Olympia City Council approves referral to develop local food system plan 

The Olympia City Council unanimously approved a referral directing city staff to develop a local food system plan, a move aimed at addressing food insecurity and strengthening food resilience.  

Council member Dani Madrone introduced the referral to the city council on Tuesday, Jan. 6, as she emphasized the urgent need to create a strategic approach to local food access and production.  

She said the city has long-standing goals in its comprehensive plan related to urban agriculture, supporting the local food system and maintaining spaces to grow food. But still, there was little to no action taken to advance them.  

“The city has had a Farmers Market for a long time, and there are two city-sponsored community gardens that have been around for a long time, but we are not making forward progress on any long-standing goals in our comprehensive plan,” Madrone said.  

She noted recent disruptions to the food system, including grocery shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term changes to federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have highlighted the need for a coordinated strategy.  

She noted while some progress has been made, including an agreement with the Thurston Conservation District to establish more community gardens and map urban agriculture resources, her goal is to move beyond a list of ideas.  

“My hopeful outcome is that we clearly articulate the real needs in our community. We have a lot of experts working locally, including the food bank, which has data on community needs and is ready to collaborate," Madrone said.

"We want to identify gaps, support existing initiatives, and tie food to our culture and heritage, so we take real, tangible actions rather than create another plan that sits on the shelf.” 

Community support 

Community members and local advocates expressed support for the plan and offered ideas for collaboration. 

Grace Fletcher, a local food advocate, called for an expanded community garden program, including plots dedicated to supplying local food banks and mutual aid efforts. She cited Seattle’s P-Patch Community Gardening Program as a successful model.  

Fletcher encouraged coordinated food forest and neighborhood tree maintenance to harvest unclaimed fruit and provide a reliable source of fresh produce.  

She also advocated for community fridges as low-barrier hubs for sharing surplus food from gardens, backyard trees and local organizations.  

“Many organizations face shared barriers, such as access to affordable, permitted commercial kitchen space,” Fletcher said. “This is an area where the city could help, whether through scale, shared-use kitchens, partnerships with public buildings, or policies that make it easier for community groups to safely prepare and distribute food.” 

Fletcher told the council that residents are ready to collaborate with the city, and investing in food access is a proactive approach that “strengthens public safety, dignity and social cohesion.” 

She added, “When basic needs go unmet, communities experience greater instability and increased crime."  

Peter Guttchen, Vice President of the Northeast Neighborhood Association, voiced his support and urged the city to involve neighborhood associations and other community groups in the plan’s development.  

According to Guttchen, local organizations are already coordinating efforts to strengthen food access, citing Southwest Neighborhood Association’s community garden and cleanup initiatives.  

Guttchen also highlighted the Joy Food Forest, a former city right-of-way on Joy Avenue, transformed into a neighborhood growing space with more than 300 edible plants and fruit trees. The site includes a pathway for pedestrians along a busy school route, functions as a small park where neighbors can gather, and features a rainwater harvesting system that will eventually be solar powered.  

John Ficker, Executive Director of the Thurston County Food Bank, told the council demand for food assistance has risen sharply.

“We are seeing nearly a 30% increase in visits, and 25% of those (people) are first-time users," he said. 

Ficker urged the city to include the food bank in planning efforts, saying collaboration will be critical as federal funding continues to decline.