The food hub is expected to support 25–40 regional farms and producers, creating new opportunities for small and mid-scale agricultural businesses to expand their markets and stabilize income. In addition, the shared commercial kitchen will provide space for new value-added food businesses, allowing farmers and food entrepreneurs to develop and sell products such as preserved foods, prepared meals, and packaged goods.

The food hub will enable greater local procurement by regional institutions, including school districts, healthcare providers, Tribal nutrition programs, and emergency food systems. By creating the infrastructure needed to aggregate, store, and distribute locally produced food, the hub will make it easier for institutions to purchase directly from regional farms.

The Gather & Grow Food Hub is supported by a diversified mix of grants, capital contributions, loan financing, and earned revenue to fully cover construction, equipment, and operations. Core capital support includes $2,000,000 plus 1.7 acres contributed by the Del Norte Healthcare District, supplemented by a ~$2,000,000 CDFA Farm to Community Food Hub Grant for construction and operations, and a ~$250,000 Healthy Food Financing Initiative award for retail market buildout. Predevelopment and planning support includes $350,000 from California Jobs First Catalyst funding and $158,566 from the CDFA Resilient Infrastructure Grant which enabled early-stage design, feasibility, and regional coordination.