounding markets.
The Hub — a partnership between Crop and Kettle, Ambridge Borough, and RiverWise — is already 60% funded. The final piece is a $2.7 million federal appropriation, and a petition is underway to help make that happen.
Planned features include training kitchens, a food business incubator, professional commissary space, a year-round SNAP-accessible indoor farmers market, and indoor growing facilities for four-season production.
RiverWise — one of our partner organizations in the Upper Ohio River Basin — is leading the charge. If you believe in community resilience, regional food systems, and the kind of grassroots investment that makes our watershed communities stronger, this one’s worth two minutes of your time.
