With love for all and food for all

What we think about most here at North Coast Food Web is food—how to best support those who are growing and producing it, and how to connect people to this food. Over the evolution of this organization (one that is equal parts under the microscope and yet also breaking through the noise to be discovered by new people), previous boards, directors, and staff have done the very best they could to fulfill that mission.

Right now NCFW is in a liminal space between who we have been and who we are becoming. We were born from an immediate need and shaped by moving in fits and starts; for years, we operated in survival mode. But as we look toward the future of food-as-medicine and the evolving needs of our coastal neighbors, we realize that "good enough" is no longer enough. We are standing at a threshold where we have the opportunity to meaningfully strengthen our local farms and expand regional employment in ways that will sustain us for years to come.

To meet this moment, we are maturing how we work to match the scale of the opportunity before us. This is a season of intentional growth, where we are prioritizing lasting systems and rhythms. It is a time for us to take bold risks and try new ways of supporting our producers to ensure they can thrive year-round.

While much is changing, our online market remains our steady ground. It is the engine that connects farmers, food producers, and fishers directly to you. As we innovate, we are doubling down on making this market reliable and accessible.

Most importantly, it is a time to recommit to one another. Organizational evolution is rarely a straight line, and it requires a deep trust in the vision we share. The space between what was and what will be is rarely comfortable, but it is fertile.

Thank you for standing on this threshold with us, and for shopping our special market, as we build what comes next: a Food Web that is built to last.

In this newsletter:

• Kitchen tools workshop at the Astoria Public Library 

• Market day pop-ups in May

• News and pics from fun events at the Food Web in April

• CSAs available this summer

Thank you for reading

Jesse Jones

Food Web News

Thank you volunteers!

We have an astounding group of volunteers who show up, every week, to make what we do possible. To celebrate all the good work our volunteer team does we had a little pizza party (thank you Fort George for your donations!), planted a barrel out front and made native flower seed bombs to give back to our beloved volunteer pollinators 🦋🐝 

Spring Greetings and Gardening Delights

Have you had a chance to look through the diverse selection of plant starts and seeds offered at the North Coast Online Farmers Market? Choose from a wide variety of different options, such as cabbage, squash, beans, tomatoes, peas, strawberries and so much more! If you are planning to garden outdoors, remember to acclimate your plants to the outdoor conditions before you begin planting!

Happy gardening and Happy Spring, everyone! 🌱

What’s Available This Spring?

Spring is springing and we are both planting and reaping! Several producers of ours have brought in plant starts and seeds for herbs, cabbage, squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, strawberries and many more–it’s a great time to have a garden plot! For those who want to buy what's that's already grown, our usual suspects-chicken and duck eggs, fish, meat, mushrooms, milk, butter, bread, honey–are being joined by some seasonal produce! Rhubarb stalks, herbs, greens, carrots, spring onions, fresh garlic, beets and potatoes are all goodies to watch out for in the coming weeks. 

Mothers day is coming up!

Now’s the time to remember to thank your mom–Flowers, chocolates, assorted desserts, caramels, snack bars, salves, lotions, scrubs, lip balm, honey, tea, coffee, goat milk soap, and gift sets from Durant oil and jacobsen salt co are all available on our marketplace. Also available: all of the ingredients you need to cook her a special thank you brunch!

Pop-ups This Month to Watch For:

May 7th - Andy Catalano of Well Seasoned Astoria will be bringing in rounds of his legendary sourdough bread, plus other exciting goodies.

May 28th - Mary’s Milk Monsters will be back with goat milk soaps and jams..maybe even a special 4-legged helper!

Sign up for our weekly market newsletter for updates about what is available, who is popping up, weekly recipes and more.

We are kale-ing it, but as always, we could use some support! If you’d like to help us keep the good going, please consider making a donation to support NCFW projects and programs.

Witness: Natural Dyes on Local Eggs

This month we hosted a natural dye workshop! Using beet, onion skin, cabbage, turmeric and hibiscus based dyes alongside flowers, beeswax and pastels, community members and staff decorated a fleet of chicken and goat eggs from our lovely producers.

Witness: Seed Swap and Library of Things opening

Earlier this month we co-hosted a seed swap with Lower Columbia Preservation Society (LCPS) to celebrate both the opening of their tool library and the opening of Astoria Public Library’s new Library of Things! We will be sponsoring a series of workshops with chefs demonstrating how to use said equipment, the first one being a Tagliatelle workshop with Chef Andy May 20th–stay tuned for more!

Jesse Jones (NCFW) and Suzanne Harold (Astoria Library) show off some tools available at the Astoria Library.

Community members mingle at LCPS's tool library open house.

Available: 3 CSAs distributing out of NCFW this season!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a distribution model where community members purchase shares of a farmer’s crop in advance. It allows farmers to better plan for a growing season, provides them with funds for seeds and water up front, and makes for a fun surprise each week for the customers.

This year we will act as a pick up site for the following CSAs:

• Glory B Farms (6/17-11/19) - Small and large vegetable boxes, and a monthly option. 
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• Roza Flower Farm (9 weeks in July-September) - Bouquets of cut flowers. 
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• Blackberry Bog Farm (6/18-10/29) - Small and large fruit and veg boxes, and cut flowers.

Library of Things: Tagliatelle demonstration – May 20th

Library of Things will be hosting a Tagliatelle alla Bolognese making demonstration with chef and NCFW Coastal Kitchen Network’s Andy Catalano May 20th from 5:30-6:30pm at the Astoria Library, 450 10th St. This will be the first in a series of programs demonstrating how to use some of the Library of Things kitchen tools that North Coast Food Web donated.

CCMGA Plant Sale - May 9th

Clatsop County Master Gardener Association is holding their annual plant sale May 9th from 9am-12pm at the Clatsop County Fair and Expo Center, 92937 Walluski Loop in Astoria. Free to attend, there will be a wide array of edible and ornamental plants for sale. There will also be educational activities, a raffle, and free soil tests if you bring in a 1-2 cup sample of soil! We will also be present at a table.

El Centro Cinco De Mayo Dinner Fundraiser – May 3rd

El Centro NW, one of our partner organizations in the area, asked us to share with you that they are holding a dinner fundraiser May 3rd from 5-7pm at the Liberty Theatre, 1203 Commercial St in downtown Astoria, just two blocks from our location! Tickets include dinner, a raffle entry, and traditional music and dance performances. Funds raised will help El Centro continue running advocacy programs, focused on our Hispanic immigrant communities in Clatsop and Pacific counties. For tickets and more information click here.

We’ve partnered with BottleDrop Give, Oregon’s container deposit program! Every can, bottle, or glass container you return helps fund our mission of connecting farmers, fishers, and food makers with our community.

Pick up a blue bag today, or donate to North Coast Food Web from your personal BottleDrop account!

We're always seeking Thursday market volunteers to help receive, sort, and distribute weekly orders—everything from fresh produce and frozen fish to honey, flowers, and more. Interested? Email market@northcoastfoodweb.org to get started!

Get Involved!

Our work to cultivate a resilient and equitable food system on the North Coast wouldn't be possible without our community of volunteers, our wonderful Board of Directors, and the donors that fund our programs!

1450 Exchange St.

Astoria, OR 97103

Office: 503-468-0921

Market: 971-326-0598

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