As of May 15th, the community has raised over $42,000 for the Olympic Peninsula Farmers Fund, a program created to provide immediate support to small local farms that are struggling financially in the wake of Covid-19. North Olympic Land Trust and community partners North Olympic Development Council, WSU Extension Regional Small Farms Program, and Jefferson Land Trust are pleased with the support that has been generated so far by individual supporters and grants from Port Townsend Food Co-Op and Jefferson Community Foundation.
Farms selected for this program will be those that need help to weather this time when farmer’s markets and restaurants are closed and distribution chains disrupted. The money will provide pre-paid, long term contracts of $1,500 to $5,000 to farmers this season and then the farmers will provide food for food banks and feeding programs over the next 3-5 years. The intent of the program, which is overseen by the North Olympic Development Council, is to support our local farms now while providing food banks with a steady supply of fresh local food over the long haul.
To meet the overall fundraising goal of $50,000, donations will continue to be accepted through May 25th. Donate through the NODC here.
For farmers: Applications for contracts will be available at www.noprcd.org by the end of the day on May 15th. Applications must be received by 5:00 pm on May 26th. If you would like more information on how to seek support from this program, please contact Karen Affeld at the North Olympic Development Council. (karen@noprcd.org)