The Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market is adding a commercial kitchen inside its market space, a project aimed at expanding nutrition education and supporting small, local food-based businesses.
The kitchen will serve as a hub for hands-on nutrition and food education workshops in partnership with community organizations. It will also provide commercial kitchen space for local entrepreneurs to prepare value-added food products.
Priority for kitchen use will be given to businesses whose products contribute to a healthy community and strengthen the local food system, according to Market Manager Mary Beth Alexander.
“This project reflects our mission to support local agriculture, improve access to nutrition education, and reduce barriers for small food businesses,” Alexander said. “The commercial kitchen will allow us to deepen our educational programming while helping local entrepreneurs grow their businesses.”
Funding for the project includes a $45,000 Agriculture Development Fund grant from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, a $25,000 Community Health Investments grant from Owensboro Health, and $10,000 contributions each from the City of Owensboro and Daviess County Fiscal Court.
Construction and setup are currently underway, with plans for the kitchen to be available for rental from late spring into early summer.
Local food entrepreneurs interested in renting the commercial kitchen are encouraged to watch for progress updates and rental information in the coming months. More information and future announcements can be found on the Market’s website and social media pages.
