Mukai Barreling Plant: A Local Food Hub

VIGA and Friends of Mukai have partnered in building a Local Food Hub at the historical Mukai Barreling Plant.

The Food Hub will include the following:

  • Commercial Kitchen: a commercial kitchen will provide a space for food processing, storage, and preparation. It will be available for community use as well as allowing local food producers to process their products and create value-added food items expanding economic opportunities. Kitchen will be available for use at an hourly rate and is to include:

    • Multiple workstations

    • Commercial ranges

    • Convection ovens

    • Mixers, processors, blenders

    • Freeze-dryers

    • Dry and cold storage

    • Event space for meetings, farm to table dinners, etc.

    • Marketplace for island products (longer-term vision)

  • Agricultural Tool Library: an agricultural tool library will provide VIGA members with access to farming equipment. Currently VIGA has various tools and food preservation equipment with no central location. We hope to grow this collection and increase its accessibility.

  • Local Grain Processing Infrastructure: As part of a longer-term vision for island grown grain, grain processing equipment was purchased through a KCD grant and will be housed within Mukai Barreling Plant facility. 

  • Dry & Cold Storage: Cold storage for over winter crops and dry storage for bulk products such as animal feed and seeds allowing growers to save with bulk buying and safe storage. Additional cold storage available to the community to rent  for storage of large quantity items such as half-animals.

  • Food Distribution: A location for off island distributors to pick up island grown products for larger off-island markets and drop-off for off-island products for local island businesses

Currently as of August 2024 there is about 1.5 million dollars for the project, almost half-way to the goal, there are architectural plans for the project which are in the permitting process. See below for funding details.

Secured Funding:

  • Foundations - 80k - 50k for HVAC

  • 2022 State Appropriation - 50k - Planning & Design

  • Third Places Grant - 75k - 60k septic

  • Nat’l Endowment For Humanities - 150k - Planning & Design

  • Nat’l Park Service - 500k - Construction Hard Costs

  • 4Culture - 229k - 135k Hard Costs

  • State Barn Grant - 75k - Construction, foundation costs

  • WSDA Local Food Infrastructure - 57k - Commercial Kitchen Equipment

Pending Funding Sources:

  • State Heritage Capital - 850k - Tenant Infrastructure

Future Funding Opportunities:

  • King County Doors Open - 1Mil - Construction Hard Costs