By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
VAN BUREN — The Town of Van Buren was recently awarded $200,000 through a Northern Border Regional Commission grant to create an agricultural building able to support a vegetable processing plant.
According to officials with the NBRC, the plant will assist in the diversification of local agriculture and expand markets for local producers.
Emerging business Northern Girl LLC. and its President, Chris Weaverhall, are slated to lease the facilities once construction is completed. The business intends to offer fresh and frozen peeled and cut organic potatoes and other root vegetables, and will provide a new market for locally grown organic produce.
During the interim, the business is in the process of temporarily setting up production at the former NCO Club at the Loring Commerce Centre. Northern Girl’s lease was approved in mid-September and will run through May 2012, as the new Van Buren building is slated for completion next year.
