Strategic Actions for Building a Robust Food System Chris Iberle Farm to School & Value Chains Specialist Washington State Department of Agriculture Regional Markets Program ciberle@agr.wa.gov 206-256-1874 agr.wa.gov/marketing/Regional/RegionalMarkets.aspx USDA & WSDA represented

Agriculture in Clark County 1,929 farms on 74,758 acres 85 direct marketing farms in 2012 Market value of $50.9 million produced Top products by sales: Milk, poultry, berries, nursery, hay, Christmas trees 86% of farms smaller than 50 acres in size $700 million in purchases - in 2008 Clark County Agriculture: From local roots to future bounty 2016 & USDA Census of Agriculture 2012 Icons made by [author link] from www.flaticon.com

Agriculture in Clark County Challenges Opportunities Challenges There is a diversity of ag types and scale in Clark Co For producers of the Top 5 products Unstable commodity prices & trade A lot of the food produced in the county is not sold locally Profitability is a challenge, as with all farming Accessing new, maybe direct markets is hard, a shift WSDA Regional Markets does hear from them Issues affects all styles, diversified direct market farms included Labor shortages Aging farmer population & knowledge transfer Loss of infrastructure, storage & processing Access to affordable, productive land Opportunities 88% increase in vegetable acreage from 2007-2012 Pastureland growth potential as cropland Growing population is both: land pressure and growing market High demand from consumers Growing demand from craft food biz Capture more of a premium dollar – higher prices than commodity Growing market opportunities – how do we meet it? Grow the local food economy, keep dollars and agriculture local Food & Agriculture IS economic development (jobs, etc) Preserve farmland Increase food access What’s the difference between these two photos? Growing population: dual PEOPLE – You and I make a difference Food system is made up of people all types, all kinds of farmers It takes engaging all of us in the conversation Developing the idea for the future and making it happen Clark County Agriculture: From local roots to future bounty 2016 Analysis of the Agricultural Economic Trends and Conditions in Clark County, Washington 2007 Second Mile Food Hub Producer Survey 2019 WSU Clark County Extension Envisioning a Food Hub for Southwest Washington 2018

Strategic Actions Supposed to talk about strategic interventions So, what are some things producers need? NOT exhaustive Policy, land management and preservation, new farmer education, funding/financing Increasing local production Top overall need from Clark Co Community Needs Assessment Report 64% - food assistance Supply chains & marketing (WSDA Regional Markets) Need help accessing customers - Information Connecting with buyers: restaurants, grocery Tapping into local, direct markets Marketing and sales Access for farms to current direct marketing opportunities Need help accessing customers – physical infrastructure Delivery to customers, CSA, access points Cooler space & freezer space Value-added, diversifying & developing products Meat processing

MEP Supply Chain Management Customer Value Chain What is a value chain? Serve customer needs and work backwards Traditional supply chain: develop a product, convince customers they need it Leads to lots of problems Including each partner exploiting lack of transparency Information asymmetry Waste, sustainability, customer disengagement Value chain approach How is value added for end customer? Not simply in terms of price or $$ though that may be one outcome (customer willing to pay more) Often more transparency and information is key strategy Could be adding convenience, eco-friendly, higher quality, “cool” Term is used to mean a lot of different things MEP Supply Chain Management

Food values chain can be confusing Food value chain is one form of a value chain Way to add value for the end customer is because of values Farm viability, transparency, healthy food, sustainable Satisfying a customer demand for a values-based supply chain USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Wallace Center at Winrock International

Food Values Value Chain Might call it a Food Values Value Chain What’s the point of this distinction? Accomplished through partnerships and collaborative supply chains Also an investment strategy and opportunity Value chains help business and farms increase profits or market position Working to support that, value chain strategies Hope some of this info can build that momentum Good to keep in mind that value can be added in ways other than values – convenience, price, volume, logistics, processing Food hubs and farmer co-ops play a key role Partnerships with other food businesses to add value, satisfy need Processors, distributors USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Wallace Center at Winrock International

Strategic Actions Supposed to talk about strategic interventions So, what are some things producers need? NOT exhaustive Policy, land management and preservation, new farmer education, funding/financing Increasing local production Top overall need from Clark Co Community Needs Assessment Report 64% - food assistance Supply chains & marketing (part of WSDA Regional Markets’ focus) Need help accessing customers - Information Connecting with buyers: restaurants, grocery Tapping into local, direct markets Marketing and sales Access for farms to current, rapidly growing direct marketing opportunities Need help accessing customers – physical infrastructure Delivery to customers, CSA, access points Cooler space & freezer space Value-added, diversifying & developing products Meat processing