Presentation Title
Keywords
Food deserts, Food access, Food insecurity, Building community support, Policy options to promote and sustain grocery operations descriptors, Community organizing
Description
Since 2009, Oregon Food Bank, in partnership with the Rural Grocery Initiative, has surveyed over 80 owners of independently owned grocery stores throughout rural Oregon. Their ideas, struggles, successes and stories are shared in the report Sustaining Rural Communities. These surveys are part of Oregon Food Bank’s broader effort to build and strengthen community food systems through community organizing (utilizing OFB’s FEAST model) and coordination of grassroots-based community food assessments.
Our presentation focuses on the findings of this report along with highlighting profiles of several “model stores”. We also introduce OFB’s community food organizing model FEAST and share examples of organizing efforts that have supported rural grocery store owners in Oregon. One store that we discuss is the M. Crow & Co. Store in Lostine (population 213, northeast OR), which was recently featured in a cover article of Edible Portland. OFB community organizing efforts helped educate the Lostine community about the challenges facing the M. & Crow store and helped rally support to keep the store open. We also highlight the success of stores in Maupin (population 418, central OR) and Langlois (unincorporated, southern OR Coast).
Creative Commons License
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Sustaining Rural Communities in the Northwest
Since 2009, Oregon Food Bank, in partnership with the Rural Grocery Initiative, has surveyed over 80 owners of independently owned grocery stores throughout rural Oregon. Their ideas, struggles, successes and stories are shared in the report Sustaining Rural Communities. These surveys are part of Oregon Food Bank’s broader effort to build and strengthen community food systems through community organizing (utilizing OFB’s FEAST model) and coordination of grassroots-based community food assessments.
Our presentation focuses on the findings of this report along with highlighting profiles of several “model stores”. We also introduce OFB’s community food organizing model FEAST and share examples of organizing efforts that have supported rural grocery store owners in Oregon. One store that we discuss is the M. Crow & Co. Store in Lostine (population 213, northeast OR), which was recently featured in a cover article of Edible Portland. OFB community organizing efforts helped educate the Lostine community about the challenges facing the M. & Crow store and helped rally support to keep the store open. We also highlight the success of stores in Maupin (population 418, central OR) and Langlois (unincorporated, southern OR Coast).
