The Mountain Harvest Kitchen, located in the Town of Unicoi, Tennessee, will be a certified commercial kitchen created to support development and growth of local and regional food businesses. This facility will be available for rent 24/7 to individuals and businesses for food processing.  Housed in a 4,000 square foot building, there will be two food processing areas with industrial-sized equipment, a research and development lab, a receiving area, walk-in freezer and refrigerator, dry storage and office space.

The Mountain Harvest Kitchen, currently in development, is located at Exit 32 off Interstate 26 in Unicoi, TN. It is designed to support growers and food product entrepreneurs in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina to develop value-added products to sell commercially.

While this Kitchen will be available to individuals and businesses for processing locally grown produce at an affordable rental rate, it will also serve to educate the public in proper food handling procedures, nutrition, and food preparation. The management of the facility will reach out to the general public and provide teaching and training to increase the health and quality of life of residents in the region.

At present, the kitchen has a vegetable prep station (phase I) complete. The final design specifications for phase II have been sent the Economic Development Agency for final approval. Once approved, the town will be proceeding with construction of the final design. Unicoi expects to break ground in the fall of this year and to be fully operational in early 2017.