Seattle Good Business Network

In 2024, our Good Food Economy initiatives continued to strengthen the local food chain by creating spaces for connection and collaboration across the Puget Sound, engaging 1,253 businesses and organizations thorugh 1,593 individuals over the course of the year. Our flagship event, Good Food Connections, brought together over 300 producer, buyers, and community food stakeholders. The impact was immediate and tangible, with 84% of participants anticipating sales resulting from 1,595 meaningful connections made and over $27,900 invested directly with local producers. We elevated community voices through focused listening sessions like Nourishing Local Connections, where, with partner organizations, we created a vital bridge between 195 food access organizations and 47 government representatives. This work led to policy recommendations?including farm to-food assistance investments and flexible grants for innovative new models?to strengthen regional food security programming. Through ongoing Food Business Roundtables and our growing online Good Food Forum?934 members strong?we continue to nurture a vibrant ecosystem where all food businesses and organizations, including producers, chefs, and food security organizations, can find support, share resources, and collaborate on solutions that advance our regional food system. Through connections made on Good Food Exchange, Cascadia Produce redistributed 4.5 million pounds of rescued good food and farm surplus to over 70 food assistance organizations. These sales and donations guaranteed this good food was diverted to its highest use to people (95%), animals (5%), and compost (just 0.25%), ensuring no good food goes to the waste and producers are paid for their food. Good Food Kitchens directed $101,179.13 to 22 community kitchen partners, sourcing from 55 local farms and producers, to prepare 9,491 nourishing, cultural meals for 26 organizations to distribute.