North Olympic Community Food Project

Wow! Thank you all SO MUCH!

2008-05-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

That was wonderful.

A year ago, I had a series of conversations with my workmate, Randy, about how there are all these people working around the issue of how we eat, what we eat, and how much we have to eat, and wouldn't be great to cooperate?

Two weeks ago, I remembered a moment just after that conversation with Randy: I was stepping out of the shower at the house I was living at in Joyce, and thinking: we need a big event, maybe some performance art--or maybe just a big, fun meeting--a Food Summit, with wonderful people and enthusiasm, and great food! I was all jazzed up about it and nearly called my boss, Bonnie, but it being 10:30 on a Saturday night, I figured it could wait until Monday...

And we worked on the idea.

And the 'we' changed, and shifted like congregations of water molecules rushing downstream.

And six months ago, I started thinking I'd be lucky to sucker twenty people into this... what am I calling it?--Food Summit.

Well, thank you all for coming together for what felt to me like a day well-spent, and what felt like months of planning and organizing that will likely be to our benefit.

So what now? I wish we could all meet and resonate in our collective energy, as inspiring as that is, and eat wonderful food on a weekly basis, but... well, now let's step back into the realm of the feasible.

So, again, what now? How do we maintain momentum? We each have our professional outlets, and we have some collaborative efforts such as Jefferson and Clallam Landworks Collaboratives (CLC meets Mondays at the Skills Center at noon) but, for the most part, I find the energy and inspiration in our collective efforts, and what's more, we can all work more efficiently--in concert with one another--if we stay connected.

SO, WHAT NOW??

well, for starters, if you're into gazing at a computer monitor, check out www.foodforourfuture.ning.com as an ongoing, virtual food summit (minus the catering). It's a social networking site organized around the topic of building a sustainable, equitable food system. If this helps us stay in touch, let's use it. If it helps us connect with other sub-group efforts (like our farm to cafeteria efforts) then let it guide you to those. As it turns out, Beth Loveridge, local Farm-to-Cafeteria guru, has started connecting us to a larger Farm-to-Cafe web-network.

Nice work, Beth!

Maybe someone's spearheading another ning site for one of the other afternoon break-out topics? I don't know. I'm not suggesting we waste time or burn energy gazing at computer monitors, but if it makes sense, let's go with it.

Thanks again to all y'all who came to the summit last Friday! Y'all are going to work together to keep this place beautiful, I just know it.

~gabriel

Register here for Food For Our Future

2008-04-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the registration form image above, and then print it (if you download it, you should be able to open it with a microsoft office application). Fill it out and mail it in with your check before MAY 6th to:

OlyCAP
Attn: Food For Our Future
228 W 1st St, suite J
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Scroll down further for directions to Jamestown's Red Cedar Hall, and for carpooling info.

Food Summit May 16th

2008-04-14T11:06:00.001-07:00

(Click on the poster to see it larger.)

Scroll down to:
download the registration form
see directions to the Red Cedar Hall, and
use the carpool bulletin board.

Directions to Food For Our Future

2008-04-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

To the Red Cedar Hall...

From points East:

Heading West on US 101: As you come into the South Sequim Bay area, you will notice a roadside rest which has an overlook of Sequim Bay. Just after passing that, turn right at Blyn Crossing, and then make another immediate right turn onto Old Blyn Hwy. Travel about 1/4 mile and you will see parking on the right and Tribal buildings on the left. Turn left into the parking area for the main building (2 story building, totem pole in front). There is visitor parking right in front of the building.

From points West:

Heading East on Highway 101: You will pass through Sequim to Blyn which is located 7 miles east of Sequim. One mile past the 7 Cedars Casino turn left at Blyn Crossing then turn right on the Old Blyn Highway. Travel about 1/4 mile and you will see parking on the right and Tribal buildings on the left. Turn left into the parking area for the main building (2 story building, totem pole in front). There is visitor parking right in front of the building.

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
1033 Old Blyn Hwy
Sequim, WA 98382
360-683-1109
info@jamestowntribe.org

By BUS... it gets a little tricky, to be honest...
From Port Townsend Park & Ride, the 8:35 Sequim #8 will get you to Jamestown just after 9am... but I'd encourage you to find a ride back because you'll miss the schmooze-time, networking extravaganza if you take the Eastbound bus that swings by Jamestown at 4:06pm to get home. For more details: www.jeffersontransit.com

From Sequim and PA, you can take the Jefferson Transit #8 that leaves downtown Sequim at 9:44am and gets to Jamestown just before 10... but that's cutting it kinda close. The Clallam Transit #52 5o Diamond Point is too late. Check out www.clallamtransit.com for more details.

If you just need to get to Sequim from PA, the busses leave the PA Transit Center at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, or 9:00 and get you to Sequim in 35 minutes. I just rode my bike from Sequim to Jamestown and it took about 35-45 minutes. It turns out you can avoid riding on 101 altogether, but that might add a little more time.

View Larger Map

CARPOOL CARPOOL CARPOOL!!!
Want a lift to Food For Our Future?
Want to offer a ride?
Click on the comments button to use this page as a carpool bulletin board.

Introducing...

2007-11-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the online Bulletin Board, comment space, discussion forum, etc. for the North Olympic Community Food Project.

What the heck is this project?

Well, it's a USDA funded Action Research Project implemented by Olympic Community Action Programs (otherwise known as OlyCAP) that aims to discern the best path to create a socially equitable, ecologically sustainable local food system. That's a mouthful, hey?

It started when some of us at OlyCAP realized the extensive reliance on emergency food sources here on this beautiful Peninsula--a place rife with natural beauty and agricultural offerings. Why has emergency food become a staple in our food system? Furthermore, how can we develop localized solutions to this situation that will move beyond the band-aid approach of just keeping individuals' heads above water? And finally, are people who are struggling financially able to access nutritious food?

Involvement in local food development, and in "food sovereignty" issues in other capacities, I came to see food systems (local and global) as situated at the intersection of issues in social equity, ecological sustainability, regional economic development, public health, and probably just about any other "issue" out there.

Given OlyCAP's mission of developing a community that can sustain and support itself in health and prosperity (that's a paraphrasing of the mission statement, by the way) it seems only appropriate that this agency work toward developing the North Olympic Peninsula's local food system.

The first step is planning. In this project we will look at a number of elements of how people choose the foods they eat, and how they manage to get those foods. One piece of the puzzle is the cost and availability of foods in retail outlets. For some folks in the more remote nooks of the region, the only supermarkets are located upwards of an hour's drive away, and the only stores closer by--convenience, or small neighborhood stores, aren't able to supply foods like fresh produce or meats.

Through the use of surveys and focus group discussions, we will find out what barriers people face to accessing food: transportation to food stores, cost of food, knowledge of food preparation and food handling, or the lack of tools to cook healthy food, or other potential barriers.

We aim to determine, from the producers' end, what barriers exist that prevent them from distributing their products to a local market. Also from the production end of the food system, we would like to know what's available locally, and how much is available. This is important information not only for the consumer on a regular basis, but also in the event of an emergency.

Some estimates indicate that if the Peninsula's external food supply were cut off, say, by a natural disaster, we would have no more than three days' worth of food to feed the population, as the major grocery stores restock their supplies very frequently without creating a surplus (which makes sense). Since the local food system exists as more of a niche market in our economy, and supplies for most people only a fringe bit of color, taste, and nutrition to their regular meals, this indicates a heavy reliance on outside sources. So, potential natural disasters aside, we still must face the creeping emergency of rising fuel costs. This will impact not only the consumer driving to the grocery store, but also the store shipping the food from outside the Peninsula... a cost that will be passed along to the consumer. In five years, how much will basic foods cost?

Why a blog? I'd like to invite you, the human on the other end of wireless signals, copper cables, and satellite projections, to join in the discussion of sustainable food systems, social equity within the food system, health and nutrition, and how to nurture this wonderful community.

Also, there are myriad opportunities to get involved in this project, and I hope this blog will serve as one point of contact. For instance, I am currently looking for volunteers to help gather data. Also, we are planning to hold a summit in mid-April to pull together a diverse group of people from varying professional and personal interests, to help in identifying the most pressing needs concerning food in our community, and to collectively take action to address those needs.

If you have any questions or comments or would like to get involved, you can add comments to this blog, or contact OlyCAP. Soon, I'll post some volunteer job descriptions...

Thanks!

Gabriel