Cultivate South Park:  Expanding food access and food justice though neighborhood led projects

Right along the Duwamish River is a vibrant and resilient neighborhood named South Park, which is full of passionate, caring, and hardworking community members who are dedicated to creating a space for connecting and celebrating the gifts the neighborhood offers.  At the center of these efforts is Cultivate South Park, a non-profit resident-led organization that creates innovative solutions in issues ranging from food, to environmental, housing and economic justice.        

Staying true to its roots in centering community needs, Cultivate South Park has facilitated food distribution, created a free market where neighbors can have access to culturally relevant foods and has created opportunities for neighbors of all ages to learn about food systems, urban farming and more. These efforts are especially important because South Park has no grocery store, making it a food desert.  

Read more about how Cultivate South Park is increasing food access and food justice.

More farmers on more farmland: SnoValley Tilth preparing growers for success at Snoqualmie River Farm

Snoqualmie River Farm – still known to some as Beyers Farm – sits along the Snoqualmie River in the heart of the Snoqualmie Valley’s farming community. When the Beyers family decided to sell the land, they wanted to ensure it stayed in agricultural production. King County purchased the site as part of the Farmland Preservation Program in 2019, and it includes 20 acres of rich farming land that are now available to beginning growers who have their sights set on commercial agriculture.  

Read more about SnoValley Tilth efforts to support farmers.

Congratulations to the 2021 King Conservation District grant awardees!

The King Conservation District Regional Food System Grant Program provides a catalyst for making local food production more ecologically and economically sustainable. The grant program funds projects that improve food access, encourage new farmers, expand acreage in food production, and increase demand for King County farm products.

Here are the 2021 grant winners:

21 Acres 21 Acres is a center for sustainable agriculture education and collective action. The grant will support the Sammamish Valley Tool library, which will create a framework for tool sharing and purchase of new equipment.

African Community Housing & Development African Community Housing & Development works to increase access to affordable, healthy, culturally relevant foods. The grant will support expansion of the Delridge Farmers Market to increase frequency of the farmers market, and support communities by distributing $33,000 in free produce bags during the growing season.

Black Farmers Collective Black Farmers Collective works to build a black-led food system by acquiring and stewarding land and facilitating food system education. The grant will support the YES Farm, located in the heart of downtown Seattle, in creating an ADA accessible entrance and drive in for vehicle access, and use permaculture strategies to implement terracing and expand growing space.

Black Food Sovereignty Coalition Black Food Sovereignty Coalition serves as a collaboration hub for Black and Brown communities to confront the barriers that make food, place and economic opportunities inaccessible to them. The grant will support their Pacific Northwest Back to Root: BIPOC Food Network Development that will have multiple groups of small, place-based networks of BIPOC growers.

Black Star Farmers Black Star Farmers is a Black  and Indigenous - led foundry for the radical reclamation of land for BIPOC farmers and communities. The grant will support the New Holly Rockery Market Garden Reactivation that will act as a food hub for surrounding Black and immigrant communities.

Carnation Farms Carnation Farms serves as a local produce aggregation hub with refrigeration infrastructure for farmers who sell their produce through Farmstand Local Foods. The grant will support energy efficiency in aggregating local produce.

Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association works toward green energy, environmental and social justice. The grant will support the Transformando Nuestra Tierra: Biofuel project that will focus on household education, circular economy training for food industry businesses, waste assessment, and developing a closed-loop bioenergy food system.

Farmstand Local Foods Farmstand Local Foods works on building an economical, sustainable, and transparent local food system. The grant will support local food pricing for farmers and chefs in preparation for new overtime rules in agriculture.

Feed Seven Generations Feed Seven Generations works toward increasing awareness of traditional food systems, improve Native health outcomes, and transform local food systems to sustainably incorporate the area’s traditional food sources. The grant will support the organization in hosting a successful Native agriculture symposium and planning session.

Gathering Roots Wellness Gathering Roots Wellness is a Black and Indigenous - led organization that provides space for BIPOC wellness and community programming. The grant will support greenhouse infrastructure for the BIPOC farmers co-op on the Enumclaw Plateau.

International Rescue Committee International Rescue Committee  provides opportunities for refugees, asylees and other immigrants to thrive in their new communities. The grant will support the BIPOC Growers of South King County program, located on the Horseneck property in the Kent Valley, to train farmers in using food systems.

New Day Cooperative Distribution New Day Cooperative Distribution is a co-op that supports local business owners and community members by connecting local business owners to new sales outlets and helping community members access those goods through home delivery and pick up. The grant will support the BIPOC, and LGBTQ farmer CSA pickup site.

SnoValley Tilth SnoValley Tilth works to support a vibrant farming community through community building and advocacy, and provides resources to farm businesses. They engage farmers of all experience levels. The grant will support greenhouse propagation infrastructure and training for new, beginning, and small-scale farmers in the Snoqualmie Valley.

The Common Acre The Common Acre restores relationships between people and the land through ecology, agriculture, and art. The grant will support community food hubs in Central and South Seattle and anticipates serving 2,000-plus families.

Wakulima USA Wakulima USA is a farming and food business cooperative that advances small business development and food sovereignty for low-income immigrants and BIPOC in the Puget Sound region. The grant will support the Wakulima USA Youth Farmer Project which will recruit at least seven to 10 new youth farmers and start a farmer’s market in Des Moines.

Weed Warriors Nature Stewards for New Start Community Garden Weed Warriors Nature Stewards provides educational workshops, community service, habitat restoration, and advocacy for environmental issues. The grant will support school garden infrastructure and nature classes at the New Start Community Garden in White Center.

White Center Food Bank The White Center Food Bank mission is to minimize hunger while nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance, and embracing our rich cultural diversity. The grant will support the White Center Food Bank Dispersed Food Bank Farm.

Each year the King Conservation District Award’s Regional Food System grants for projects that make local food production more ecologically and economically sustainable. Check out KCD’s Grant page for more information on the application process.

Read more on the King Conservation District website.

Thanks for reading! The Local Food Initiative team shares articles, exclusive interviews, and project updates that tell the story of how we are building a stronger, more resilient local food system. We're happy you've chosen to support local food and learn more about what the Local Food Initiative does here in King County. If you have any questions, check out our website!

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Cheers, Local Food Initiative team