Inland Northwest Food Network seeks to rejuvenate farming

Teri McKenzie moved from Portland, Ore., to Coeur d’Alene for a man, but ended up falling in love with food instead — and not the way one would expect.

With not much direction in her life and lots of time on her hands, McKenzie explored everything that interested her: growing, cooking and health. She realized they all had one thing in common: food.

So she started the Inland Northwest Food Network in April 2014 to connect people with local food and farms. The organization is currently a sponsored project by the Clearwater Resource Conservation Development Council with a goal of becoming its own nonprofit. As the founder and executive director of the organization, McKenzie is the only paid employee.

McKenzie knew of existing programs focusing on what’s wrong with food systems, but she wanted to create a solution-oriented organization. She also realized a lot of people don’t know how food systems work, so she decided to focus the organization on “eater education.”

“People don’t know what a food system is, why it’s important to know who grows your food and how or why it’s important to eat seasonal, local or organic foods,” she said. “These are ideas some people here understand, but many more don’t. Food touches every aspect of our lives, whether we’re conscious of it or not.”

The food network launched its first program, Chew on This, in January 2015.

Chew on This showcases different facets of the food system such as farming history, the economy and the environment.

The organization sets up a panel of local farmers and ranchers once a month to share their experiences and their work. This not only helps community members visualize the scale and influence of food production, but also connects them with local food sources, McKenzie said.

“When you get to meet your farmers, you have a different relationship with your food and you are more invested in their well-being and they are invested with yours, so that supports our local economy and keeps the money flowing in our region,” McKenzie said.

The Inland Northwest Food Network also created the “Seasonal Kitchen,” a hands-on cooking class teaching people to cook and eat local and seasonal foods.

There are many benefits to eating local and seasonal foods, McKenzie said, including better health, children performing better in school, being better prepared as a community if a drought hits, and reducing the carbon footprint of trucks shipping in food from faraway places.

“It’s important to see how we can live in harmony with our environment instead of being controlling of it,” McKenzie said. “We have all these gifts nature gives us so when you see how abundant and generous nature is when you treat it well, it’s amazing.”

The food network’s two overarching goals are to illuminate the importance of local farmers and to teach farming to younger generations.

To support farmers now, the food network implemented a program for farmers who need loans and can’t get them the traditional way. The food network connects local farmers who need money to buy a new piece of equipment, or whatever they need, with a community member wanting to invest in local farming.

So far, the organization has paired four farmers with lenders who made low interest and farmer-friendly loans.

Katie Austin owns Kelly Creek Farm in Pinehurst. She wanted to build a creamery where she could make all kinds of cheeses to sell. Hearing from other local farmers, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get a loan from a bank. When she met McKenzie and heard about the food network’s loan program, her heart lit up.

She only needed a relatively small loan, and the Inland Northwest Food Network paired her with a lender.

They made a private contract where Austin could pay off the small loan within five years. She used the money to buy cheese moulds, stainless steel tables and a commercial fridge.

“It’s really a good thing and has really helped us out,” she said. “I really think it’s an awesome program.”

Austin makes gouda, colby and different kinds of cheddar cheese which she sells locally.

To appeal to children, the Inland Northwest Food Network is hoping to buy a large farm to be used as an “incubator farm.”

The land would be divided into 1- and 2-acre parcels other parcels that would be leased to farmers who can’t afford their own land. These farmers would grow a customer base, develop their products and gain experience all while providing local food to the community. After five years, the farmers would launch into their own farm.

One of the parcels would be reserved for a learning and teaching farm.

“The average age of farmers is 58,” McKenzie said. “That’s not a sustainable model. So now the question is, how do we engage young farmers and get them involved in this?”

Kids would be able to go to the farm and learn about the processes involved. They could get hands-on experience milking cows and making cheese, and internships would be available for teenagers.

McKenzie’s goal is for younger generations to see farming as a viable career.

“The more we can get people to see the value of supporting our local farmers and helping them grow and thrive, the better off we’re all going to be,” McKenzie said.

The next Chew on This program will be “Ancient Grains for Modern Palates” and will be held Sept. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the University of Idaho Extension campus. RSVPs are required and can be found online at http://inwfoodnetwork.org/event/chew-on-this-ancient-grains-for-modern-palettes. Tickets cost between $10 and $12.