Re-vitalizing a culturally-relevant, environmentally-sound, regional grain movement in the Cascadia bioregion that is focused on equitable access, health and nutrition, and taste and flavor.
Check out our Working Group Session Report 2020!
On January 18th, 2020 as part of the Cascadia Grains Conference over 200 farmers, bakers, millers, chefs, brewers, distillers, researchers, resource providers and food systems specialists participated in a working group session to characterize their values and organizational desires. This was the result...
“The Cascadia Grains Conference is one of the few venues where farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, distillers, maltsters and processors can all get together in one place and ask ‘how do we make the idea of a local grain economy work?”
George DePasquale I Essential Baking Company, Seattle, WA
From Laura Lewis, WSU Food Systems State-wide Leader and Cascadia Grains Conference Chair
It all started when…
Cascadia Grains was born in 2013 out of a desire to connect farmers, processors, and resource providers across the regional specialty grain economy in western Washington. The WSU Bread Lab, WSU Extension Pierce County, and WSU Extension Thurston County led the original effort to develop a complimentary sister event to the successful Grain Gathering. WSU, in partnership, with community-based organizations, secured funding through an USDA Risk Management grant to hold the very first Cascadia Grains event in Tacoma, WA in 2013.
Since 2015, the Cascadia Grains Conference has transitioned to Olympia in partnership with South Puget Sound Community College. Attendance continues to increase each year, with over 400 participants in 2019 from across the specialty grain economy. Participants also represent stakeholders from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, and British Columbia.
As we move into the coming years of the Cascadia Grains project, we continue to look for opportunities to expand our programming through FARMWALKS, grain-related showcase events, and an emerging East Side Conference. We will continue to provide support for an emerging regional grain network and provide education to our stakeholders through networking and convening lives -- one grain at a time.
2020 Coordinating Team
Laura Lewis, Ph.D.
Statewide Leader of WSU Food Systems and Cascadia Grains Conference Chair
Aba Kiser
Project Manager for WSU Food Systems and Cascadia Grains coordinator
Nicole Witham
Statewide Coordinator for WSU food systems, Farm walk Management
Kelsey Leigh Green
Cascadia Grains assistant coordinator
Erin Murphy
Statewide Coordinator for Tilth Alliance, cascadia grains work trade manager
The Cascadia Grains Conference is proudly presented by
The New Washington State University Food Systems Program delivers multidisciplinary expertise across academic, research, and extension, providing specialized resources for farmers and food systems contributors. We seek to work with communities throughout the state to foster viable farm businesses, optimize sustainable natural resource stewardship, and to promote scaled processing and distribution, always in the pursuit of access to healthy food for all.
