News Releases

OLYMPIA – With support from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the Eat Local First Collaborative has expanded the Washington Food & Farm Finder, an online tool to connect consumers with food that is grown, caught, raised, and made by Washington growers and producers, and which now includes a wholesale food finder.
 
The tool first went live in November 2020, offering a searchable statewide map that helps farmers, food businesses, and food resources of all sizes — including producers of agricultural products such as wool and flowers, farmers markets, food hubs, and others — by connecting them with Washington consumers. Consumers, including school districts and other institutions, can in turn use the tool to find locally grown and produced products in 37 counties throughout Washington state.
 
In late October, the Washington Food & Farm Finder added the “Find a Wholesale Vendor” tab to better assist school districts and other institutions trying to source locally grown produce.
 
Washington is one of just five states without a state-endorsed branding program to promote local foods. WSDA and the Eat Local First Collaborative are working to address that gap, making it easier for farms and food businesses to market their products to public institutions and consumers by creating a listing. Using the tool is free for farms, food businesses, and others to list themselves on the simple-to-use platform. Already, more than 1,700 farms, food businesses, and other listings are featured, and the number is growing rapidly.
 
The launch of the web tool capped a 10-year journey to make it simpler for Washington consumers to access local food. Sustainable Connections, a nonprofit headquartered in Bellingham, began the Eat Local First campaign in 2011 and the first version of the online tool in 2017.
 
Last year, several organizations formed the Eat Local First Collaborative to create a connection between buyers and local producers by combining individual maps, guides, and other resources into one comprehensive, single tool. The Collaborative includes Sustainable Connections, Tilth Alliance, Pierce County Fresh, The Local Food Trust, Washington State University Food Systems Program, Washington State University Extension Regional Small Farms Program serving Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap counties, and a growing number of other partners across the state.
 
Helping buyers find local wholesale vendors
 
This summer, WSDA’s Farm to School and Food Assistance programs partnered with the Collaborative to further develop the tool’s wholesale product finder. WSDA provided $30,000 to cover the costs of developing the wholesale tool, designed with school districts in mind. The “Find a Wholesale Vendor” tab can help them find, connect with, and buy from local wholesale food producers and food businesses. These institutional buyers can search listings by city name, Zip code, category, product, distribution method, delivery area, and more.
 
The wholesale tool also includes five diversity and seven sustainability icons to indicate a vendor’s identities and their environmental and social practices, making it easier for buyers to make purchases that align with the goals of their nutrition programs. Visit eatlocalfirst.org to view the newly developed tool.
 
For producers, Eat Local First produced a tutorial video, WA Food & Farm Finder - Tutorial for Wholesale Listing Optimization, available on YouTube.
 
WSDA Director Derek Sandison said tools like this are an important part of a resilient food system and ongoing relief efforts for farmers, ranchers, food businesses, institutions, and people experiencing hunger.
 
“During the pandemic, WSDA’s focus on food security has intensified as we’ve worked to prevent hunger for millions of Washingtonians. Our state’s food and farm businesses have had to overcome enormous challenges during this time, and WSDA is committed to supporting the economic viability of producers of all sizes and scales as a key strategy to keep Washington food secure,” he said. “Following the legislature’s appropriation of historic levels of funding for our Food Assistance Programs and Farm to School grants, we recognized how important it was to foster connections between public purchasers and farm and food businesses and are pleased to support the expansion of the Eat Local First Collaborative’s Washington Food & Farm Finder to grow wholesale markets.”
 
"We are excited to partner with WSDA to bring resources and expertise in support of a robust digital infrastructure," said Melissa Spear, Executive Director at Tilth Alliance. "We view this collaboration as a vital component to providing greater connectivity between buyers and producers to procure Washington state food products that support a more sustainable food future."
 
Amy Frye of Boldly Grown Farms in Skagit Valley, a family-owned, certified organic farm that specializes in fall and winter storage vegetables, expects the Washington Farm & Food Finder, with its expanded Wholesale Product Finder, to help their high-production farm explore business connections with Washington school districts.
 
“Increasing access to locally grown food for all populations has always been important to us. We are excited about the possibility of a tool that will help facilitate these relationships efficiently so we can spend more of our time on the farm and growing good, healthy food for our region,” she said. “We have always been interested in connecting with schools and this platform will open the door to more possibilities.”

Email info@eatlocalfirst.org for questions about the Eat Local First Washington Food & Farm Finder or email sherylwiser@tilthallliance.org to reach Sheryl Wiser, director of outreach for the Tilth Alliance.