Tahoma Peak Partners with Oregon State University on USDA Regional Food Business Center
SEATTLE, WA - Tahoma Peak Solutions will partner with Oregon State University, which has been selected to co-lead a $30 million U.S. Department of Agriculture regional food business center that will support farmers, ranchers, and other food businesses to access new markets and navigate federal, state and local resources.
It is one of 12 new USDA centers nationally that are part of a $400 million initiative that focuses on small and mid-sized farm and food businesses within local and regional food systems. The centers will focus on historically underinvested and underserved communities in their region. Tahoma Peak Solutions will serve as a Regional Partner to the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center. As a Regional Partner, Tahoma Peak will provide coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building to uplift and center Native American producers, organizations, and supply chain businesses, independent from or part of Tribal initiatives. Tahoma Peak Solutions is focused on empowering and building up communities in Indian Country. As a Native woman-owned firm, we specialize in bringing together communities through shared goals.
“We are excited to work with the Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center to uplift and empower small and mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurs from diverse communities,” says Nora Frank-Buckner, Director of Food Sovereignty Programs at Tahoma Peak Solutions. “This is an opportunity to strengthen Indigenous food sovereignty efforts both intertribally and across sectors.”
The Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center will focus on four areas that are priorities for the six-state region:
Strengthening local supply chains for animal proteins. This work will support small- and mid-scale meat and poultry businesses by expanding the Western Meat School, a national program within OSU’s Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems.
Connecting and scaling food entrepreneurs. This work will facilitate connections among entrepreneurs and disseminate information about resources and programs that could aid those looking to scale their businesses.
Supporting climate-resilient agriculture. This work will expand processing infrastructure, develop new products, help create supply chain contracts and implement marketing strategies using those climate-resilient crops.
“Right-sizing” investment and infrastructure. This work includes improving two-way understanding and communication between food producers, processors, distributors and investors, banks, and other sources of capital that potentially can provide funding.
The Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center will be supported by a regional steering committee with OSU and Colorado State staff. TPS will lead outreach to Native-led and Tribal-led initiatives from the six states and four priority areas to support the growth of Native businesses and Tribal communities.
For more information on the USDA Regional Food Business Centers Program, please visit https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/local-regional/rfbcp.
