Elko Rural Food Hub
Building a stronger food future for northeastern Nevada
The Elko Rural Food Hub is a bold, community-driven investment in food access, local partnerships, and long-term capacity for rural communities across northeastern Nevada. Together, we’re building a more connected and reliable system so every neighbor has access to the healthy food they need.
This is more than a building. It’s a commitment to rural Nevada.
Strong communities start with access
Across northeastern Nevada, communities are strong, connected, and resilient. Neighbors look out for one another, and local organizations work hard to meet the needs they see every day.
At the same time, distance and infrastructure can make it harder for food to reach every neighbor consistently. Long distances, limited grocery stores, smaller food pantries, and fewer delivery options all create real barriers to accessing healthy food.
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada has served rural communities for more than 40 years. The Elko Rural Food Hub is the next chapter in that shared history.
By establishing a regional distribution center in the heart of Elko, we are strengthening how food reaches families, seniors, and children across northeastern Nevada.
Over the past decade, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and local partners have distributed more than 14.6 million pounds of food across Elko, Eureka, Lander, and White Pine counties. The Elko Rural Food Hub builds on that foundation by strengthening the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of food access across rural Nevada.
FROM CHALLENGE TO SOLUTION
The Elko Rural Food Hub is designed to address the real barriers that make food access harder across rural northeastern Nevada.
For years, food distributed throughout northeastern Nevada has traveled hundreds of miles from Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s regional distribution center in northwestern Nevada.
While this system has helped provide millions of pounds of food across the region, long distances create challenges for transportation, storage, delivery frequency, and access to fresh foods.
Local organizations often receive deliveries only a couple times each month, limiting flexibility and making it harder to maintain a consistent supply of nutritious food.
The Elko Rural Food Hub brings food storage and distribution closer to the communities it serves.
Designed with expanded warehouse, refrigeration, and freezer capacity, the Hub will strengthen food distribution and help local partners access food more efficiently and reliably. By storing food closer to home, the Hub will improve access to fresh produce and
nutritious foods while increasing the region’s ability to respond during times of increased need.
While the facility will also include a neighbor-choice Market, conference space, and offices for partner use, the heart of the Hub is regional food distribution infrastructure designed to support communities across northeastern Nevada.
decades of service. a future of impact.
10-YEAR IMPACT ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NEVADA (FY16 — FY26 YTD)
A hub designed for rural communities
Rural communities face food access challenges that traditional distribution models aren’t built to solve. Serving large geographic areas with limited infrastructure often restricts how frequently fresh, nutritious food can reach those who need it most.
The Elko Rural Food Hub is designed specifically for these realities.
Bridging the Gap
Counties like Elko (13.4% food insecurity) and Eureka (17.6%) experience higher barriers to food access due to fewer grocery stores and food pantries, long travel distances, and limited storage capacity.
A Smarter System
The new hub at 111 W. Front Street will allow for more frequent, reliable deliveries and expanded access to fresh produce and nutritious staples for partner food pantries and meal programs.
The facility is designed with capacity for 232 full pallet spaces, 116 half-pallet spaces, and dedicated refrigerated and frozen storage to help increase access to fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and other nutritious foods throughout the region.
Strengthening Local Partners
By providing a consistent local supply of food and operational support, the hub empowers our network of hunger relief partners to serve their own neighbors more effectively.
This new regional hub will serve as a central distribution point for Elko, White Pine, Eureka, and Lander counties.
DESIGNED TO SUPPORT WHAT’S ALREADY HAPPENING
The Elko Rural Food Hub is designed to strengthen the work already happening across northeastern Nevada.
Every day, local food pantries, meal programs, schools, senior programs, tribal organizations, and community partners help ensure neighbors can access food and support close to home. The Hub is being built to support those efforts by bringing food storage, distribution, and resources closer to the communities they serve.
Greater Food Distribution
Across rural northeastern Nevada communities in Elko, Eureka, Lander, and White Pine counties.
Expanded Cold Storage
And fresh food capacity to improve access to nutritious foods throughout the region.
Stronger Support for Rural Food Bank Partners
Including food pantries, meal programs, schools, senior programs, and other organizations serving local communities.
Volunteer and Community Collaboration
Space designed to support connection, coordination, and shared community impact.
More Fresh, Healthy Food
For families, children, and seniors across northeastern Nevada.
This is about strengthening a regional network already working every day to support rural communities.
Local partners are at the heart of this work.
We’re proud to partner with these hunger-relief organizations in northeastern Nevada:
ELKO COUNTY:
Carlin Cupboard Food Pantry, Communities In Schools of Northeastern Nevada, F.I.S.H. Elko, Jackpot Helping Hands, JAS Foundation – Joe’s Pantry, Montello Food Pantry, Newe Numa Food Bank Shoshone Paiute Tribe / Duck Valley Reservation, Silver Sage Senior Center, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Vitality Unlimited, and Wells Family Resource Center
EUREKA COUNTY:
Eureka Nutrition Sites
LANDER COUNTY: AoA Elder Program / Battle Mountain Band NCB Food Bank, Assembly of God Battle Mountain, Battle Mountain Elementary School, Frontier Community Coalition – Battle Mountain, and Helping Hands of Austin
WHITE PINE COUNTY: Ely Shoshone Paiute Tribe and White Pine Ministerial Association
Built alongside the community
The Elko Rural Food Hub is being shaped in collaboration with the community it will serve. Local partner food pantries and organizations, community leaders, and neighbors are helping guide this work through shared knowledge, open dialogue, and a deep understanding of local needs.
Our partner agencies are trusted voices in their communities and play a central role in shaping how this hub will operate. Their experience and insight are essential to making sure the hub reflects real needs and delivers meaningful impact.
We’re also proud to work with local and state partners to bring this vision to life, including:
- YLA Construction, an Elko based contractor selected to lead the facility renovation
- R6 Studio, led by Elko architect Catherine Wines, designing a space tailored to community needs
- Nevada Department of Agriculture, providing a foundational $3 million ARPA investment to launch this critical project
Together, community partnerships, public investment, and local support are helping build a stronger food system designed to serve northeastern Nevada for generations to come.
Building Capacity for the Future
The Elko Rural Food Hub is designed to help meet today’s needs while creating capacity for future growth across northeastern Nevada.
When fully stocked, the facility will have the capacity to store approximately 500,000 pounds of food and will support expanded food distribution throughout the region.
In its first year, the Hub is expected to increase annual food distribution in Elko County by approximately 500,000 pounds, with a five-year goal of doubling the amount of food moving into Elko, Eureka, Lander, and White Pine counties.
By bringing food closer to the communities it serves, the Hub will help create a more responsive, efficient, and resilient regional food system for years to come.
The hub will include:
-
Large-Scale Dry Storage: Capacity for 232 full pallet spaces and 116 half-pallet spaces to support a more reliable regional food supply.
-
Refrigerated & Freezer Storage: Dedicated cold storage capacity to expand access to fresh and frozen foods across northeastern Nevada.
- Neighbor-Choice Pantry: A welcoming environment where neighbors can select foods that best meet their household needs and preferences.
- Community & Partner Space: Flexible space designed to support collaboration, training, and coordination among local organizations and community partners.
- Efficient Distribution Infrastructure: Loading and distribution capacity designed to reduce transportation barriers and strengthen regional food distribution.
The project will roll out in phases as the space continues to come to life.
The first phase focuses on operationalizing the warehouse and distribution space, with service to partner agencies in Elko County targeted to begin by the end of 2026. From there, distribution support will continue expanding into surrounding rural communities.
The second phase will bring the neighbor choice market online, with plans to begin welcoming and serving neighbors in summer 2027.
Future phases will also include shared office and collaboration space for community partners, creating opportunities for stronger coordination, connection, and regional support.
By placing food closer to the communities it serves, the hub will allow for more frequent deliveries, fewer disruptions, and stronger local partnerships.
This is a responsive, practical solution built for rural Nevada.
What this will make possible
When food is closer and more consistent, communities grow stronger in lasting ways. The Elko Rural Food Hub will strengthen the entire regional food network and expand what is possible for rural communities. Most importantly, the hub ensures that where someone lives does not determine whether they can access healthy food.
With this hub in place, communities will see:
- More reliable access to nutritious food for families and seniors
- Greater capacity for local food pantries and partner agencies
- Stronger collaboration between regional and local organizations
- New opportunities for community involvement and connection
- Support for local jobs and economic activity
Expanded Fresh Food Capacity
Helping increase access to produce, dairy, proteins, and other nutritious foods throughout the region.
Stronger Support for Local Partners
Providing food pantries, meal programs, schools, senior programs, tribal organizations, and other community organizations with more reliable access to food and distribution resources.
Regional Resilience
Strengthening emergency response readiness and the region’s ability to respond during times of increased need.
Future Growth
Creating capacity to serve more families and support evolving community needs for years to come.
This is the kind of impact that builds momentum and strengthens communities over time.
Be part of what comes next
The Elko Rural Food Hub is a transformational investment in the health and vitality of northeastern Nevada. While strong public and organizational support is already in place, community involvement is essential to fully realize the hub’s potential and ensure its long-term success.
A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT IN NORTHEASTERN NEVADA
The project is being built through the combined support of individuals, businesses, foundations, organizations, community partners, and public investment.
A transformational investment through the Nevada Department of Agriculture provided $3 million in foundational funding, helping move the project from vision to reality.
Community support is helping fund construction, equipment, and infrastructure needed to bring the Hub fully online.
EVERY GIFT MOVES THE PROJECT FORWARD
From individual donations to transformational investments, every contribution plays a role in bringing the Elko Rural Food Hub to life. Community support helps fund equipment, infrastructure, and resources that will strengthen food access across northeastern Nevada for years to come.
INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF RURAL FOOD ACCESS
The Elko Rural Food Hub represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen food access across northeastern Nevada.
Through the support of community leaders, businesses, foundations, and philanthropic partners, this project is creating lasting infrastructure that will serve families, seniors, and rural communities for decades to come.
Leadership gifts, multi-year pledge commitments, corporate sponsorships, and naming opportunities are available for individuals and organizations interested in making a transformational investment in the future of northeastern Nevada.
To learn more about campaign opportunities and ways to support the project, contact:
Karen Senger, Chief Philanthropy Officer via email or at (775) 785-1402 or
Connor Bush, Strategic Gifts Advisor via email or at (775) 636-7217
GET INVOLVED
There are many ways to help bring the Elko Rural Food Hub to life and strengthen food access across northeastern Nevada.
STAY INFORMED
Sign up for updates on construction milestones, community events, volunteer opportunities, and the Hub’s progress as it moves toward opening.
VOLUNTEER
As operations expand, new opportunities will be available for community members to support food distribution, events, and neighborhood outreach efforts.
SHARE THE STORY
Help spread the word about the Elko Rural Food Hub and the importance of strengthening food access across rural Nevada. Sharing updates with friends, neighbors, businesses, and community organizations helps build momentum and support for the project.
Questions or ideas? Let’s connect.
The Elko Rural Food Hub is being built alongside the community it will serve, and we welcome conversations with neighbors, partners, organizations, and supporters who want to learn more or be part of what comes next.
Contact Jenny Yeager, Chief Operations and Programs Officer via email or at (775) 331-3663.
Stay Connected
Sign up for updates to follow the progress of the Elko Rural Food Hub and stay connected to the milestones, momentum, and community effort bringing this project to life.
