(Photo above | Courtesy of Central Oregon Locavore)
Central Oregon Locavore supports our local farmers and ranchers, while teaching our community about local and healthy food. Our marketplace provides a venue for local producers to sell a variety of products including vegetables, eggs, meat and value-added products.
They will be closing their doors by end of the summer, if they do not get financial support from our community. Locavore needs to raise $25,000 this summer to recoup costs and keep the marketplace doors open.
Central Oregon Locavore is in a serious financial crisis due to a combination of unexpected costs associated with its recent move in 2016 and the extremely rough winter. This has been too much of a burden for the nonprofit to recoup.
According to Nicolle Timm, RN, BSN, IBCLC, founder and president of Central Oregon Locavore: “Locavore has attempted to find corporate sponsors, grants and host many events; but we’ve been unable to make up the difference.
“Currently, we sell products of over 200 Central Oregon, Oregon and Pacific Northwest farmers, ranchers, producers and artisans. If the Locavore Marketplace closes, year-round access to locally- and sustainably-grown products will be severely reduced for Central Oregonians.
“Our programs will also be impacted: WWOLF (Willing Workers on Local Farms) organizes volunteers to help farmers and ranchers. This year alone, we saved farmers nearly $5,000 in labor costs. This spring, the Farm Kids program taught over 700 elementary children about farm-related, hands-on science. Meet Your Farmer dinners are held nine times yearly. Central Oregon Edible Adventure Crew organizes direct farm experiences for picking and harvesting. These are just a sampling of the programs offered.”
Since its formation in 2009, Central Oregon Locavore has been a non-profit that promotes local food and farms for the health of our community. They work for an ecologically stable and socially just food system in Central Oregon by improving access to fresh, nutrient-dense local food, educating the community about the benefits of sustainably produced food and supporting farmers and ranchers.
“Because we are nonprofit, donations drive us,” continues Timm. “We need community support to survive. Tax-deductible donations to Locavore support local agriculture, local environment, local education, local families and the local economy.”
Please help by contributing at its GoFundMe page www.gofundme.com/locavore. The farmers, ranchers, growers, producers and local food education of Central Oregon depend on you!
Megan French, 541-390-4825 megan@centraloregonlocavore.org
