In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

OREGON FOOD GUIDE TARGETS LOCAL GROWERS & CONSUMERS

In Business, September-October, 2005, Vol. 27, No. 5, p. 22

A model for communities throughout North America, the publication helps make some critical connections on land and sea.

Laura Swanson

SITUATED in the somewhat isolated northwest corner of the state of Oregon, many organizations in Tillamook and Clatsop Counties are taking the concept of sustainability and putting it to work for the betterment of communities. An example of these efforts is the North Coast Food Guide, a new publication on the local edible bounty, providing valuable consumer information about the availability of a variety of products. The Guide features producers or sellers of food by farms, fishing boats, stores and restaurants. Nutrition education and other community resources are also featured. The Guide will be used to connect producers with consumers in this area and is a resource for strengthening the local food system economy and sustainability.
“We knew there was a need for this Guide,” says Nancy Kershaw, Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Family and Community Development. “During food preservation classes, students would ask 'Where do you get the tuna to can? Or, pickling cucumbers?' and people prefer to buy from local sources,” she continues. “The Guide will help hook up local producers with local consumers, and it will also help visitors to the area find out about our area's rich agricultural and seafood harvesting industries.” Including seafood in the North Coast Food Guide seems like a natural fit, but it makes this different from other Guides that usually only list agricultural products. “One of our most frequent requests from visitors is for information to locate good fresh seafood,” says Kershaw.
The Guide was made possible by a grant from OSU Extension Service Family and Community Development program in Clatsop and Tillamook Counties. The Community Foods Program at CARE Inc. in Tillamook also contributed financial and other support of the project. OSU Extension Service and CARE staff, Master Gardeners, and other volunteers from both communities Food Security Coalitions worked on it also.
“Hopefully the Food Guide will connect more restaurants and stores with farmers, and they'll take advantage of the local products,” says Jeff Trenary of Kingfisher Farms. “Especially if people are aware that there are wide varieties of vegetables, meats and seafoods available right here, and they ask the local restaurants and stores to carry these products. That's what the idea of sustainability is about - local businesses and consumers supporting local producers,” adds Trenary.
The 40-page Guide (published in English and Spanish) will be available through the above organizations and at other locations such as at area chambers of commerce, farmers markets and stores. NorthCoastFood.org is the on-line version of the Guide, which includes a helpful “locator” map. While a definite plan has not been established, the partners involved in the first publication, hope to annually update the Food Guide. Farmers, fishers and others that support local food, such as restaurants and grocery stores can be included in the Food Guide's on-line version. Local food producers and businesses can enter their information at this website; currently listings are free of charge.
The Guide lists 40 farms in Clatsop and Tillamook Counties with products ranging from beef and berries to salad greens and traditional veggies - there's nearly every type of food available to fill a table - fresh and locally grown. There are about a dozen listings for seafood and boat direct fish vessels and over 40 listings for retail outlets for locally-caught fresh seafood. It also includes tips about nutrition, food preservation, historical information about agriculture in the area, crop and seafood availability charts, locations of farmers markets and other food community resources.
“This is much more than just a list of farmers,” notes Shelly Bowe, CARE Food Security program, “The Food Guide celebrates the bounty of our local food system, and helps bring economic benefit to our small local farmers by connecting them with local consumers that truly want their food from local sources,” she continues. “It's a wonderful thing.”

For more information about the Food Guide, call the OSU Extension Service in Clatsop County at 503-325-8573 or in Tillamook County at 503-842-3433. You can also call CARE inc. at 503-842-5261, ext. 2. The North Coast Food Guide is available at locations throughout Clatsop and Tillamook Counties, and the Guide is also available on-line at www.northcoastfood.org.

PORTLAND, OREGON FOOD POLICY COUNCIL STRESSES LOCAL CONNECTIONS
The Food Policy Council that serves as an advisory group to Portland, Oregon and Multnomah County builds support for “a healthy regional food system.” Explains Molly Chidsey with the Multnomah Development Office: “We're investing in the regional economy by fostering a strong network of local farmers and food entrepreneurs. We're investing in the health of the community by working to ensure that everyone gets the food they need.”
A detailed article on the projects and Food Policy Council is planned for a coming issue of In Business. Molly Chidsey of Multnomah County can be contacted at molly.l.chidsey@co.multnomah.or.us. Matt Emlen can be contacted at mattemlen@ci.portland.or.us.