Local farmers have a new hub to process and sell their crops thanks to a newly opened 10,000-square-foot facility in Madison.
On Aug. 11, 2026, the Community Action Coalition of South-Central Wisconsin (CAC) cut the ribbon on its new terminal market and produce processing facility. Backed by the USDA and state-funded Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI), the “Foodshed Partnership” connects small and mid-scale farms with larger wholesale markets.
The Foodshed will serve as a hub for aggregation, processing, and storage. It specifically aims to support farmers who face barriers to accessing infrastructure. The program helps farms improve food safety practices, meet wholesale standards, and store produce in CAC’s cold, frozen, and dry warehouses.
The new facility also allows workers to process raw produce into value-added, ready-to-eat items, such as frozen vegetables and fully cooked meals. Pasture and Plenty—a Madison-based farm-to-table deli and catering company—will manage these new products. Their staff are currently finalizing the licensing, recipes, and packaging needed to begin food manufacturing in the space.
The Foodshed’s first major launch is Midwest Marinara, a Wisconsin-grown, vegetable-forward sauce. The sauce will debut in schools this fall through a collaboration with Pasture and Plenty, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and REAP Food Group’s Farm to School program. CAC will also supply the locally sourced marinara to food pantries across Dane, Jefferson, and Waukesha counties.
Ultimately, the Foodshed helps growers move more products with fewer logistical headaches. By pooling produce from multiple farms, the hub ensures buyers have consistent access to high-quality local food while saving farmers time and transportation costs.
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