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Hotlanta

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Hotlanta

Lewis says the new regulations have proven to be a major challenge for Hatcher Produce, a relatively small business.  “We didn’t have a lot of the food safety standards or a recall program in place, so we had to do all that last year,” she says. “We had to get the computers and software to have the ability to handle traceability, train our employees, put sanitation programs into place, pay for certificates…and it ended up costing us a lot of money.”

Looking to the Future

Although Atlanta produce businesses face plenty of obstacles, most are extremely enthusiastic about the future.  Fueling this optimism is the promise that the Atlanta State Farmers Market will continue to improve and grow.  “We’ve been heavily involved in a complete market analysis, trying to figure out which way we need to go in the next five, ten, or fifteen years,” says Thompson.  A number of options are being considered, with some finalization due during the year.

“We’ve got a great market, and we’re going to build it to be even bigger and better,” Thompson enthuses. “I think the future is bright.”

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Amy Bell is a professional freelance writer with more than ten years of writing and marketing experience.