Abstract
This discussion highlights a case study of place-based solutions for fostering community food security in peri-urban and isolated rural areas on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas of Washington State. In this region, over 14% of the population lives below the federal poverty level, one in two students are eligible for free and reduced lunch, and one in six pre-schoolers are obese. Many areas of the area are classified as low access in the USDA’s Food Access Research Atlas, with a significant number of residents more than twenty miles from the nearest supermarket. The region is home to five tribes including the Hoh, Quileute, Makah, and Lower Elwha-Klallam. The USDA has designated these tribal areas as food deserts, with limited access to healthy foods. The Olympic Peninsula is connected to the mainland of Washington via ferries, a floating bridge, and two small highways, all of which are susceptible to interruption due to frequent extreme marine weather. In a region where disruptive weather is a common occurrence and where over 50% of children are eating one to two meals a day at school, food security and local food production are interconnected. Through partnerships forged between the local extension offices, emergency food distribution programs, tribes, and the agricultural communities in the region, our innovative work provides economic incubation for regional micro-farms as well as equitable food access to healthy, nutritious, locally grown food for those who can least afford it.
Presenters
Clea RomeAssociate Professor, Extension, Community and Economic Development, Washington State University, United States Karlena Brailey
Washington State University Laura Ryser
Washington State University
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2020 Special Focus—Making The Local: Place, Authenticity, Sustainability
KEYWORDS
Food Insecurity, Rural, Tribes, Sovereignty
