MOUNT PULASKI, Ill. (WAND) - The Central Illinois Farm Fed Co-operative is a new program looking to connect fresh local produce to buyers.

Since receiving a Local Food Local Places Grant from the EPA, Mount Pulaski has been making local produce a priority in the community.
 
Tom Martin, interim co-chairman for the co-operative said residents of Mount Pulaski are responding well to this initiative.
 
"Since we've seen the success of the response to the customer, local customers to fresh food and local food and how much they want that that's probably invigorated us."
 
The co-operative would give farmers a tool to help them process, preserve and package their crops.
 
"This facility would help connect farmers and local buyers by offering the ability to process and freeze fresh local produce. This kind of infrastructure is generally missing from our greater region," said Jeff Hake co-manager of the co-op.
 
This facility would also help farmers get their products to more places than they could on their own.
 
"We're trying to service more of our institutional buyers so instead of serving individual customers that come into the market and buy the produce what we're trying to do is service the hospitals, the nursing homes, the schools, the universities, larger businesses," said Martin.

Right now, this project is still in the fundraising stage. Their goal is 100,000 dollars by October 1st and so far they have raised almost 40,000 dollars.