Puget Sound Food Network Newsletter #6

Issue No. 6

April. 2011

PSFN Newsletter

PSFN Welcomes Spring
by Lucy Norris, Project Manager

Happy Spring! Planting efforts have surely been hampered by floods this season, but now is the perfect time to sign up with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm to give farms the needed cash flow to get through this most expensive time of the year. In this month's issue, we talk about ways that the business community can participate in CSA programs, and list the CSA farms ready for business in PSFN. In this newsletter, you'll meet Matt and Deanna (and a rooster named Big Hoss) from Sol to Seed Farm, a small but growing CSA operation in Carnation. Whether its through food services or human resources, we encourage businesses to consider setting up a working relationship with a CSA farm this summer. It's a great way to work together for mutual benefit.

We are so pleased to see more institutional buyers than ever connect with local farms through PSFN. Just two weeks ago, our Farm to Table team met with Seattle/King County Early Learning & Family Support (ELFS) childcare center representatives for a kick-off meeting and talked about how to begin sourcing local food. Today marks the first delivery of local produce to one of those childcare centers! The F2T team has already coordinated 9 farm direct deliveries to senior citizen meal providers---sites who had never purchased direct from a farm before. Hats off to participating PSFN producers Full Circle, 21 Acres, Ralph's Greenhouse and Nash's Organic Produce (read about Nash's Sales Manager Kia Armstrong in this newsletter). A five-minute radio feature about the first F2T childcare deliveries will air on KBCS/91.3FM (Bellevue College's "alternative" public radio station) on Thursday at about 4:40PM and again on Friday at 7:45AM and 2PM. It's also on Northwest Community Radio stations - KUGS in Bellingham, KSVR in Lynnwood. The seattlepostglobe.com and crosscut.com also post the transcript.

We're gearing up for a second year of summer wholesale markets (it's like a local food aggregation hub) in both Mt Vernon (Skagit) and Seattle. Read below for information about how to participate as a buyer or a seller this year. We invite all commercial and institutional food buyers to contact PSFN now and add your name to our wholesale market fresh sheet recipient list. Buyers do not have to be members of PSFN to participate. Here's how it works: 1) Receive the weekly fresh sheet by email, 2) contact the farm directly to pre-order and pick up at the wholesale market or arrange for delivery. 3) Pay by check or arrange invoicing terms, and 4) Serve your customers delicious, seasonal food produced by local farms at wholesale prices without a lot of fuss. That's it! It's a dirt simple process to access divine local food easily. Now tell us, who wants to get the first fresh sheet? Contact info@psfn.org and stay tuned for more information about our second wholesale market season starting this July.

We hope you enjoy our spring 2011 newsletter.

Lucy Norris is Project Manager for Puget Sound Food Network. For more information, please see staff bios at http://www.psfn.org/staff

NABC and PSFN in the National Spotlight!

By Emma Brewster

US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn visit NABC and PSFN

On March 2, PSFN and NABC were honored by a visit from U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan. Merrigan was on her way to Portland State University to speak to students and local leaders about farmer-consumer connections and decided to drop by Seattle to pay a special visit to PSFN/NABC projects.

Deputy Secretary Merrigan chose to visit Central Area Senior Center to check out and show her support for the growing Farm to Table (F2T) project PSFN is involved with. One of Merrigan's many roles at the USDA is leading the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food effort, an initiative with which F2T aligns well. The Farm to Table project, which connects fresh local produce to typically underserved communities such as lower income senior meal programs and child care centers, is part of the larger CDC-funded Seattle and King County public health effort: "Communities Putting Prevention to Work" (CPPW).

CSA is Ready for Business!

Over the last few decades, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms have sprouted up all over the country responding to a growing desire for food that is good, clean and fair. CSA creates a direct link between farmers and consumers. Households typically purchase a "share" of a farm's harvest, and receive in exchange a weekly bounty of fresh picked produce as it becomes available throughout the growing season. The money that CSA members pay upfront is an investment in that's farms future production, and helps increase cash flow. Farmers spend a lot of money during the early months of the year repairing or replacing expensive equipment and purchasing seeds. Home cooks incorporate weekly shares into delicious and nutritious meals at home, but CSA shares can work for restaurants, too!

Producer Member Highlight: Matt and Deanna Tregoning, Sol to Seed Farm

Tell us a little bit about Sol to Seed Farm.

My wife Deanna and I moved here in 2008 so this is the third year we've been farming this land. We both grew up in Michigan. Farming here is a long-term commitment for us and we wanted a place where we could leave a lasting impression by conserving and allowing nature to guide us...

PSFN Training Sessions

Our 2011 Member Training Sessions are in full swing! PSFN has hosted three of the five scheduled. These one-on-one, hour-long meetings are an opportunity for producers, buyers, and service providers alike to meet with your PSFN Account Manager and to ask necessary questions to help move your business forward.

We've developed these trainings because we want to know from YOU, individually, what your business's specific needs are. How can we work with you to help you reach your goals? Whether it's one-on-one introductions, mini trade meetings, logistical help, wholesale markets, or brainstorming ideas for where you want to expand customer base, we want to discuss all the ways your PSFN membership can connect you with the local buyers, producers, or infrastructure you need.

As a member, you're incredibly valuable to us as partners in the local food economy and as friends. What can we do for you to make your membership more valuable to you? Book your one-on-one session today and receive individualized assistance on the best ways to utilize your annual membership to build your business:

Remember, we can always meet individually. Just give us a call!

Upcoming Training Dates

Whatcom County
RESCHEDULED - TBA

May 4th - Island County Coupeville Public Library: 788 NW Alexander St. Coupeville

1-hour appointments available 8 AM - 5 PM

Contact Ann Leason to RSVP or for more information: ann@psfn.org / 360-336-3666

Training Session Tip

Whether preparing for your training session or thinking about your PSFN participation in general, it's a good idea to think about where your business is, where you'd like to go and how PSFN can help you get there. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Your goals and future plans. How can we help you?
What is your current infrastructure status?
Do you have enough buyers? Do you need to connect with more producers?
Are you trying to expand?
Do you use the PSFN website? Is it helpful? Do you have any questions about the website?
Do you have or are you looking for unique products? Let us know about your offerings and help us build a more complete taxonomy.

Show Your PSFN Membership with a
2011 Member Badge