Farmers are no strangers to challenges. In the Columbia River Gorge, which serves as the border between Oregon and Washington, adapting to changes in weather, soil, pests and diseases comes with the territory. But when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down restaurants and farmers markets in the region, local growers weren’t adapting to conditions or pests. They had to figure out how to get their products to the public.
Five local growers responded quickly, joining forces to sell their crops—together.
“All of our accounts shut down overnight, and people had already started seeding,” says Kiara Kashuba, executive director, co-founder and member of the Gorge Farmer Collective.
Within two months, the group created an online, direct-to-consumer marketplace where Gorge residents could place orders and pick them up outdoors.
“It served the needs of farmers to sell their stuff and for the customers to be able to access local, healthy food in a safe way,” Kiara says.
Since planting its humble roots, the GFC has continued to grow and thrive. It now has more than two dozen members and sells items for a range of local producers. Customers—ranging from individuals and families to caterers and restaurants—can check out the weekly list of seasonal produce, meat, eggs, mushrooms, bakery items, honey and other products on the website and place any size order from a bag of apples to multiple pallets of food.
Cooperative Ownership
Initially established as a multimember limited liability company, the Gorge Farmer Collective became a domestic cooperative in 2021. Member-owners have an equal share of the business and participate in decision-making, including setting the annual budget and electing directors to the board. In years of excess profit, dividends are returned to the members.
Kiara says the cooperative model encourages producers to lean into their market niches.
“There are so many microclimates in the Gorge,” Kiara says. “At a traditional farmers market stall, you can’t just sell greens or peppers. You need variety. But, it is a lot of work to take care of many different types of plants. In the cooperative, everyone grows what they’re good at. They work together, and it boosts everyone up.”
Before joining the GFC two and a half years ago, Paul Hansen of Total Eclipse Farm outside of Parkdale, Oregon, sold his summer fruit and vegetables directly to restaurants and farmers markets.
“Restaurants need what they need when they need it, and I have what I have when I have it,” Paul says. “Often, those two would not match up. With the co-op, I walk out in my field and predict what I’ll have available next week. If I have a lot of carrots, lettuce and strawberries coming in, I list that on the website on Wednesday.”
On Thursday, customers begin shopping, and Paul gets a list of what they have purchased the following Monday. He harvests and delivers his orders to a central warehouse Wednesday morning for delivery.
“At a farmers market, you’ve harvested all that produce, and because you’ve harvested it all, if you don’t sell it all, you give it to a food bank right then or compost it,” he says. “With the GFC, I can harvest 26 heads of lettuce and deliver it in a clean, efficient way with no waste. It’s a really cool system.”
The GFC has taken cooperation to another level, partnering with other organizations to serve a larger, more diverse group of neighbors in the region. It supplies local school districts with fresh fruits and vegetables, introducing students to a variety of produce they might not otherwise sample. The co-op participates in the Gorge Grown Food Network’s Veggie Rx. This fruit and vegetable prescription program addresses food insecurity and increases access to fresh produce. It also works with area food banks and local, regional and state programs that provide nutritious food to Gorge residents who need it.
Shared Vision, Shared Success
Co-op members aren’t just business owners; they are also co-workers. Everyone works at least one shift a month—from loading the delivery vehicles at the warehouse to helping at the pickup sites where customers receive their orders.
“It’s really wonderful to see all this synergy of people working together for our shared business,” Kiara says.
Mary Kleihege of The Little Seven Seven Ranch in Lyle, Washington, enjoys staffing the pickup site in the nearby town of White Salmon. It is one of nine such sites in the Gorge and Portland area. During her shifts, she ensures customers have everything they need and that everything runs smoothly.
“People are always happy with what they get and are so appreciative,” she says. “They know we are working to get them what they want.”
Mary and her husband, John, raise grass-fed Highland cattle, long-haired, long-horned creatures bred to roam in large pastures. The animals are particularly well-suited for the Gorge environment and produce high-quality beef known for its flavor and tenderness.
“The GFC gives us access to the market for the beef and connects us directly to consumers who are looking for something different—and we say something better—than you can get in the grocery store,” John says.
Like many of the co-op’s owners, the Kleiheges are also customers.
“Everything that I can get from the co-op, we buy from them,” Mary says. “It’s the best food you can get. I don’t just know it’s local and it’s fresh; I know the producers. They care about the quality of everything and use best-growing practices.”
“These kinds of cooperatives make rural America strong,” John adds. “We are competing with the mega-corporations that are taking jobs away from rural America. We think that supporting the local community really matters, and the Gorge Farmer Collective is essential to building the community. It lets us keep our way of life and our lifestyle.”
Food Hubs: Building Stronger Communities
Farmers markets, community-supported agriculture and fruit stands provide consumers access to fresh local produce and products. Food hubs are another increasingly popular model. A food hub serves as a central gathering place where local farmers bring fresh produce and products to be sorted, stored and distributed. It connects farmers with retail, wholesale and institutional buyers like restaurants, schools, grocery stores and hospitals to increase access to seasonal, locally-grown food.
One of the biggest benefits of a food hub is its support of local farmers. By providing a centralized market, food hubs help farmers sell their goods more efficiently and at fair prices. This support encourages farmers to continue producing high-quality, sustainable food, which benefits the local economy and environment. Working collaboratively also allows farmers to access larger markets they may not be able to approach independently.
Food hubs also play an important role in supplying diverse food sources to their communities and reducing dependence on large-scale, out-of-the-area suppliers.
Two Pacific Northwest groups are good resources for those interested in learning more about this collaborative model, says Kiara Kashuba, the Gorge Farmer Collective executive director. The Oregon Food Hub Club, a program of The Oregon Community Food System Network, is a peer learning community of projects in primarily rural areas of the state. It includes nonprofit organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, small food businesses and rural economic development agencies. Find out more at ocfsn.org. The Northwest Food Hub Network—nwfoodhubnetwork.com—is comprised of farmer‐owned cooperative food hubs and partner organizations, including more than 200 farmers and local food producers. It serves markets across Montana and Washington.
“Small farmers aren’t in competition with one another,” Kiara says. “We’re really on the same team.”