Co-op invests $100,000 in food fund

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A Montpelier-based food cooperative has announced it is investing $100,000 in a fund that supports Vermont’s food producers.

The Times Argus reports Hunger Mountain Co-op is investing in the Vermont Community Loan Fund to support its Food, Farms and Forest Fund.

The co-op used the loan fund in 1996 to help expand its retail site from 2,000 to 10,000 square feet.

Co-op chief financial officer Tim Wingate says they credit the loan fund with “getting us up and running.”

Wingate says the investment will help food products whose products will be on their shelves in the future.

The VCLF has loaned $105 million to businesses and organizations since it was founded in 1987. The Farms and Forests Fund has helped farmers generate 7.32 million pounds of food.

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Information from: The Times Argus, http://www.timesargus.com/