Taste and Tell

How do you involve the community in discussing the local food system? Host a potluck, of course! Every foodie loves a premium potluck, especially when it involves freshly homemade pies, breads, stews, sauerkrauts and salads. And if there’s anybody I’m working with in Douglas County, it’s a multitude of foodies, folks impassioned by and dedicated to not just food, but good food. Douglas County currently has a relatively large support group of individuals interested in and working towards developing a resilient and stable local food system; yet after several weeks at my host site in Roseburg, it became clear that these local food supporters rarely met on their own accord and communication and networking between groups was almost non-existent.

So, my first goal was to gather as many farmers, food producers, market vendors, food educators, and rural grocers together to discuss the state of our local food system. Naturally, the gathering took the form of a potluck. And what a success it was! We had a full house of community members enjoying a smorgasbord of food completely grown and harvested in Douglas County. Simply witnessing the result of numerous food growers congregated together for a locally sourced meal naturally sparked conversations, not to mention it was a terrific way for me to introduce myself and my role in the community.

Finally, after gorging on scrumptious and delectable cuisine, it was time to start networking. I was so amazed by the passion in that room! There were innumerable individuals not only in support of developing Douglas County’s local food system, but also actively taking steps toward this goal, either on an individual level or a larger commercial scale. I’m not afraid to say that I was proud to be facilitating such an inspirational and motivational group of folks, and loads of solutions and ideas were brainstormed during that initial gathering.

It just goes to show, even small rural communities can experience the same drive and enthusiasm to accomplish tasks as what is often only seen in larger cities. I can only look forward to a myriad of future community meetings, attended by more and more spirited folks to help make a difference for our local food system.

About the Author: Gabby Pauling received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Design from Pacific University. As a student, Gabby became increasingly interested in sustainability and food security and became very involved with Pacific University’s permaculture garden. Gabby spent a year as an AmeriCorps Vista at the Phoenix Charter School in Roseburg and is now serving as a RARE AmeriCorps Program – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments participant with NeighborWorks Umpqua, where she is implementing a recently completed comprehensive inventory of regional food systems and resources in Douglas County.  and also working with local organizations and groups to increase the ability to produce and market locally grown products.