Partners for Rural
Food Systems

Where North Coast Food Businesses Grow & Succeed

Tillamook County is home to more than 200 small farms, fisheries, harvesters, bakers and value-added product makers. Yet there has been no infrastructure to support them, such as cold storage, shared commercial kitchens, co-packing, food hubs and training centers.

Partners for Rural Food Systems is developing final plans for two food processing centers. A farm-based center at the Port of Tillamook Bay (POTB) and a seafood-based center at Port of
Garibaldi (POG). We will focus first on the most urgent need – cold storage – at both centers. Then a shared, licensed commercial kitchen at POTB, and seafood processing at POG.

Thanks to Business Oregon for Rural Opportunity Initiative grants that allowed us to research local farm and fishery logistics, develop a feasibility study, and enable a well-thought out plan with which to seek funding. And thank you to Columbia Pacific Economic Development District for additional funding. Our community of small food producers is grateful for the help.

Check back here for updates. If you would like to receive email updates, please contact us here.

Value added foods

Farming

Seafood

Our Story

Partners for Rural Food Systems is a community-based group led by Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA) as part of their culinary/agritourism initiative. The discussions about this project started during a two-day food trail development workshop for the North Coast Food Trail in 2017.

Team members include Nan Devlin, executive director of TCVA, and Ken Henson, food systems expert, Refettorio Consulting Community partners include Port of Tillamook Bay, Port of Garibaldi, Pelican Brewing, Tillamook Creamery, Tillamook County Community Development, Columbia Pacific Economic Development District, Food Roots, and multiple farmers and fishers.

We are committed to serving and supporting all food entrepreneurs

Diversity

Partners for Rural Food Systems will work to build bridges with other food networks and be a leader in collaboration on changing food systems across the state of Oregon. We believe that diversity of ideas, experiences, and perspectives will build stronger collaboration and a better food system on the North Coast.

Equity

Partners for Rural Food Systems will create economic opportunity for local food entrepreneurs by offering services, facilities and resources that do not currently exist and that cater to the unique needs of each food entrepreneur.

Inclusion

Partners for Rural Food Systems will keep the power and economy of local foods in the hands of our growers, producers and processors to empower them to build and sustain thriving businesses.