FORAGE

At Working Food, we believe our community deserves far more than basic food security. We strive to co-create a community-driven, sustainable food web that will support and nourish us for generations to come. A food web that will adapt to a changing climate, celebrate cultural food traditions, support the health of people and the planet, and build economic opportunity for all. We contribute to this vision through seed stewardship, youth empowerment, and food entrepreneurship.

Our approach starts with the foundation of all food - seed. Although seed is one of the most critical inputs to any growing operation, few growers save their own, relying instead on outside sources. The pandemic exposed the fragility of this system when seeds became almost impossible for growers to find. Our Seed Collective, led by Melissa DeSa and Sarah Sterling, works to reverse this trend by cultivating a community of seed stewards that collectively saves seeds for crops that grow well in our challenging and changing climate. After years of community donations, on-farm breeding projects, and local adaptation efforts, our seed bank now stores hundreds of seeds that grow culturally important, resilient, nutritious, and flavorful crops.

As we look to the future, we believe that young people should be empowered to help create the truly equitable, sustainable and community-driven food web they deserve. Our Youth Collective, led by Jesse Wilson and Jenna Niblack, works with key partners in our community to create nurturing programs where gardening and cooking practices that celebrate nature, encourage exploration, and build community are being passed down to younger generations. Consistent, year-after-year exposure to gardening and culinary classes empowers young people to get excited about, feel ownership over, and build connection to the food they eat. This not only leads to healthier outcomes but ensures young people have a stake in creating a more sustainable and nourishing food web that supports us all.

In order for our local food web to truly flourish, we need food businesses that support local growers, protect cultural traditions, create meaningful jobs, and build our local economy. Our Kitchen Program, led by Chef Robert Colon and Alfredo Morales, provides affordable and scalable commercial kitchen access to aspiring food entrepreneurs and nonprofits serving our community. By substantially lowering the barriers to entry for small business ownership, our kitchen has hosted over 60 food businesses that are predominantly women, veteran, or BIPOC owned, and has supported culinary education courses that serve teens from historically under-resourced communities and further professional development for aspiring chefs. Together, these programs help achieve a sustainable and regenerative cycle that will support our community for generations.