Food Bank helps residents ‘Eat Local First’
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 6, 2023
As part of its continued tradition, The Sequim Food Bank, 144 W. Alder St., has contracted with local farms for nearly 10 years as part of its Local Farm Purchasing Program.
“It’s exciting to tell our visitors that this farm, in Sequim, grew this for you,” said Executive Director Andra Smith.
“It’s empowering for our visitors to know that our community sees them, cares about them and our community is growing food just for them.”
The food bank’s contract is part of its effort to celebrate the Eat Local First campaign every September.
“If we could have all of our produce come from local farms, that would be great,” Smith said.
“No more boxes of produce delivered from off the Olympic Peninsula. Instead we would provide food for families that was harvested in the last few days or even the same day that they receive it.”
Smith said visitors inspired the food bank’s commitment to local farms following a Needs Assessment in 2015 where almost 80 percent surveyed said they wanted more access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
This led to the creation of the Local Farm Purchasing Program and the financial commitment to local farms. The food bank contracts with Beanstalk Farm, Chi’s Farm, Joy Farm, Reaume Organic Farm, River Run Farm, and Tampopo Farm.
A majority of funding for the program comes from individual donors, Smith said, and they continue to apply for grants to fund and expand the program.
“People in this area love our farmers and want to see them succeed,” Smith said.
“This program is a way to ensure a steady stream of income for the farmers and support community members who are food insecure to eat local and eat healthy.”
Donors have the opportunity to donate and request their donations be used to purchase food from local farms, food bank staff said.
The money is used to prepay farmers so they can have money up front to pay early expenses and increase their growing capacity. They fulfill the contract throughout the growing season.
“It gives the farms, especially the new or smaller ones, the extra support up front to increase their capacity,” Smith said.
“By working with our local farms, we can focus on our most wanted items.”
For more information about the Sequim Food Bank Food Purchasing Program, contact info@sequimfoodbank.org or call (360) 683-1205. To donate, go to sequimfoodbank.org/donate or send a donation to Sequim Food Bank, PO Box 1453, Sequim, WA 98382 and specify “Farm Purchasing Program.” For information about Eat Local First, visit eatlocalfirstolypen.com.
