There are many reasons why it’s important to support local agriculture.
Some of these reasons include:
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Purchasing local has a direct benefit on the local economy and generates opportunities for more producers and businesses as well.
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Farmers who sell directly to their community tend to feel obligated to use ethical and environmentally regenerative practices. This is called "Social-Ecological Embeddedness".
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Supporting local farms that use organic and regenerative agricultural practices helps to mitigate climate change and preserve biodiversity (PDF).
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Foods that are harvested and sold locally are usually harvested at peak ripeness because they don't need to withstand long journeys and spend weeks in storage. This improves both their taste and nutritional value.
Finding a Farm:
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There are an increasing number of online resources available in Washington to help food purchasers find farms. The Resources section of this page shares some of these.
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If you have the capacity, visit your local farmers market and talk to farmers in person. Learn about what they grow, if they wholesale, and if they'd be interested in working with you. This is a great way to know which farms are in your region, and the face-to-face interaction is highly beneficial.
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Information sharing among other hunger relief organizations or institutional buyers can also be a great way to learn about farms in your region.
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Most farmers are extremely busy from June-October. This is when the majority of fresh crops are ready for harvest in Washington. Try to make your initial outreach before this time.
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Know your WSDA grant purchasing criteria. This information can be found in your WSDA FA agreement or guidance documents.
Making a Purchase:
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Many small, local farms do not have an online ordering system. They tend to use “Fresh Sheets” and make sales via emails and phone calls. Once you have contact information for a farm in your area, a recommended next step is to reach out, introduce yourself, and ask them to send you their Fresh Sheet.
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A Fresh Sheet is a customized spreadsheet/list that farmers use to tell wholesale buyers what is currently available for harvest. It is typically updated multiple times a week during peak harvest season.
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In general, you will be making wholesale purchases from farms. It is important to check with the farm to see if they can fulfill wholesale orders.
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Some farms have specific windows throughout the week in which you can place orders to receive your food by a certain date. Familiarize yourself with these ordering periods.
Logistics and Delivery:
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It is important to understand a farm’s logistics and, if applicable, their delivery schedule.This information is likely to be on a farm’s website, on the Fresh Sheet, or in the signature of their email. Otherwise, you can ask the farmer.
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While some farms require orders to be picked up, others offer delivery 1-3 times a week, depending on your location and order size. If a farm cannot make a delivery themselves, perhaps there is a local nonprofit or refrigerated transportation service with which you could partner.
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Check with each farmer about their delivery minimums and delivery fees.
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Be sure to ask for a copy of the invoice upon delivery, in addition to an emailed copy, if possible.
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As you get going, flexibility is important. There are many factors (weather, staffing, insects, farm predators, equipment malfunctions, etc.) that can cause order complications. It might take a few purchases with a farm to get into a “groove”, but it will be well worth it!
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Food hubs and distributors are creating an ever-growing network to help buyers from all corners of Washington State connect to local food.
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They typically work with multiple farms and producers in their region to procure food and streamline the process of purchasing from multiple small farms, reaching order minimums, and receiving a variety of products in one order.
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Most use an online ordering system, while some will connect you directly to a sales representative to facilitate purchases.
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Let the distributor know you are purchasing for a hunger relief organization. They may have specific resources and/or additional services available to you.
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Some local distributors also sell food grown outside of Washington State. If your WSDA Food Purchasing grant is for WA grown food only, be aware of this. Ordering systems should designate where the food is grown, but it’s a good idea to clarify when necessary.
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Be aware of ordering cutoffs and delivery windows.
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Use the links in the Resources section to help find a distributor in your region.
FARM RESOURCES
Eat Local | Washington State Food | Support Local Farmers (eatlocalfirst.org)
Find a Farmers Market - Washington Farmers Market (wafarmersmarkets.org)
Find a Local Meat Processor
Finding Farms | Washington State Department of Agriculture
List of F2FP Farmers (Excel sheet)
List of LFPA Farmers (Excel sheet)
Organic Integrity Database (usda.gov) (Search for WA state)
DISTRIBUTOR RESOURCES
Cascadia Produce (King & Pierce County)
Charlie's Produce (Across WA)
Farmstand Local Foods (King County)
Kitsap Fresh (Kitsap Peninsula)
LINC Market (Eastern WA)
Methow Valley FoodShed (North-Central WA)
Northwest Food Hub Network
Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative (Western WA)
San Juan Islands Food Hub (San Juan County)
Southwest Washington Food Hub (Southwest WA)
Walla Walla Food Hub (Eastern WA)
Wholesale Finder | Washington State Wholesalers (eatlocalfirst.org)
WSDA We Feed WA Contracted Distributors (Excel Sheet)
Do you have questions, comments, or feedback about the information on this webpage? Email us at foodassistance@agr.wa.gov!