FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 2, 2021                     

Media Contact:         Ali Jensen, Program Specialist - Healthy Communities  
                                   Whatcom County Health Department
                                   (360) 778-6121
                                   [email protected]

Whatcom Community Food Assessment
Ready for Public Review 

BELLINGHAM, WA -- What is the state of Whatcom County’s food ecosystem? The Whatcom County Food System Committee has the answer as they have published the 2021 Community Food Assessment (CFA) for public review.

This snapshot of how food is produced, transported and consumed throughout Whatcom County is an update to the 2017 Community Food Assessment, originally produced by the Whatcom Food Network. The 2021 CFA is based on over 50 interviews with local farmers, farmworkers, community health professionals, natural resource experts and more.

“We can’t just look at challenges with export farming or food access in isolation,” said Riley Sweeney, chair of the Food System Committee. “We need to see it as a vital system, interconnected from seed to table. This assessment is an attempt to capture that bigger picture.” The assessment will inform a County-wide food system plan, which will outline policies and actions for a more sustainable, equitable food system.

A draft of the 2021 Community Food Assessment is available for public review. Comments may be submitted in the following ways by September 30, 2021:

Google Form: https://tinyurl.com/reviewCFA 

Mail to:                        Whatcom County Health Department
                                    ATTN: Ali Jensen
                                    1500 State Street Suite 201
                                    Bellingham, WA 98225

For inquiries, call Ali Jensen at: (360) 778-6121

Committee Website: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/2992/Food-System-Committee

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This information is also available as a PDF.