Reflections on our Local Food System
It’s been almost three years since the Columbia Gorge Food Bank (CGFB) facilitated a community food system organizing event ("F.E.A.S.T.") in Maupin. Since that time, the South Wasco community has accomplished a lot.
What’s Happened Since 2020? Our local food system has been significantly strengthened over the past three years thanks to the hard work of dozens of community volunteers and key partners such as the CGFB, the OSU Extension, businesses sponsors and agencies like NWPUD, Wasco County Conservation District, Tenneson Engineering, and Avangrid Renewables, and private foundations like OCF, Ford Family, Roundhouse, Collins, and PacificSource. Collaboration at every level - across communities, geographies, and organizations – has been the fundamental driver of this effort and it has resulted in a better quality of life for many in South Wasco.
The Unfolding Story of Our Local Food System. Before the FEAST event and COVID, community members already were meeting to support a “Grow Your Own Food” initiative. When COVID-19 hit, community members rapidly organized and partnered with CGFB to meet food security needs as people in our area lost jobs and supply chains were impacted. After that, two new food pantries were established in Maupin and Wamic. Neighbors organized to restore and redeploy greenhouses previously used by Seed to Table on Juniper Flat.
SWA and the Tygh Valley Head Start began offering a community garden program for pre-school families and offered online gardening resources and nutritious ways to prepare locally grown foods. People organized around gardening and a South Wasco Gardener's Facebook group was formed. The local organizer eventually took over for the Wasco County Master Gardeners Facebook and provided weekly gardening tips based on issues showing up in her own garden in Tygh Valley. The Facebook site gained state-wide recognition.
The South Wasco Specialty Farmers collective was formed and youth entrepreneurs were mentored. SWA and the Barlow Gate Grange continued to offer DIY and food workshops, including a very popular “Make Your Own Tamale” event, along with food preservation and food storage resources. A mobile food market began service in Maupin. A free seed exchange was offered in partnership with the South Wasco Library and seed selection resources were provided to our community. Just this coming week a Garden Expo & Seed Exchange will be held April 1 at the Maupin Civic Center as part of a collaborative effort.
In 2022, a new South Wasco Farmers Market was launched at the Tygh School Community Center. Local food producers, makers, and crafts vendors from all over South Wasco came to offer goods to our community. This effort also attracted visitors to our area and a chance for local producers and makers to start a business at a low cost. SWA coordinated programs such as ODA and SNAP to provide additional support to local producers and consumer. Other businesses, such as Tygh Creek Farm & Forage, provided CSA offerings and, along with others in the area, started to expand the idea of AgriTourism in South Wasco by offering value-add products and a farm experience for visitors.
Now it is time to celebrate and take stock of all that has been accomplished!
Nearly 70 community members from across South Wasco were invited to participate on March 18 to reflect on all that’s been accomplished in the last three years. It is clear that the first efforts started at the FEAST event in 2020 have rippled out to involve others and to further strengthen our local food system. Click here to learn more about the event process. There was a lot of valuable feedback – much that we can build on from here. SWA will be sharing highlights from the final report when it is completed in May, 2023.
