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use depending on production volumes. Where possible, equipment is recommended to <br />have casters to allow needed equipment to be moved in and out according to client needs. <br />Vegetable Wash Line <br />The facility includes a space for inclusion of a small automated vegetable wash and grade <br />line. This line could be used by a number of farm-based producers for consolidated <br />packing of fresh produce to meet wholesale distribution, direct retail, or institutional <br />sales. There is a growing interest in institutional purchases of locally grown produce, <br />however a lack of unified washing, sorting, and grading often precludes local growers <br />from accessing these accounts. Before installing a vegetable washing, grading, an <br />packing line, the project is recommended to incorporate a targeted institutional sales <br />program, in conjunction with marketing specialists with the NC Department of <br />Agriculture and specialized area agents of the NC Cooperative Extension Service. A <br />useful model for replication is the Madison Farms project in Madison County, NC, where <br />up to 25 farms pool their production at a shared use wash line to serve institutional clients <br />including the public schools, area colleges, and the regional hospital. <br />Mixed Use Room <br />The mixed use room measures 418 square feet and is designed to accommodate light <br />packaging needs. This room can be later retrofitted to provide USDA or state-inspected <br />value added meat processing. Certified meat smoking, sausage production, or preparation <br />of primal cuts for locally grown meats could be conducted in this room, upon <br />development of sanitary operating procedures and plans for hazard analysis and critical <br />control point management (commonly referred to as HACCP plans). Meat processing is <br />not recommended until after the project has been open for a substantial period of time. <br />The Orange Enterprises site also has a fairly spacious gravel parking lot able to <br />accommodate between 20 and 25 parking spaces. While a paved surface is optimal, the <br />investment in paving is a low priority compared to internal renovation needs. <br />Development Costs <br />Development cost estimates are based on experiences at Blue Ridge Food Ventures and <br />takes into account potential inflation of certain construction activities. A table showing <br />estimated development cost ranges, not including equipment, is presented below: <br />45 <br />