The food preparation component of the urban food hubs is centered on a commercial kitchen that can serve as a teaching and training facility to improve information about healthy eating, healthy food preparation, and age-appropriate diets. To maximize the capacity building benefits of the cooking classes, food demonstrations, and nutrition classes offered at the hubs, CAUSES uses a train-the-trainer model whenever possible. This means that training is first offered to staff members of community partner organization as well as local residents. The partners then assume responsibility for providing additional training and education to local residents.

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In addition to serving as teaching facilities, the kitchens also serve as business incubators where those interested in launching food-based businesses can clean, process, and preserve the locally grown produce that can then be marketed to local farmers’ markets, restaurants, and grocery stores. The kitchens are designed to be functional, energy efficient, and food safety compliant. Demonstration areas also provide visible workspaces, and well-defined workstations for receiving, storage, preparation, recycling, and other functional areas to provide training for proper food handling, food safety, and food management. Activities of the kitchens include the following:

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• Nutrition counseling and nutrition education workshops

• Cooking classes and food demonstrations

• Certifications in food handling, food safety, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

• Entrepreneurship classes to launch food preparation and processing related business

• Focus groups to identify determinants of safe food handling behaviors, risk perception, and beliefs that      impede the adoption of safe food handling standards

• Better eating habits and reduced food-related illnesses, including focus groups to assess behavioral changes related to eating and purchasing habits

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