Food Roots focuses on school gardens, closes retail marketplace
Food Roots will dedicate the majority of its efforts to school gardens and supporting food producers in 2025.
The non-profit was the recent recipient of a nearly $25,000 grant from the BottleDrop Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. The grant will be utilized to fund the Learning Gardens at three Tillamook County schools: Liberty Elementary, East Elementary, and Garibaldi Grade School.
“We have amazing school partnerships to nurture this education and food growth. We're excited to be working with teachers and have these gardens be a part of their classrooms,” Food Roots Executive Director Lindsay Ward said. “Then, all the produce that's harvested from these gardens will be donated to the school food pantries. We're able to provide materials, staff time, and volunteer recruitment efforts towards these gardens as a result of coordination between this and other wonderful grants we’ve received.”
The narrowed scope of work to aide school gardens and support local food producers comes after a branch of Food Roots closed late last year.
“The Marketplace program was concluded,” Ward said. “Some other food hubs have also found that it is ‘impossible,’ we don’t like to use that word, though impossible to support farmers, cover the overhead, and supply affordable prices to support local food equity. It was not a sustainable model. We are always learning and evolving.”
The Marketplace (located at the Port of Tillamook Bay) closed on Dec. 18, 2024. It had served for years as a retail store (at one point also located on Main Ave. in Tillamook) where customers could shop from a collection of locally produced products.
“There are challenges that nonprofits are going through in today's funding landscape. Grants are becoming more competitive, and the types of projects being funded have been changing. Unfortunately, we didn't receive a lot of grants that our Marketplace was tied into,” Ward said. “To adapt, we've narrowed the scope of our focuses. We are making a greater impact with the capacity and funding that we have.”
While the Marketplace was how many were introduced to the organization, it never was the sole programing. In addition to school gardens, Food Roots has received grants to continue cultivating the local food network by connecting institutions and businesses with local food producers, and administering the Individual Development Account (IDA) program, a partnership with CASA of Oregon that supplies a five-to-one savings match to enrolled farmers and food producers.
“We aim to bolster the number of enrollment applications we receive by increasing knowledge of this opportunity. Those who want to establish or expand their food business and need financial support to do so are encouraged to apply on our website,” Ward said. “Food Roots acts as an IDA administrator, which includes reviewing business plans and helping each participant enroll in the necessary financial and business classes to help them achieve their vision for their business.”
The program is open to entrepreneurs with new or existing businesses. The application period to enroll this year begins in July. The number of accepted applicants for 2025 is contingent on available funding.
CASA of Oregon's communication team said: "Without legislative action in 2025, the statewide IDA initiative could see an estimated 50% reduction in the number of Oregonians that can open an IDA each year. It is imperative that the legislature invest in this vital initiative to ensure that more Oregonians have a chance to achieve economic independence and build generational wealth."
Food Roots is actively recruiting for volunteers, board members, and donations to support their ongoing mission to “grow a robust and equitable food system in Tillamook County through community engagement, education, food producer support, and improved access to local food.”
“We’re looking to involve the community and make sure that we’re giving everyone what they need,” Ward said. “Investment—whether your time or donation—is really impactful. If you pour into us, your contribution pours back into your own community.”
Food Roots plans to host community listening sessions to hear thoughts from the public about the organization’s focus.
“We're really excited to hear everyone’s voices as we work to provide the best impact we can,” Ward said. “We're really grateful to all those who donate, volunteer, and enthusiastically collaborate with us so we can continue growing our shared vision of a more sustainable, healthy, and connected community rooted in local food. Shelly Bowe's vision of fostering community-based food programs that mutually support and nourish our farmers, fishers, and food-makers remains the focus of where we're going with you.”
For more information, visit foodrootsnw.org.
