Puget Sound Food Project

The Puget Sound Food Project involves a strategic planning process and study to assess the feasibility of a multi-purpose agricultural production center for Puget Sound producers. Begun in September 2007 with funding from the Carolyn Foundation, the project is actively engaging small and mid-sized family farms, local food buyers, business leaders and local decision makers in a participatory planning process to identify current and planned farmer-buyer relationships; explore and assess the feasibility of various enterprises for the multi-purpose agriculture production center; provide quality information on the risks/benefits of alternatives for decision making; identify new opportunities through the investigative process; and help identify additional partners and funding for specific business development efforts.

We’ve conducted stakeholder interviews throughout the Puget Sound region to determine what projects are needed, planned or already in the pipeline. The second phase of the project involved interviewing buyers about their interest and commitment to sourcing locally, what products they use or could use, in what quantities and at what price, and their interest in potentially collaborating on facilities. Concurrently, we began to inventory existing processing facilities, their capacity and flexibility, and price points. Data from these efforts will give us a good idea about product demand.

The third phase of the project - curently underway - involves interviewing producers to see what they are producing that could meet the demand and what processing link is required to realize market transactions. Projects that look promising will move forward to begin the economic feasibility analysis. Concurrently, we have begun looking at the feasibility of developing a regional, pasture-based poultry business.

The project steering committee includes representation from a broad cross-section of food system stakeholders, including farm production, processing, education, outreach, retail, distribution, a variety of end-users and regulatory agencies.

If you’d like more information about the Puget Sound Food Project, contact Mary Embleton, Project Manager, at mary@cascadeharvest.org, or at 206.623.0606.