EVERETT – Snohomish County invites the public to attend one of two upcoming open houses to learn about and provide feedback on the future Snohomish County Food & Farming Center, a regional hub for agricultural and local food access planned for McCollum Park.
The Snohomish County Food & Farming Center is designed to support local farmers and strengthen the regional food system. The facility will feature equipment and infrastructure for processing, aggregation, distribution and value-added production of fresh local produce and other farm products, a commercial kitchen, and a year-round, indoor farmers market, creating opportunities for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and the broader community.
“Farmers from across the region have needed this infrastructure for over a decade. As we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, local food security is vital,” said Linda Neunzig, Snohomish County Agriculture Office Manager. “We’re excited to share our vision and hear what the community thinks.”
The public is encouraged to attend either of the two open house sessions. Both will offer the same information and include a presentation from County staff:
- Open House Option 1
- Date: Thursday, October 9
- Time: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Presentation at 5:30 p.m.)
- Where: Northwest Stream Center – 600 128th St SE, Everett, WA 98208
- Open House Option 2
- Date: Saturday, October 11
- Time: 9 a.m. – noon (Presentation at 10 a.m.)
- Where: Willis Tucker Park – Admin Building | 6705 Puget Park Dr., Snohomish, WA 98296
The Snohomish County Food & Farming Center is a key component of the County’s broader commitment to strengthening local agriculture, enhancing food security, and supporting sustainable economic development, the county said.
For those unable to attend, a recording of the presentation will be available after the first meeting. An online survey will also be available on Oct. 9. For more information, visit the project webpage: https://snohomishcountywa.gov/6043.
About the Food and Farming Center
The decision to build a Food and Farming Center stemmed from a county-led outreach effort, asking local farmers what tools and resources they need to be economically viable. Overwhelmingly, farmers expressed a need for processing fresh local products as well as aggregation and distribution.
As it stands, most farmers located in Snohomish County and surrounding areas are responsible for processing, aggregation, and distribution—there’s simply nowhere in the surrounding area for products to be sliced, diced, and packaged.
To address this, the Food and Farming Center will offer core operational functions, which include aggregation, processing, distribution and marketing, as well as space and equipment for storage and value‐added processing. This space will allow for processing, group distribution, and sales. Washing, slicing, packaging, freezing and other services to be identified by the agricultural community will also be available.
The Center will only deal with fruits and vegetables, no livestock. There are a number of new USDA certified meat processing facilities in Snohomish and Skagit counties, that are easily able to cover the needs of local farmers, Neunzig informed the Lynnwood Times.
Local farmers also identified the lack of a commercial kitchen where they can do value-added product; for example, using strawberries to make strawberry jam or chickens to make chicken pot pie.
The Food and Farming Center will have an on-sight commercial kitchen which will allow for valued added production providing year-round income for producers and potential export products. A shared-use kitchen, where individuals can rent existing infrastructure for hourly or daily time blocks, provides a convenient way for food entrepreneurs to access existing infrastructure without the high startup costs, the county says.
The kitchen will also contain a commissary, whose business model is to rent out kitchen time, equipment, and storage; and two incubator kitchens that will provide business development assistance, and business counseling.
The Food and Farmer Center will also have an indoor, year-round Farmer’s Market open to the public two-to-three days a week. While the specific location of the Food and Farming Center within McCollum Park has yet to be decided, the attached farmers market is planned to be located right off 128th Street to allow visitors easy access.
Since education is also a key factor of the project, educational seminars and cooking classes will also be held at the farmers market, though the specifics are still in the works.
Having an alternative option where locals can buy their groceries has its benefits both nutritionally and economically, Neunzig informed the Lynnwood Times.
Most supermarket produce, for example, travels thousands of miles from a farm before it reaches its shelves. By buying groceries directly from the farmers, patrons will get fresher fruits and vegetables that will last longer, have more nutritional value, and generally cost less because transportation costs are greatly reduced.
To address food insecurity in the region, the county has partnered with Volunteers of America of Western Washington to start a Seed to Food program which includes farmers growing food specifically intended to be donated to local food banks which can be picked up on sight, delivered straight to the food bank, or distributed directly through VOA’s distribution hub in Arlington.
When the Center opens, the County will be run by individual operators, not county employees. The County plans to send out an RFP (a bid for potential vendors) closer to opening to find these individual operators who, in its current plan, will be stationed in each portion of the project—i.e. commercial kitchen, farmers market, processing, and so on. Operators will function under turnkey leases with the county.
About Snohomish County Conservation and Natural Resources
The Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) includes the Division of Surface Water Management; the Division of Parks and Recreation; the Office of Energy and Sustainability and the Office of Agriculture. DCNR works in support of thriving communities; a clean and healthy environment to foster environmental stewardship; ensuring food security; supporting a green economy, and strengthening communities by providing regional parks and infrastructure; protecting the region’s water, air, land and natural habitats; enhancing agriculture and recreation; and reducing flooding. https://snohomishcountywa.gov/5758.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
One Response
As a resident of Snohomish County, I love this idea. I plan to attend an open house.
I do not sell produce, but I am a vendor at markets, festivals and holiday events in Snohomish and King County. I understand the importance of these community events. I am impressed at the dedication and scale of this project. Crossing my fingers it happens!