(Fields Farm | Photo courtesy of Central Oregon Locavore)
Ask a Central Oregon farmer what they need most, and you might expect to hear about water rights, labor costs, or weather. But when Central Oregon Locavore surveyed farmers across the region in 2025, the response was far simpler and more urgent. “We don’t need more passion,” farmers told them. We need more sales.”
That message, drawn from a comprehensive 2025 audit of Locavore’s producer network, is shaping the Bend-based nonprofit strategy for the decade ahead and driving the organization to take significant action in 2026.
“We asked our farmers a simple question: what would make this ecosystem stronger?” said Nicolle Timm-Branch, founder and executive director of Central Oregon Locavore. “And they told us clearly. They’re not looking for more appreciation or more awareness. They need reliable places to sell their food consistently, year-round, close to where people live.”
Both Sides of the Market Are Ready. Infrastructure Is the Gap.
Locavore’s 2025 audit surveyed both producers and shoppers across the region. The responses, in Timm-Branch’s words, “remarkably consistent.” Farmers asked for more sales channels and more year-round stability. Families, particularly in Bend’s rapidly growing westside neighborhoods, said they wanted more local food, but access needed to be easier and more convenient.
The conclusion was clear: Central Oregon has a strong demand for locally grown food and an extraordinary community of farmers and producers capable of supplying it. What the region lacks is the infrastructure that allows those two forces to meet consistently.
That gap has real economic consequences. For a small farm, the difference between selling product through a reliable channel and relying on seasonal farmers markets alone can mean the difference between a viable operation and a struggling one. For families, it can mean the difference between choosing local food and defaulting to a national chain.
A Model Built Around Farmers, Not Margins
Central Oregon Locavore operates under an uncommon commitment: 65 cents of every dollar spent in its marketplace flows directly back to farmers, ranchers, and producers. The organization has maintained that farmer-first model for 17 years.
“We could retain a larger margin and fund expansion more quickly,” said Timm-Branch. “But that would come at the expense of the very producers our mission is designed to support. Our role is not to extract value from farmers. Our role is to return it.”
Because of that commitment, expansion must be funded differently; through community investment in infrastructure rather than increased margins on producers. It’s a deliberate choice that continues to shape Locavore’s approach to growth.
What Comes Next
Over the past year, Central Oregon Locavore has been working to translate the feedback from farmers and shoppers into a strategic response. Details of the organization’s expansion plans, designed to increase farmer income while expanding everyday access to local food, will be made public in the coming weeks.
“We’ve spent the past year listening and planning carefully,” said Timm-Branch. “What comes next reflects what farmers told us, what families told us, and what 17 years of running a farmer-first marketplace has taught us. This is mission-aligned growth,not rapid expansion. And we believe Central Oregon is ready for it.”
Businesses and community leaders interested in early involvement in Locavore’s expansion initiative are encouraged to contact the organization directly.
About Central Oregon Locavore:
Central Oregon Locavore is a Bend-based nonprofit marketplace connecting local farmers, ranchers, and producers directly with Central Oregon families. Founded 17 years ago on a farmer-first model, Locavore returns 65 cents of every marketplace dollar directly to regional producers. The organization supports more than 150 local farms and makers and is committed to building a resilient, accessible, and community-centered regional food economy.
