Food network wants a resilient regional food system

by Kaye Hult

 

Teri McKenzie

Shortly after relocating to North Idaho in 2013 and spurred by her interest in food-related issues, Teri McKenzie began interviewing people involved in various aspects of food system work.

Inspired to create a local food system, she organized a February 2014 meeting that drew more than 60 people who share her passion.  Participants called a second meeting.

At that meeting, Teri realized there was need for a structure to develop a network of people engaged in food systems work.

They formed the Inland Northwest Food Network to “grow a healthy, fair and accessible regional food system,” she said.

“It seeks to create a resilient, restorative local food system to ensure the health and food security of communities in the Inland Northwest,” she said.  “We seek to achieve this with education and facilitating connections between people, place, food and farms.

“I believe in the power of connection,” Teri said.  “We are working with limited resources and need to be working together.”

“The Inland Northwest food shed includes Spokane,” she said.  “The state boundary makes it tough, but personal connections make it possible.  In spite of boundaries, connections through the network can help ensure the security of the area’s food future.”

Finding people “endlessly fascinating” and looking for “the gold” in each one, Teri celebrates the beauty each brings to the world, noting:  “There’s strength in our diversity.”

Tired of fighting against things, she wants to work for something. 

So she gathers people to come up with new solutions and strategies.  Individuals, businesses, congregations and other organizations are represented.

Speaking with hundreds of people, some who have perspectives different from her own, Teri finds points of connection, the things that unite them, and from that she tries to build a movement through consensus.

“With the increasing unpredictability of our weather,” she said, “our agricultural practices will have to change drastically.  I foresee less rainfall and hotter temperatures.  I expect we’ll see an increase in dryland wheat farming, for example, or we might have to grow new types of crops.

“I envision the wild plants outside our doors becoming a ‘new’ food source because they will adapt,” Teri said.  “One of our goals is to help people understand and appreciate eating locally and seasonally.  We hope to educate the public about food preservation and renew their interest in cooking.

“The INW Food Network can provide solutions, helping people to be aware of challenges and issues facing our food system regionally and nationally,” she said.

One concern is that the average age of farmers is 57, and “people become farmers over time, not overnight,” she said.

To address these concerns the network’s board developed its mission in 2014, bringing focus to the multifaceted topic of food systems.  The organization could have chosen any number of directions, but decided to focus on education and outreach, and facilitating connections among the many players and aspects of food systems. 

In January 2015, they began to offer programs.

• The Food for Thought Book Club meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m., first Wednesdays, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.  Participants engage with others in the community who care about what they eat and where it comes from. 

• Chew on This! is a monthly series related to food systems, food and celebrating the local food culture.  It usually meets at the University of Idaho Extension Building in Coeur d’Alene. 

The first meeting covered the history of food and farming in Kootenai County.  Robert Singletary, a local historian, spoke to 55 people.  He said that less than 100 years ago, there were more than 1,000 farms in Kootenai County.

In February, more than 130 people attended the second meeting on “Know Your Farmer; Know Your Food.” 

In March, they showed the documentary film, “Dryland,” which was filmed in Lind, Wash.  In April, the theme was “Get Growing! Garden Strategies for the Urban Dweller.”

At 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, at the UI extension building, Chew on This! will discuss  “Food as Medicine.”  Future topics include culinary tips, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), fermenting foods and seeds.

• Another part of the INW Food Network is the newly forming Local Investing Program that provides peer-to-peer, low-interest loans to farmers and food businesses in the region. 

The program was launched after a visit from Carol Peppe Hewitt, co-founder of Slow Money North Carolina.  She spoke at a January luncheon at the Kroc Center on “Financing Our Local Economy with Slow Money.”  Carol explained how the program she helped set up in North Carolina has catalyzed more than $2 million in loans in support of their food system. 

“These are not wealthy people.  They are lending money at 2 to 3 percent interest,” she said.  “In the Inland Northwest, many farmers have trouble securing loans.  A peer-to-peer program gives investors control over where their investment dollars go, and could have a major effect in the community.

“The discussion generated buzz and excitement,” Teri said. 

Within two weeks, one investor provided a loan to a local food truck.  A second investor loaned money to a farmer. 

The INWFN will continue to recruit more investors to help strengthen the local food community. 

• “The Lexicon of Sustainability” is a Pop-Up Art Show.  New words, such as ‘permaculture,’ are placed on two-foot by three-foot posters, along with explanations in art to help demystify terms being used frequently related to local food systems and sustainability. 

The network was selected to be a curator for the exhibit, which made its debut at the Coeur d’Alene Earth Day celebration in April.  The exhibit is available for groups to rent.

“I’m also interested in the arts as ways to promote social change,” said Teri, whose roots are in New York and Ohio. 

While attending Ohio University, she interned at Southeastern Ohio Legal Services and started a newsletter, “The Community Networker.” 

“Who knew!” she said.  “That’s what I’ve done and continue to do.  I’ve always been passionate about social change.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science and grassroots organizing, she spent two years gaining cross-cultural experience in the Peace Corps, from 1983 to 1985 in Senegal, West Africa.  There, she was on her own, isolated, without cell phones or computers.

“Since then, I have consciously sought out places that will challenge me,” Teri said.  “It’s not easy, but it is enriching.  I embrace change.”

After the Peace Corp, she attended Antioch University in Seattle, where in 1988 she earned a master’s degree in whole systems design with a focus on nonprofit leadership.

Over the years, she has worked at several nonprofits, including Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Oxfam America, Oregon Campus Compact and the Portland Waldorf School.  She also spent time at home, raising her two children.

Before coming to Coeur d’Alene, she was program coordinator for the environmental science department at Portland State University.   

Teri considers herself a spiritual omnivore, drawing strength and wisdom from several faith traditions.

For information, call 503-307-4505 or visit InFarmU.org. 

Copyright ©May 2015 - The Fig Tree