Tag: Local Foodies

Informational Interviews About Local Food

Posted on by Julia Havens

Evelyn Perdomo Lane Regional Food Hub CPW Community Planning

My Community Planning Workshop (CPW) team is working with the City of Eugene Planning Department and the Lane County Economic Development Division to determine the need for a year-round regional public market and food hub in Lane County. We will be conducting a market analysis to determine the region’s potential to host a year-round public market.

For our project, we will conduct a lot of research about local food in Lane County. So far, the most interesting aspect has been our interviews with our Technical Resource Group (TRG) and other key peopled involved with local food. We invited people involved in local food efforts to be a part of our Technical Resource Group to help us process and understand market research data and survey data. Our data will identify and analyze trade areas for the potential public market or food hub. Trade areas represent potential consumers in an area. Members of our group include a farmer, food producers, a distributor, a public health representative, representatives of nonprofit organizations, and restaurant and retailer representatives. The interviews have allowed us to draw on their local food background and identify what is happening in Lane County around local food.

The interviews have been a great learning experience because I knew very little about local food when we started the project. The most interesting thing I have learned is that increasing local food consumption would provide a tremendous boost to Lane County’s economy. Increasing local food consumption would provide new jobs and keep millions of dollars in Lane County.

Throughout the interviews, I have also learned that small farmers face several challenges to get their products in stores or to institutions. However, it has been promising to hear that several organizations make an effort to help small farmers overcome barriers. One of these organizations is the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition (WFFC). WFFC runs an online farmers’ market and has started a campaign (Lane County Food Makes Dollars and Sense) to increase consumer demand for local food. Increasing local food purchases by one percent would result in $11.7 million staying in Lane County. I have also learned how some school districts are making a conscious effort to purchase local food for their school lunches and other catered events. Despite all the challenges local producers face, it is encouraging to see how local organizations and institutions are getting behind the local food movement. For instance, our interviewees have noted that several restaurants are making a strong effort to serve more local food. Also, our interviewees have said that they have noticed consumers become more interested in purchasing local food, which is really promising because Lane County would benefit tremendously from increased local food consumption.

 

Evelyn Perdomo Lane Regional Food Hub CPW Community Planning WorkshopAbout the Author: Evelyn Perdomo is a first year Community and Regional Planning Graduate Student at the University of Oregon. She is originally from Daly City, CA. Her professional experience includes working as a Project Assistant for an affordable housing developer in California.

Stories from the Field: A RARE AmeriCorps Perspective

Posted on by Julia Havens

Gabby Pauling Potluck NeighborWorks Umpqua RARE Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsTaste 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.

 

Gabby Pauling RARE AmeriCorps Resource Assistance for Rural EnvironmentsAbout 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.