Dive Summary:

• The former Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois may soon be developed into a food hub, which would offer production, aggregation, distribution and marketing services, giving producers of fresh produce a hand entering markets they wouldn't be able to access on their own.
• The food hub is said to be the most realistic in the short term of two options being considered for the base by the village of Rantoul, which is paying the Center for Community Innovation $4,000 a month to work on the project, though the scope of the potential food hub is currently undetermined and a commercial component could accompany the individual one.
• A biofuel facility is the other option currently on the table for the property's development.

From the article:

... Uken said there has been a great deal of interest in the development of a food hub.

"So far there has been kind of a core group of individuals to put this thing together," Uken said. "We're trying to work out some details with some interested parties before we meet with farmers (and others)."

In addition to the village and both county and state Farm Bureau officials, representatives from Rantoul Township High School FFA, Royse, the University of Illinois and Parkland College have been part of the project steering committee, Uken said. ...