The Puget Sound Food Network

An effective and efficient Puget Sound food system should deliver safe, fresh, nutritious food to the region at affordable prices. But that will happen effectively and efficiently only if the food system components are sound and working together.

With high fuel costs and increasing demand for locally produced food, having easily accessible online information that facilitates transactions between food producers and consumers is a key element in improving our regional food system.

The mission of the Puget Sound Food Network (PSFN or Network) is to increase the production, distribution, and consumption of regionally produced food.

The Puget Sound Food Network enables real-time communication between food producers, consumers, and other participants in the Puget Sound regional food system — and facilitates online food-related transactions.

Created and managed by the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC), the Puget Sound Food Network project:

• Helps foster a regional food system that supports local agriculture and provides healthy foods to local communities
• Increases access to locally produced products throughout the region
• Enhances the economic viability and sustainability of family farms by providing new market opportunities

The Puget Sound Food Network allows farmers and other food producers to:

• Communicate directly with consumers at a convenient time
• Find processing, distribution, and storage
• Assess demand and plan production accordingly
• Coordinate with other regional producers with like needs (bottles, boxes, farm supplies, etc.)
• Combine  products  with other producers to meet consumer demand
• Network with other producers to decrease overhead
• Showcase their product, expand their market, and sell online

And allows consumers to:

• Communicate directly with food producers
• Learn who is producing what food, where and at what price
• Influence food production
• Make plans based on product availability
• Benefit from publicity as a source of local food products
• Place orders, arrange delivery, and pay online

PSFN is currently engaged with research and technology development and plans to have the first components live in June 2009. For an update on the project see Network Overview.

Getting Involved
If you would like to participate in this project please fill out our online form. We appreciate your interest in perpetuating our regional farming heritage, strengthening our local economy, and increasing the availability of fresh, local food.

About NABC
NABC is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to farmland preservation by helping to make farming in the region more profitable.

This project launched in the summer of 2008 with funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) grant. The SBA funds will be primarily focused on developing the transaction support services segment of this network. SBA’s funding should be not construed as an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. All SBA-funded projects are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.