Background and Overview of the Whatcom County Food Network
April 25, 2011
Introduction
Successful local food system change depends on collaboration between food system and community stakeholders including public and private sectors, in visioning, planning for long term solutions and decision making.
- Montana’s “Cultivating Community Food Security Project”
This document is intended to provide the background history and the vision of the planning committee, give context for the purpose statement, functions for any one considering becoming a member of the Whatcom Food Network, now or in the future.
History and background
On June 22, 2010, four members of what would become the Food Network Planning committee traveled to Seattle to attend the Access to Healthy Foods Coalition convened Food System Strategies Summit in Seattle. The Summit brought together over 100 stakeholders to discuss ways to strengthen the state's food system. During the Summit, Governor Christine Gregoire signed an Executive Order directing state agencies to collaborate with non-governmental organizations to strengthen the state’s food policy, programming, and to address other food-related issues. The order is called “Strengthening Washington’s Food Systems through Policy and Collaboration.”
During the car ride back to Whatcom, we discussed how we could coordinate the many organizations doing work in the local food system. We agreed to work together to make it happen. A few months later we brought together a small group to work on the development of the Network, with the idea that this advance work would more quickly be able to advance the coordination of the larger group.
Whatcom Food Network Overview
This document integrates notes and ideas that came out of the planning meetings held between August 2010 and January 2011. Additionally, we regularly referenced planning documents for similar projects, such as the Multnomah Food Initiative, the Montana Community Food Security Project, the WA Access to Healthy Foods Coalition report, the City of Vancouver’s Food Charter, and the Whatcom County Health Department “Community Action Plan for Healthy and Active Living.”
We agreed to be a small group functioning as a planning committee to put on initial events to bring forward existing food system assessments and research, and to establish the Whatcom Food Network as a “coordinating network of key food systems organizations.”
We used the workbook, Networks that Work: A Practitioners’ Guide to Managing Networked Action by Paul Vandeventer and Myrna Mandell, to develop an action plan and Network framework and plan to use it to guide the longevity and effectiveness of the Network once formed. Every member of the planning committee has a copy and many elements of this plan mirror the suggestions in the book. After establishing the purpose of the nascent Network, and answering some of the foundational questions like “what do we hope to get out of forming this network” (see below), we moved on to planning the Forum and the action plan for the establishment of the Network.
Purpose Statement
The Whatcom Food Network is working to build common understanding and facilitate collaborative efforts toward a healthy and equitable food system for all.
Together, we answered the following foundational questions:
Do we really want to do this?
Based on conversations with small groups and various community organizations – now is the time to build a shared understanding of healthy living, empower communities around food, and to build transparency into the system by coordinating the many groups who have a role in the food system, thereby reducing potential duplication in the future and strengthen relationships that are already interdependent. We would like to have a good understanding of what we are all doing, a sense of how we can link together, and how to best engage in food sovereignty issues.
What are networks?
The term “network” refers to many different organizations work in concert as equal partners pursuing a common social or civic purpose for a sustained period of time.
The Whatcom Food Network will be a “coordinating” network, made up of representatives of larger stakeholder groups, and therefore relies on the members to represent their work with individuals or at the community level. “Coordinating networks work together as a whole, but each organization maintains its autonomy. The network comes together on issues that affect most of the member organizations, and acts as a coordinating mechanism for their activities, allowing them to get issues on the table or perform tasks that will benefit them individually and collectively.” (page 17, Networks that Work).
“Groups and organizations in cooperating networks: create social environments that lead to better personal and professional relationships, model and explain best practices for one another, share information and work jointly to document problems, test ideas and learn about different approaches to one another’s work in committees or work groups, convene problem solving issue discussion sessions.”
While the description of a cooperating network seemed like the place to start, we chose “coordinating” as the type of network we would like to form in Whatcom because in addition to many of the activities that distinguish cooperating networks, a coordinating network would best meet the needs of organizations to not take on more work, but enable us all to work together better across the food system.
Coordinating networks “establish a more robust sense of mutual interdependence, and strengthen individual and institutional relationships by engaging in activities that require greater mutual reliance.” (Networks that Work: A Practitioners’ Guide to Managing Networked Action)
How will we fund the network activities?
During the establishment phase of the Network, expenses are expected to be minimal. Sustainable Connections’ Food & Farming program, Community to Community Development, Crossroads Consulting and the Public Health Department each have goals related to greater coordination and have a small amount of staff time to devote to the establishment and function of the Network in 2010-2011. Otherwise, members of the Network will provide staff time equally. In the future it may be necessary for paid coordination, in which case the funds will be raised as needs are identified.
Who do we need to have on board?
The Whatcom Food Network is open to the many food system-related organizations, agencies, and private sector groups as well as institutions playing a key role in the food system. The Food System Chart, an educational tool used to map the food system actors and the role that they play, will serve as the initial mapping of potential Network members.
Network Working Agreement (in development)
Working in concert and as equal partners, we aim to understand system-wide issues, while relying on the organizational activities and individual autonomy of each participant to play their role within the larger system. We agree to make sure the Network is focused on coordination and the overarching goals, rather than spending time in meetings, or creating new projects.
What do we hope to accomplish by establishing the Whatcom Food Network?
Overarching Functions of the Network:
1) Understand mutual goals within Whatcom County.
2) Increase communication among food system-related organizations, agencies, and institutions.
3) Identify overlaps and opportunities to build community capacity.
4) Identify potential partnerships, collaborative teams and opportunities to leverage
5) Gain a collective understanding of system-wide barriers and gaps.
6) Help us all fulfill our organizational, institutional, or greater missions and goals through a more coordinated food system.
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