Whatcom County Food System Plan

A food system is a web of interconnected inputs that moves food from seed to sandwich to waste. It includes waterways and land, fishers, farmers, distributors, manufacturers and processors, retailers, and individual consumers. Food systems don't have set boundaries, but for this plan, we localize the system to Whatcom County, Washington.

Whatcom County, home to almost 230,000 people, is nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Salish Sea. It is beautiful and provides access to several types of food production. It has a rich agricultural economy, a significant fishing industry, and a robust food system workforce.

External economic market forces and increasing environmental threats caused by a changing climate are threats to a robust food landscape. Washington State University Extension and community partners sought to study the food system and published the first Whatcom County Community Food Assessment in 2011. Subsequent assessments have been conducted, the most recent of which was led by the Whatcom County Food System Committee in 2021.

Food system leaders wanted to create some actions based on the Community Food Assessment. The actions are outlined in the Food System Plan. A food system plan is a long-range planning document that is driven by community input and strategic goals. This plan outlines actions and policies that plan for a more sustainable and equitable food system. This is a 10-year food system plan.

The food system plan was developed with the findings from the 2021 Community Food Assessment, subject matter interviews, and a lot of community engagement.

The Food System Committee reviewed the Community Food Assessment and other food system plans to create 5 draft goals for a food system plan.

The Food System Committee published a survey April, 2022, that shared draft food system goals and asked the community for suggested actions on how to achieve those goals. The survey was published in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Russian and received 227 responses. The zipcodes of respondents were collected. There was a diverse geographical representation.

Several in-person engagement events happened in the summer. The Whatcom Food Network hosted a planning event at Shuksan Middle School. Members of the Food System Committee attended community events and held community conversations. And community partners facilitated conversations based on the plan. The purpose of the events was to get feedback on the draft goals and generate objectives and actions for the Food System Plan.

The Whatcom Food Network hosted two virtual events, one for Goal 1 and one for Goals 2 and 5. Similar to the in-person event, participants were divided into smaller groups and were able to brainstorm using post-its.

Food System Committee staff attended other advisory committee, such as the Marine Resources Committee and the Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee, meetings to share and solicit input for the Food System Plan.

The Consultant and County staff synthesized all of the qualitative information from the community engagement events through theming. Draft objectives and actions were created. This was presented to the Food System Committee, which then held 11 subcommittee meetings to refine the language.

The Food System Committee invited subject matter experts and the general public to comment on the draft objectives and actions. An online form collected responses and some committee members hosted conversations. The comments were reviewed at the January 26th meeting of the Food System Committee.

Once the draft plan is finalized, the Food System Committee will take the plan on the road. The Food System Plan will be presented at the following events:

Virtual Events:

• February 14th and 15th: Virtual Open Houses (zoom)
• February 23rd: Northwest Ag and Business Center Lunch and Learn