PORT TOWNSEND — The newly formed Jefferson County Local Food System Council will bridge the gap between the region’s agricultural past and modern times, according to one of the group’s founders.
“We are looking to restore the personal connection with our food that got lost when our food system was nationalized and internationalized,” said Judith Alexander, a founding member of the council, in a presentation to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
“We need to go to bat for our local food system. We need to help our farmers succeed, who are working very hard for not very much money.”
About 40 people were on hand for the presentation, where board member Heather Graham outlined the council’s three immediate priorities: To solicit government support for local food expansion, increasing local food markets, and finding more refrigerator spaces and community kitchens to aid in food preservation and preparation.
After those priorities, the council will determine what can be done to develop a strong local food system and suggest ways to accomplish that goal.
Alexander said the council will work to write a document called “Can Jefferson County Feed Itself?” to analyze local agricultural lands, determine what can be grown and what the population structure will look like in the future.
The council has 16 board members and has already held four monthly meetings, Alexander said, with the possibility that future meetings could be open to the public.
“Right now we are getting our legs under us with a mission statement, the bylaws and the projects that we want to engage in right away,” Alexander said.
“I would like our agricultural sector in Jefferson County to be a more visible and acknowledged part of our community because who knows what kinds of pressures, changes and economic shifts are ahead.”
Graham said the council seeks to be nonpolitical.
“We want to educate our local government about food expansion without becoming activists,” she said.
“We are in the infant stage in our development, but we are fortunate to be starting with a rich dream that we can build on.”
“We don’t want a big polarization process, we want a working-together process,” Alexander said.
“It’s relational, collegial and collaborative, and we wanted to draw people from all sectors of the food industry.”
As a result, the board has representatives that reflect the entire lifespan of foods, from a seed to a waste product, and includes people in seed production, farming, education, retail, code enforcement, food bank distribution and management, and waste disposal.
“We want to work together to create a local food system that is accessible, healthy, sustainable and socially vibrant,” Alexander said.
For more information, email jclocalfoodsystemcouncil@gmail.com.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
