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Spring Newsletter
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Issue: #22
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Greetings!
 As the 2012 growing season gets underway we are looking forward to our 7th season of working with the food and farming industries. NABC was created in 2006 to preserve farmland by helping producers be more profitable. Our mission is the development of new businesses and expansion of existing businesses which develop, support and/or produce value-added or innovative agriculture products.
We provide business development services to producers including product development, business planning, access to financing, and marketing assistance. NABC works on infrastructure projects that provide additional processing and distribution opportunities for our region's producers. NABC has also invested in regional marketing strategies, primarily through the Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN.org).
We have recently added staff to provide additional services. Our current staff includes: David Camp has been appointed the NABC Finance Manager and will assist producers with business planning and financing. Alicia Self has assumed the role as Office Administrator. Sera Hartman is the Project Manager working with our poultry processing program and with producers in Snohomish County. Lucy Norris is our Director of Marketing, while Karen Mauden is our Account Manager and assists producers with sales. Jeff Voltz continues a long list of activities as our Project Manager in Whatcom County.
Bottom line - we have an experienced, professional staff that is able to help producers bring their products to market. Please contact us if you need assistance with your operation. In the meantime, we wish you prosperous production in 2012! 
David Bauermeister, Executive Director
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 Value-Added Producer Grant Funding Awarded to NABC
A few months ago the USDA announced the 2012 Value Added Producer Grant awards. Several farm businesses and organizations in Washington received funding including the Northwest Agriculture Business Center who received $300,000 for Regional Food System Development. So what does this mean? It means we remain firmly committed to providing business planning, technical and marketing assistance to producers, regional food hub developments, and producer owned cooperatives in the Puget Sound region. We'll also be evolving our wholesale market concept this year to further our impact through marketing, locating distribution, processing and even working with producers and logistical providers to identify efficient decentralized aggregation hubs. Our new partner, Local Orbit, an Ann Arbor, MI based company is developing four (4) "virtual hub" pilots designed to increase sales transactions between farmers and institutional and commercial food service, including universities, hospitals, restaurants and meal-sites that serve low-income seniors and preschool children in South Seattle/King County and beyond. With Local Orbit handling sales management systems and online transactions, our staff is more focused on what we do best: creating and growing business relationships between producers and buyers who have an interest in increasing local food procurement across categories. Our staff is invested in staying abreast of market trends so that producers of all scales can leverage all opportunities for growth and sustainability. Read more about how NABC will use VAPG funds... |
Farm-To-Workplace CSA Program at Providence Hospital Unveiled
NABC launched a new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program this week for staff members of Providence Hospital in Everett at the hospital's Earth Day Celebration April 18th and 19th. In a CSA program, consumers directly support local farms by pre-paying through subscription for shares of the seasonal harvest, giving farmers "seed money" to plan production around demand, while giving consumer access to fresh local produce. Known as the Evergreen 2nd Party CSA, this pilot project departs from the traditional model in that there will be several farms taking part, with produce boxed and delivered by one of the growers (Klesick Family Farm), providing a wider diversity of produce to the subscriber than the typical single-farm program.
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Whidbey Island Grown Member Highlight: Sarah Richards, Lavender Wind Farm
 Sarah Richards owns the only lavender farm on Whidbey Island. With views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, she has built a popular destination for tourists. She has also developed a full line of culinary and personal care products which are sold online, at her farm, and by local retailers. This summer, she is opening her first retail store and production facility in Coupeville. She is a member of the Puget Sound Food Network, a board member of Northwest Agriculture Business Center, and was a founding member of the Whidbey Island Grown brand. She is also a founding board member of the new United States Lavender Growers Association and will be attending the Sequim International Lavender Conference, April 27-30. NABC's Sherrye Wyatt caught up with Sarah earlier this month to find out more about the origins of her "accidental" business, the unique challenges of farming on an island and operating a business out of a historic house, and some of Sarah's other passions.
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New Port Susan Farmers Market Starting in August 2012, the Port Susan Food & Farming Center will launch a new farmers market in downtown Stanwood. The market will be an open-air bazaar where, rain or shine, local farmers will sell their goods back to their community. The Port Susan Food & Farming Center (PSF&FC) became a legal non-profit limited liability corporation in the State of Washington on November 6, 2011 and an interim board of directors was elected. A Farmers Market committee was created to start and operate the Port Susan Farmers Market. For the last year, a coalition of groups has been working to introduce a community market that offers direct contact between buyers and producers as well as displays by artisans and educational demonstrations related to food culture. There has been a great deal of promotion about the market through the media, participating in events, distributing surveys, on-line information, and personal contact. To support the development of the market, the City of Stanwood, with assistance from Northwest Agriculture Business Center, applied for and was awarded a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant in October of 2011. The market will be open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Friday starting August 10, 2012 and will culminate with a 2-day market on September 21 and 22 during the annual Harvest Jubilee celebration. The market will be extended if the Market Committee determines the supply and demand will support additional market days.
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Work Continues To Increase Healthy Food Access in Underserved Communities
For the last 18 months, NABC staff and Puget Sound Food Network members have played a key role in a public health partnership led by City of Seattle Human Services Aging and Disability Services called Farm to Table (F2T) project, introducing locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables to childcare and meal sites catering to underserved seniors and youngsters in South King County. The partnership was funded through a Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant program from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our organization was tasked with facilitating at least 3 orders of fresh, locally grown produce between local farms and institutional meal sites during the grant period, but we accomplished much more: - Almost 200 commercial orders and additional CSA subscriptions placed by senior and child care meal programs
- $35K in sales (including culls and seconds) to local farms
- More than 35 meal sites incorporated farm fresh produce into meals- and still growing!
- 12 PSFN member farms participated (and we're looking for more!)
The Farm to Table team not only created the connections and tracked sales, it also played a key role in creating multiple customized models to serve diverse agencies, including the Good Food Bag program, an easily replicable model: |
A Hard Cider Culture Grows in Washington
NABC has offered classes in hard cider production since 2009. Recently, though, hard cider is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds (see articles, below). Domestic cider production has increased from 1.2 million gallons in 2010 to 2.5 million gallons in 2011, and Washington state produced nearly two hundred thousand gallons of cider in 2011.
In 2011 NABC, in partnership with Washington State University and Northwest Cider Association, received a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the USDA, giving a boost to the emerging hard cider industry in the region. The grant has been used to support cider research, education and marketing, including the various cider courses NABC offers: Orchard Management: Cider Fruit Production; and Cider Making: Principles and Practice (including two parts -- An Understanding of Cider & Perry; and Practical production of Cider & Perry). Through this course, NABC also offers a gateway for amateur cider makers to earn a NACM Certification from the National Association of Cider Makers. |
New Partnership Benefits Poultry Producers in Northwest Washington
 A new partnership between the Snohomish Co-op and the Northwest Agriculture Business Center has been announced that will benefit local small scale poultry producers. Adding to the rental program already established in Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor, a third set of Featherman Poultry Processing Equipment will become available for rent starting mid-March at the Snohomish farm products retailer.
The rental program is administered by NABC, and will service producers in Snohomish and neighboring counties year-round. The program currently serves over 120 producers and often turns away renters due to a heavily booked reservation calendar. NABC Project Manager Sera Hartman said, "Utilizing professional processing equipment saves the producer a lot of time and energy. Making a third set of poultry equipment available will not only ease reservation scheduling, this will open up market opportunities for small scale farmers down in Snohomish and support folks who just want to raise a home-grown food source." Read more... |
University Foodservice Representatives Visit Whatcom County Producers
 For the past 9 months, NABC has been partnering with the Real Food Challenge, working together to get more locally-produced and community-based products into college and university dining service in WA. The goal of each campus taking on the Real Food Challenge is to shift 20% of their existing dining budget to Real Food. This shift is done incrementally by replacing generic, mass-produced food products often purchased by institutional foodservice with better (more local and community-based, more ecologically sound, and more humane) alternatives. NABC's Emma Brewster has been working with students and dining representatives at UW, WWU, The Evergreen State College, and the University of Puget Sound, among others, to facilitate these types of product switches by drawing on NABC's producer base.
On Saturday, March 10, Emma took a group of students and foodservice purchasers from UW and WWU out to the farms to meet the producers and sample the products, in hopes of cultivating sales relationships. Destination: Whatcom County. Stops: Belly Timber Bars and Twin Brook Creamery -- two local producers with retail-ready products and a whetted appetite for institutional customers.
Read more... |
| PSFN Sponsor Showcase: Meritage Handcrafted Soups
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MAY 16
Value Added Roundtable Series
Puyallup
NABC's Lucy Norris will present on marketing techniques at this WSDA-hosted event
JUNE 25-29 & JULY 23-24
Hard Cider Workshops
Mount Vernon
The Northwest Agriculture Business Center is bringing internationally recognized cider production expert Peter Mitchell back to the Skagit Valley to lead another of his popular and intensive week-long classes in cider and perry production.
AUGUST 30
Preserving Farm and Farmland: The Power of Healthcare's Institutional Markets -- Practice Greenhealth 2012 Webinar Series
NABC's Lucy Norris will present on institutional market opportunities for local producers.
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Thanks to our New and Renewing PSFN Members!
Live Edge Farm
North Cascades Meat Producers Cooperative
Strawfield House Farm
Grand Central Bakery
Red Mountain Organics
Klesick Family Farm
Guillemette's Busy Bees
Hopewell Farms
The Copper Hog
3 Sisters Cattle Company
Blossom Grocery
21 Acres
And Many Whidbey Island Grown members:
Whidbey Green Goods
Scotty's Farm to Market
Neil's Clover Patch
Ca Buni Café in the Woods Chocolate Flower Farm
Whidbey Island Winery
Molly's Island Farm
Quail's Run Farm
Glendale Shepherd
Frosen Acres Alpacas
Sherman Farm
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Have You Stopped Receiving our Weekly Live Market Fresh Sheet?
Chances are, your PSFN membership has expired. Contact your account manager or email info@psfn.org to renew today!
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Thanks to PSFN's Sponsor!
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Resources
Bridging the GAPs
Bridging the GAPs is a WSDA project to improve food safety and develop education and outreach services to support Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP). The main goal is to identify and share best practices relating to on-farm food safety for small, mid-sized and diversified fruit and vegetable farms. Opportunities for involvement include hosting a training for farmers or auditors, or
sharing ideas or successful food safety measures that have worked on your farm. For more details on participation and the project, click here.
Kitchen Rental (Burlington)
Warehouse and Cold Storage Space for Rent (Bow)
Bow Hill Blueberries (formerly Anderson Blueberries) in Skagit County has an 84x42 warehouse with a 24x24 cold storage space.
semi truck access, and storefront for rent. Facility ready for food processors license.
Contact Susan Soltes: susan@bowhillblueberries.com for more info.
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In the News
Articles written about NABC activities in the past quarter
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The Northwest Agriculture Business Center provides Northwest Washington farmers with the skills and the resources required to profitably and efficiently supply their products to consumers, retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators and food manufacturers.
Through these efforts we contribute to a sustainable, environmentally and economically sound agricultural industry thereby preserving our region's farming heritage for future generations.
NABC programs are funded in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington State Department of Commerce, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Our work is made possible by supporters from the agricultural industry, our communities, and from individuals who share our values and vision.
P.O. Box 2924 | 419 South 1st Street, Suite 200 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 | (360) 336-3727 | info@AgBizCenter.org
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