Farmers in SW Washington face multiple pressures, including natural resource management and economic issues but also the lack of a structured regional response to these problems which are difficult or impossible to address at the farm level. The SW WA Growers Cooperative was formed to improve farm viability through collaborative approaches to marketing, logistics, and stewardship. This presentation will provide information on formation and management of the Cooperative, and current areas of work. The latter includes a grain transload and storage facility for specialty grain products, and a Food Hub that provides an online ordering platform, aggregation and distribution services, and single-point-of-payment and invoicing. In the first year of operation (2020), the Growers Cooperative has provided over $100,000 in producer payments, and provided product to over 150 families and two hospitals. |
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