Thursday, October 1, 2026
A request to explore the development of a local food system plan will come before the Olympia City Council at a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, amid concerns about the city’s crisis-driven approach to food security.
The request comes from Council member Dani Madrone with support from Council member Clark Gilman and Mayor Pro Tem Yen Huynh, who are asking for a study session to review available research, and discuss the feasibility and potential scope of developing a comprehensive food system plan for the city.
Madrone has repeatedly called for food system planning in the city, saying, “issues of food security tend to come to the forefront, particularly for local governments when there’s a crisis, but there is long-term work that needs to happen in this space so that when there are disruptions, the impacts are not felt as deeply.”
At a previous meeting, Madrone expressed her frustration that food security becomes “the most important issue only when there’s a crisis, and then we forget about it as soon as the crisis is over.”
If approved, the referral would direct staff to examine a wide range of topics, including:
A staff report noted Olympia has made progress on food security through several initiatives in recent years. These efforts have been largely piecemeal and lack a coordinated assessment of community needs.
Recent efforts include mapping of soils and urban agriculture resources with the Thurston Conservation District (TCD), expansion of community garden programs, including city-operated gardens at Sunrise and Yauger Park.
The city has also updated its code, which removes barriers to urban agriculture and clarifies livestock regulations, and has begun feasibility planning for an urban farm park that includes conversations with the Olympia School District regarding Freedom Farm.
The proposal acknowledged growing community concerns about vulnerabilities in Olympia’s food system over the years, citing empty grocery store shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic, threats to federal food assistance programs, and the city’s recent purchase of Spooner’s Farm for conversion into soccer fields.
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TomBoucher
It's not easy to find--buried in minutes--but Tumwater has a food plan that covers many of these needed bases.
Thursday, January 1 Report this
KarenM
Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and the County should have a regional food system plan. Doing individual jurisdiction plans is redundant and doesn't really coordinate the overall system. The food system does not operate within city limit lines. If the planning is aimed at emergency preparedness, this should become a part of the overall emergency planning effort. The other parts of a plan for ongoing food provision for those who need it should also be done regionally.
Friday, January 2 Report this
CommonScense
Thanks to Dani Madrone and others for her long time support of local food producers and farmer/rancher friendly policies. The other two comments point to a better strategy. Given
that most of the farmland is outside of the cities it makes sense to have a regional plan. involving many stake holders in creating such a plan.
In these days of significant budget shortfalls (significant amounts related to national politics) it is hard to fund these efforts. This is not to say such efforts are not needed. Know that Thurston County has an Agriculture Program Manager and an Agriculture Advisory Committee that meets ~monthly. Creating such a plan will most likely not be a short term effort but more of a long term effort. Historically there have been some efforts but implementation becomes challenging without adequate community support and funding.
Thanks to all the farmers/ranchers in the county who work long hours to feed our community and provide many other community benefits that they are not reimbursed for such as habitat, carbon and water banking. I urge you, the readers, to shop at your local farmers market, buying directly from farmers is one of the best ways to keep them financially viable. This works to keeps them in business and protects the farmland. The Olympia Farmers market is open this winter on Saturdays. Local farmers are essential for
a local food system. Non profit organizations that work to support farmers such as the
Community Farm Land Trust should also be supported.
There is also the farmer owned SW WA Growers Coop where farmers can market and sell their food through. This has helped farmers spend more time growing the food vs. marketing and distribution. It is a hard to be a jack of all trades... A shout out to all the folks at Panorama who have ordered food boxes online from the Coop and then have then delivered to a central point on site where they pick them up. Good, clean whole food is one of the ingredients for longevity along with the social aspect gained at the distribution site.
Could your work site garner enough folks for such a distribution site?
We all need to work together to support all the aspects of a local food system. Without
each one of them, the foundation of a local food system is unstable.
Friday, January 2 Report this
Snevets
Thank you @CommonScense for some good reminders going into 2026.
Friday, January 2 Report this