Good Food Resilience Series
A series of three virtual workshops to provide meaningful peer-learning and partnership building opportunities across the Puget Sound regional food system in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
These workshops will spotlight new models and programs that food businesses, community members, and organizations have developed to address the negative impacts of the pandemic. We’ll identify opportunities for collaboration and contribution to support their work and explore how these new systems can help build a more resilient, sustainable, and just local food economy going forward.
Session #1: A Listening Session: How Can We Support Local Restaurants Now?
Tuesday, 10/27/20, 10am-11am
A live listening session of Seattle-area, independent restaurants as they discuss their innovative pivots and the critical challenges that remain to their business in the wake of restricted service mandates. Legislators, economic development agencies, philanthropists, and community members are invited to attend and reflect on their ability to address the question, “how can we provide immediate support to local restaurants now?” Those working within the food service industry are invited to attend and add their experiences to the panel. All participants are encouraged to contribute to a discussion of potential and emergent solutions.
Session #2: Farm to Food Assistance: Meeting Community Needs Long-Term
Thursday, 11/12/20, 10am-11:30am
Explore how recent farm-to-food box programs are successfully addressing rising food insecurity with local food. Can these programs be models for the local food pipeline to continue to provide fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods in the future and outside of emergency food programs? Participants and panelists will identify opportunities for program replication and collaboration among farmers, food producers, distributors, food service, retailers, and food assistance service providers.
Session #3: New Markets & Emerging Models: How to Get Local Food to Consumers and How to Fund It
Tuesday, 12/8/20; 10am-11:30am
Explore new business models that are meeting customer demand for locally produced food. What are the strengths and weaknesses of these models in meeting the needs of both producers and consumers, and how can funders and investors of all types support the growth of these new businesses? This session will invite speakers and participants from all food sectors, including farmers, food producers, processors, distributors, food service, retail, and consumer-direct delivery services to interact and identify where there are opportunities for collaboration and investment.
The Good Food Resilience Series is an initiative of Seattle Good Business Network’s Good Food Economy program, connecting the Puget Sound food community in order to strengthen the local food pipeline and build a resilient, sustainable, and just local food economy. Made possible with support from a Regional Food System Grant from King Conservation District.
