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The Daily Tar Heel

Local FOOD middle man

Roybal to lead entrepreneurial processing lab

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Matthew Roybal from Phoenix, Arizona is a the Facility Manager at The Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center. Roybal started as a chef in Chicago and moved to Kankakee, Illinois to help his mother start her farm. He learned all about farming through his experience working on his mother's farm. Roybal has a extensive background working in consulting. He has done consulting for Weaver Street and Whole Foods.

Matthew Roybal doesn’t look like a farmer.

Young, tan and professionally dressed, the 36-year-old Hillsborough resident looks more like a chef. But his interest in food extends beyond the kitchen.

“I’ve never had a desire to learn anything about farming, I just did through my food experience,” Roybal said.

“I just started asking basic questions: ‘Where is my food coming from? Who’s growing this?’”

Roybal is the manager of the soon-to-be-complete Piedmont Food & Agricultural Processing Center in Hillsborough.

The center, set to open in April, will help small farmers in 22 counties bring their products to market much more cheaply by providing a facility for packaging and storing their crops.

He was introduced to the Orange County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 15.

Roybal said he has experience working at each level of food production, and gained large-scale production experience working as a chef for Whole Foods Market in Chicago.

Roybal also participated in the company’s local initiative, volunteering to meet with the farmers who supplied Whole Foods.

After leaving Whole Foods, Roybal worked most recently as a consultant for Weaver Street Market, where he focused on natural foods and cooperative and small business operations.

“Matt is a kindred spirit in his passion for local food, and he will act as a strong proponent for local farmers,” said James Watts, head merchandiser for Weaver Street Market.

Roybal said he heard about the food processing center and its managerial position while consulting for Weaver Street Market.

“Immediately it piqued my interest as a chef,” he said.

Noah Ranells, Orange County agricultural economic development coordinator, said the center would benefit from Roybal’s rapport with local farmers.

“We were happy to find someone who lived right here in Hillsborough,” Ranells said. “He has an excellent set of skills that can help the processing center get off on very solid footing.”

Though the center is currently operated by Orange County, Roybal said the goal of the new facility is to ultimately become a nonprofit organization funded by money raised by helping farmers bring their products to market.

“My personal goals are to see it service as many small farms and businesses as possible and to see it be well-supported,” Roybal said.

Roybal eventually sees himself taking over his mother’s farm in Illinois where he first learned about agricultural production, but said he isn’t quite ready to settle down.

“No offense to my mother, but Kankakee, Ill., is not where I’d like to be right now.”

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.

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