By Sarah Akbari, Local Food Resources Coordinator, Klamath Grown & OSU Extension Service

When I moved to Klamath Falls just a few months ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Having only lived in the Portland and Eugene areas, I knew that moving to a rural Southern Oregon town would be a big change for me. The AmeriCorps motto is “getting things done”, so I had a strong feeling that during my service year, my work would have an impact on the community, but I couldn’t have anticipated the impact that it would have on me, as well.

I am the Local Food Resources Coordinator for Klamath Grown, a new non-profit food hub in Klamath Falls. I’m also partnering with Klamath County OSU Extension Service, an organization that uses research-based knowledge and education to promote healthy families and communities. Klamath Grown was previously known as Klamath Falls Online Marketplace (KFOM), but pivoted last year to become a food hub that provides additional support and resources for the community than solely an online market. It’s been very exciting and encouraging to be part of the local food scene here. Of course, there have been challenges along the way, but there is also a lot of impactful work being done. Moving from an urban city that has farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants galore, it was difficult for me to conceptualize a smaller, rural town with a growing community of people passionate about local food. However, through my work, I’ve met many people, including farmers and makers, community members and business owners who desire a more sustainable food system and increased access to local food in Klamath County.

Within the first couple weeks of my service, I attended a Klamath Grown board meeting where the team was finalizing what their mission and vision statements would be. In just a few months, there has been so much change and growth within the organization. We built a team of board members and staff, re-opened the Online Market, received a competitive USDA grant, launched a new website and so much more. Being part of a non-profit from those beginning stages, to where they are now is so inspiring and I can’t wait to see what else is accomplished in my final months of service.

When I tell community members about my service work and projects, they are intrigued, wanting to know more. Based on conversations I’ve had, there are people in Klamath Falls who are interested in buying food locally and supporting producers, but might not know how. That’s where Klamath Grown comes in, to provide education, resources and year-round access to local food. This past fall, when I worked at the OSU Extension Service booth at the farmers market, I told community members about my projects. I explained to them that I am creating a digital directory of local producers that will live on Klamath Grown’s website, working on building capacity regionally and increasing access to local food. The response I got was usually along the lines of, “finally! We’ve been waiting for someone to do this work!” I’m grateful that my projects will have an impact on the community, and as I stated earlier, this community has already had a significant impact on me, as well. I’m grateful to be here, “getting things done” in Klamath Falls, partnering with Klamath Grown to help the local food scene grow and eventually thrive.

In case you were wondering, the mission statement that the team decided on at the board meeting is: “Klamath Grown’s mission is to bring people together around local food through community engagement, education, improved food access and producer support.” With the incredible team behind Klamath Grown, along with the partnership they have with other organizations in town, I think their mission showcases exactly what they are doing in the community and will continue to do for years to come. As the local food scene in Klamath Falls continues to grow and more people support local farmers, I know that their vision of “a thriving local food web accessible to all” is within reach–and I’m so glad I get to be part of it.

About the author, Sarah Akbari: A native Oregonian, Sarah received her undergraduate degree in Planning, Public Policy and Management with minors in Nonprofit Administration and Global Health from University of Oregon. She has recently continued her education by completing a Graduate Certificate in Nutrition Science for Communications Professionals from Tufts University. Sarah has experience in a variety of fields, including marketing and communication, health promotion and community engagement. In her free time, she loves to cook and try new recipes, enjoy the outdoors and be active, whether that is hiking, playing tennis or dancing.

Interested in gaining food systems experience of your own? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 30 (2023-24) due April 30, 2023 by 11:59pm PDT.