PATH Foundation makes $1.2M grant for food hub

The PATH Foundation announced Thursday that it has awarded a $1.2 million grant to Warrenton-based 4P Foods, a farm-to-table consumer food subscription service, to construct a food hub in the Vint Hill community aimed at assisting area nonprofits focused on food insecurity issues.

Also headquartered in Warrenton, PATH is a nonprofit foundation promoting healthy communities in Faquier, Rappahannock and northern Culpeper counties. In addition to helping area nonprofits with food distribution infrastructure, the food hub, which is expected to be completed in 2020, will also connect local farms to regional buyers, including schools, health providers and food banks.

Working with more than 220 farms, 4P Foods' delivery network reaches from the Washington, D.C., region to south of Richmond. The company recently added a wholesale division selling to restaurants and schools. 4P Foods employs 26 workers.

“Our community is heavily rooted in agriculture, but many of its residents lack access to fresh food,” said Christy Connolly, PATH Foundation president and CEO, in a statement. “Food impacts all four of the PATH Foundation’s health priorities and plays an important role in overall community health. By improving access to healthy food, the food hub will play a key role in accomplishing our mission: to strengthen the health and vitality of our community.”

“The 4P Food Hub is a game changer,” said Kirsten Dueck, senior program officer at the PATH Foundation, “In the past, we’ve seen promising programs struggle without a reliable, affordable way to get products from farms to tables. We are excited about this collaboration with … the great team at 4P Foods, and we look forward to the impact that it will have on our community.”