Ag News

Fort Valley State University breaks ground on vegetable cold storage facility

By Jay Stone

On July 18, Fort Valley State University broke ground for construction of a new vegetable cold storage facility on its campus in Peach County.

According to FVSU Extension Director Dr. Mark Latimore, the facility will be the first of its kind in Georgia and will offer processing and short-term storage services to farmers. Latimore said the university is considering a fee-based revenue structure to cover the cost of services, similar to what the school already does with its meat processing facility.

“What this would do also is provide opportunities for the small farmers to sell to farm to school programs and restaurants in Atlanta,” Latimore said. “It would be a good opportunity because they provide a value-added product.”

The project was funded through a $1.6 million 1890 Facilities Grant through the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The facility is expected to open in fall 2025, though Latimore said it could be ready by late summer.

The facility will have three coolers, one of which could be operated as a freezer. Farmers would bring their crops from the field, and the facility will clean, package and label the products, then store them until the farmer can return to pick them up within a few days. The facility would also serve the school’s on-campus produce operation.

Latimore said the school is encouraging farmers to use the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program while producing their crops, noting that restaurants and grocery stores ask for GAP certification.

Latimore said FVSU is considering the acquisition of refrigerated transportation, which would expand the area the facility could serve.

The July 18 groundbreaking ceremony featured U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, State Rep. Robert Dickey, Fort Valley Mayor Jeffery Lundy, and other city, county and state officials, local farmers and community members took part in the ceremony.

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