Three of the state’s top 10 crops are dependent on bee pollination, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture. While beekeeping is often done in rural areas, with some hives being transported farm to farm to foster pollination, a small company is supporting local farms and bottling honey produced in the Seattle metro area through a network of beehive hosts.

Amy Beth and Peter Nolte, owners of Rainy Day Bees, recently sat down with the Local Food Initiative team to discuss how their unique model of hive management and honey production contributes to the larger local food system. Thanks to a few farm partners and dozens of homeowners located around King County who are willing to host beehives, Rainy Day Bees produces micro local honey and candles and is keenly interested in driving education around bee health.

To support the establishment and expansion of farm businesses operated by new and beginning and historically underserved farmers, the King County Farmland Leasing Program works to make farmland and infrastructure accessible to groups who face systemic barriers to accessing land.

Currently, King County has up to 5 acres of farmland available to lease near Kent starting in 2022. We are especially encouraging applicants who work to support business expansion for new and beginning and historically underserved farmers.

Please see the Request for Proposals here. Deadline Oct. 17.

King County, the City of Kent, and the Port of Seattle are exploring the development of a multi-functional, shared-use food center in the Kent Valley. The purpose of this facility is to help small businesses grow and connect with target markets and to help organizations expand their capacity and impact.

New Venture Advisors, a leading national consulting firm specializing in local food system planning and food enterprise strategy and development, was recently hired to help determine the ideal components, programs, and location for the facility. These could include commercial kitchens, fresh produce processing, training programs in food sector jobs, and meal preparation spaces for hunger relief agencies.

Over the next few months, the consultants will analyze the feasibility for this facility that addresses the needs of community organizations, nonprofit sector, and small food businesses. The project goals are to strengthen the local food system, empower residents to start new businesses, and thereby increase access to healthy, affordable food for underserved communities.

Good Food Forum is an online community aligned with the mission of King County’s Local Food Initiative to build a stronger farm/sea-to-plate pipeline by connecting stakeholders across our regional food system in order to build a more sustainable, resilient, and just local food economy.

This is a free, business-to-business resource to facilitate new market opportunities, match resources, and share events, knowledge, and best practices between farmers, fishers, food manufacturers, restaurants, food service institutions, retailers, farmers markets, processors, distributors, food hubs, and food access, food recovery, and business support organizations who operate in, serve, or are served by people or businesses in King County.

• Organic Certification Cost Share Program: Receive up to 50% of the certification costs to obtain or renew National Organic Program Certification. Application due Nov. 2.
• Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program: Grants provided to food processors, distributors, farmers markets, and producers to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against COVID-19. Application due Nov. 8.
• Register to be counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture: Conducted by the USDA once every five years, this census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income, and expenditures.

Cheers,

Local Food Initiative team