Creston’s Fields Forward Society has moved ahead with the purchase of the Kootenay Farms Food Hub building at 409 Payne Street, but will ask the Regional District of Central Kootenay to help close a remaining $76,000 funding gap. “When you look at what we are doing in the community for economic development and food security, I feel that this is a very strong investment.” Instead, the committee directed staff to determine how much funding could be reallocated within the S108 Economic Development budget and prepare recommendations for the RDCK board’s August meeting. Fields Forward Society and the Creston Valley Food Action Coalition operate the Kootenay Farms Food Hub, which supports food processing, aggregation, distribution and agricultural programming in the Creston Valley. The organization has said purchasing the property will provide a permanent home for those services while strengthening the regional food system and supporting local producers.