projects & programming
Here is a sampling of some of the projects and programming The Trust is and has been involved in.
Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula Campaign
The Trust is one of six organizations working together on an impact campaign to engage communities across the region though consumer education to build a diverse and vibrant food economy.
Partners are also working together to mitigate barriers for food buyers who want to purchase regionally sourced foods. We are developing strategies and resources to increase access to local healthy food for communities that are low-income and or geographically isolated. This work is partially funded through a USDA Local Food Promotion Program planning grant. Additionally this collaboration is working in coordination with Sustainable Connections on the expansion of the Food Atlas web-based platform for the region. - ONGOING
Food and Produce Safety Consulting We work with small to mid-size value-added producers and growers. We take a hands-on, common sense approach to building your food or produce safety plan that makes sense for the scale of your organization. - ONGOING
Services include:
Education and coaching of key staff on GMP’s and GAP’s
Review of current documents and programming
Advice on post harvest handling and prevention controls
Verification services – must be booked in advance (we are PCQI and PSA certified)
Plan creation – writing, supporting documents, training and implementation
Gastronomic Confluences - Connecting People to Place via Taste
We are planning to launch this series of curated field experiences in late 2020. Each day long event will bring together leaders from all sectors to explore the intersection between the food system and its impacts on climate change. Through a facilitated dialogue participants will find inspiration and opportunities on how to take daily action both personally and professionally to nurture change and transformation this critical economic sector. Topics will include land use and food sovereignty, sustainable supply chains, local production and permaculture, equity and emergency food system response as well as regenerative production and community driven change. - STAY TUNED!
Regional Food Access and Aggregation Planning
South King County has a rich and diverse farming history. The region also has a high concentration of health disparities, limited resources and infrastructure compared to other nearby communities. This area has also seen an increasing numbers of immigrants and refugees over the past two decades. These individuals and families need of culturally appropriate foods. Yet there is no appropriately scaled growing space or producer cooperative to provide aggregation and distribution support.
The Trust, in partnership with Public Health Seattle & King County, co-facilitators and others led the development of a case prospectus and feasibility study designed to determine a location, the scale and strategic partnerships on the development of this type of facility and associated programs and services. - 2019
Leaders in Edible Education Fellowship
The L.E.E program is an educational fellowship offered through EduCulture and Antioch University Seattle. The year long program is aimed at building the professional repertoires of school and community leaders who are interested in making a difference through edible education in schools and in the wider food community.
These leaders are not only educated and empowered through scholarship, mentoring, and coaching, they are selected for their commitment and ability to pass their knowledge and passion on to others. They become the primary drivers in entrepreneurship, philanthropy, policy, and development in their communities through their focus and expertise in local food systems. - 2018 (relaunch of this program anticipated for 2021)
