More equipment, space, and services!
Did you know Taproot is working on expanding its services by adding a fully equipped cook room, offering businesses and individuals access to a modular space that will include a six-burner gas range, convection oven (for baking, roasting, and more!), a large steam jacketed tilting kettle, a fire-suppression hood, a blast chiller, and lots of dry storage?
Last spring – on April 24, 2023, to be exact — Taproot received approval from San Juan County (SJC) to begin work on the space adjacent to our current prep kitchen (just to the south of the kitchen and in the space were SJI Food Hub pick up is, if you’re familiar with that area).
Demo of the storage area has almost wrapped up, and we have lined up a general contractor who was been helping us sort out construction related details with our team. Most recently, board chair Randall Waugh and project manager Staci French have been busy meeting with sub-contractors to shore up the remaining particulars before construction can begin.
And in other exciting and related cook room news, Taproot was awarded a Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) for the majority of cook room equipment purchases. This means over $41,000 of equipment, including the oven and stove, will be purchased by this grant which helps rural communities.
Help Us Raise Funds for a Fire Suppression Hood
With all big projects there is usually a major hurdle or two to jump, and we are no exception. Taproot needs to raise around $80,000 for a required 12-foot commercial fire-suppression hood for the cooking area. We have a few ideas up our sleeves on how to raise the necessary funds, but it will take the support of our generous Lopez community. Are you a wizard at fundraising – we’d love to brainstorm with you! Please contact info@lopeztaproot.org or talk to any of the Taproot crew (Randall, Jean, Jim, Staci, Sam, Laurie, or our new kitchen manager, Wendy!).
For more information about the project and its milestones please visit our cook room project web page or contact Staci French, Taproot Project Manager at taprootKitchenStaci@gmail.com