How can we create a more vibrant and resilient food system? One emerging idea is the formation of food hub networks. In this model, a group of food hubs partner together to expand opportunities for local food. It’s about collaborating to meet shared goals and expand opportunities for their producers.
In the Pacific Northwest, three food hubs are doing just that. In late 2021, Puget Sound Food Hub, LINC Foods, and Western Montana Growers Cooperative officially formed the Northwest Food Hub Network (NWFHN). Now, just one year into their story, the network has seen $1 million in new sales. But the road to where they are today—and where they’ll grow in the future—has been far from simple. One theme among all the key players involved in the NWFHN is the trust that is required to keep this network running. Trust in the project, in one another, in the network’s shared goals, and in the value of creating a system where more of the food we eat is grown locally, with producers receiving an equitable portion of the sale.
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