Source: SEQUIM FOOD BANK submitted to NRP
ADDING VALUE TO FARM TO FOOD BANK
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1016293
Grant No.
2018-33800-28944
Cumulative Award Amt.
$35,000.00
Proposal No.
2018-01739
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2018
Project End Date
Jan 31, 2020
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[LN.B]- Community Foods Project Planning
Recipient Organization
SEQUIM FOOD BANK
144 W ALDER ST
SEQUIM,WA 98382
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Our long-term goal is to develop, deploy, and evaluate a shared community strategy that provides much-needed local produce to food banks that serve low-income children, adults, and seniors, and strengthens local farmers and growers in Clallam County, WA. We propose an innovative approach that develops a plan to create a value-added processing program, using gleaned, excess, or produce that does not meet cosmetic and size standards for fresh sale, for the benefit of producers (micro, small, medium, and residential) and food bank clients. With input from food bank clients, WSU Clallam County Extension, and volunteer gleaners, and discussions with local farmers, the following objectives support our goal: 1) Engage farmers, food bank clients and other producers from throughout Clallam County and conduct a field-to-table scan of needs and assets to enhance environmental, economic, social, and nutritional health; and 2) Evaluate the feasibility of Sequim Food Bank serving as a value-added produce hub that aggregates, processes, and distributes excess, gleaned and donated local produce to food bank clients throughout Clallam County. This proposal is a collaboration between Sequim Food Bank, WSU Clallam County Extension, Clallam County farmers and growers, and Texas A&M University School of Public Health. Development of a successful farm to food bank produce hub program will address several of the pressing needs that have been identified by farmers/growers, Sequim Food Bank, Peninsula Food Coalition, and WSU Extension. Project outcomes will address the following primary goals of the CFPCGP: 1) Meet the food needs of low-income individuals through distribution of local produce, community outreach to all areas of Clallam County, and improve access to local produce as part of food bank service; 2) Increase the self-reliance of Clallam County foodbanks and food assistance programs in providing for the food needs in all areas of Clallam County; and 3) Promote a comprehensive response to local food access, farm, and nutrition issues.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
60862303100100%
Knowledge Area
608 - Community Resource Planning and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6230 - Marketing systems and sectors thereof;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;
Goals / Objectives
The goal for this planning project is to complete the Program-Planning Stage by developing, deploying, and evaluating a shared community strategy that provides much-needed local produce to food banks, other nutrition service providers, and community programs that serve low-income children, adults, and seniors, and strengthens local farmers and growers in Clallam County, WA. This stage will serve as the base for organizing and implementing a farmer-food bank-centered program to improve the access to and utilization of fresh local produce by low-income residents of Clallam County who either experience or are at high risk for food insecurity (low or very low food security). With input from food bank client surveys, WSU Clallam County Extension, and discussions with local farmers, the following objectives support our goal:Engage farmers, food bank clients, and other nutrition assistance programs from throughout Clallam County and conduct a county-wide community food assessment of agricultural and food bank needs and assets that integrates to enhance environmental, economic, social, and nutritional health.Evaluate the feasibility of Sequim Food Bank serving as a produce hub for collecting and distributing excess and purchased local produce to food banks and food assistance programs throughout Clallam County
Project Methods
Field-to-table Scan (FTS): We will be answering the following questions: 1) what are farmers and growers raising? 2) what and when are farmers and growers providing excess, donated, and gleaned produce? 3) what is the range of value-added produce items that food bank clients would utilize? 4) what are the barriers and facilitators for use of value-added produce items by food bank clients? 5) who are more clients to utilize value-added produce items? 6) what system or infrastructure (essential elements) will be needed for the aggregation, process, and distribution of value-added produce items? 7) what will be required to meet food safety standards? FTS will include characteristics (demographic and economic), crops (and season), distribution, and amount of recovery. We will conduct informed and facilitated discussions, interviews, and casual conversations with farmers and growers and food bank staff, volunteers, and clients.2. Sequim Food Bank Value-Added Produce Hub Development: Findings from FTS and input from CAB and Peninsula Food Coalition, will explore organizational options and inform the development, implementation, and refinement of Sequim Food Bank Value-Added Produce Hub. Development will focus on characteristics, perceptions, expectations, outcome expectancies, behaviors, and choices of farmers and growers, food banks, and program participants; and strategies to both reduce food insecurity and integrate value-added produce into programs to serve low-income children, adults, and seniors.3. Value-added produce distribution: We will examine the logistics required for developing and implementing a chain of activities from farmer/grower to food bank clients through sequenced set of activities. We are looking to re-localize the food supply on a small scale to help create more value-added produce items for year-round utilization by our food bank clients and make our area better prepared for an emergency.4. Evaluation: The evaluation strategy will integrate pre-developmental, process (implementation) and outcome (improve outcomes) evaluation in a comprehensive framework. Pre-developmental evaluation will include data from all aspects of the FTS and development of the Sequim Food Bank value-added produce hub. Data for process evaluation elements will be collected throughout the course of the project. Process measures will measure various aspects of program implementation, such as the who (who implemented and received the project), what (what components were delivered), when (when were the components delivered), where (where did the project take place), and how much (what was the length or duration of project components). Outcome evaluation assesses a project's ability to produce desired outcomes. Process and outcome evaluations, when used in concert, provide detail to identify what worked within a project, for whom it worked, and to what extent the goal of the project was achieved. Data elements from process evaluation will be employed, as needed to interpret outcomes measures and inform plans for dissemination and sustainability.

Progress 09/01/18 to 02/29/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The audience reached includes small- and medium-sized farms, clients of local food banks, and food bank Board of Directors. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to report the status meetings of the Sequim Food Bank Board of Directors. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Engagement and assessment: 1) we continued to work with owners of small- and medium-sized farms; 2) continued to review the comments of food bank clients who completed an assessment; 3) Completed a list of produce available during the growing seasons by area of the county; 4) documented the type of produce available as overabundances; 5) met regularly with the Sequim Food Bank Board of Directors; 6) continued to plan a new needs assessment of food bank clients in Sequim and Port Angeles; 6) gained access to a Cool Pup trailer for safe transport of farm produce; 7) we purchased a commercial food hydrator for the program; and 8) began discussions with the Sequim Health and Housing Collaborative - a nine organization collaborative with Sequim Food Bank as a key partner. Goal 2: Evaluate feasibility: 1) plans are underway for establishment of a food hub; 2) preliminary determination of evaluation approach completed.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/18 to 01/31/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The audience reached includes small- and medium-sized farms, clients of local food banks, and food bank Board of Directors. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to report the status meetings of the Sequim Food Bank Board of Directors. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Engagement and assessment: 1) we continued to work with owners of small- and medium-sized farms; 2) continued to review the comments of food bank clients who completed an assessment; 3) Completed a list of produce available during the growing seasons by area of the county; 4) documented the type of produce available as overabundances; 5) met regularly with the Sequim Food Bank Board of Directors; 6) continued to plan a new needs assessment of food bank clients in Sequim and Port Angeles; 6) gained access to a Cool Pup trailer for safe transport of farm produce; 7) we purchased a commercial food hydrator for the program; and 8) began discussions with the Sequim Health and Housing Collaborative - a nine organization collaborative with Sequim Food Bank as a key partner. Goal 2: Evaluate feasibility: 1) plans are underway for establishment of a food hub; 2) preliminary determination of evaluation approach completed.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

      Outputs
      Target Audience:The target audience reached includes small- and medium-size farms and clients of local food banks. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We are reporting status at meetings of the Sequim Food Bank Board of Directors and Peninsula Food Coalition. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to advance the planning of the food hub; conducting an updated assessment; and evaluate the feasibility of an added-value program.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Engagement and assessment: 1) We completed a first needs and assets assement of Sequim Food Bank clients; 2) we regularly met with small- and medium-size farm owners; 3) we conducted a census of produce items available during the growing seasons; 4) met regualrly with the Sequim Food Bank Board of Dreictors; and 5) planned for a new assessment of needs among food bank clients in Sequim and Port Angeles. Goal 2: Evaluate feasibility: 1) we are planning for the determination of a food hub and the appropriate evaluation approach.

      Publications