Like many organizations, Tilth Alliance had to move to virtual classes and workshops when the pandemic hit last year. Now that vaccination rates are high and climbing, the local food and urban farming nonprofit is offering several in-person classes — but that doesn’t mean the online classes are going away. And these classes could attract more people than in previous years.
“We usually see a little dip in summer classes compared to spring, but it could be different this year, because so many people are interested and have been interested in growing [their] own food and learning more about how to cook, how to get closer to what they eat and to their food source,” Director of Outreach Sheryl Wiser said. “So we don’t really see this slacking off anytime soon.”
The weather was perfect, sunny and around 70 degrees, on May 12, opening day of the Columbia City Farmers Market. Although the crowds were probably a little smaller than they were pre-pandemic, a lot of people showed up to support the dozens of small farmers and local businesses selling everything from fresh produce and baked goods, to ice cream and wine.
Despite some COVID-19 restrictions, people were happy to see the market back in business. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, the Columbia City Market opened a month later than usual and limited the number of shoppers. But as the pandemic restrictions have been lifted this year, more people are able to shop at a time.
Onda Origins Cafe & Roastery has turned their flagship cafe into a general store for local farmers, whose revenues have been hit hard by the closure of Seattle’s farmers markets. Although COVID-19 has shut down all but essential businesses, Onda remains open for take-out beverages and wholesale coffee, initiating partnerships with other local producers to sell their products. The company’s mission of connecting consumers to coffee producers has broadened to include connecting local farmers with the Hillman City community.
With the city’s farmers markets having been shuttered for weeks and only recently beginning to reopen, some regional farmers have been stuck with produce they can’t sell. Now a collaboration between local businesses, farmers markets and food banks is working to redirect those fruits and vegetables to hungry communities across the Seattle area.
It’s an effort to respond on the fly to uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and ensure food banks have what they need during the coming months. It also keeps much-needed income flowing to the Northwest’s small farms.
