Sno-Valley Tilth

Washington Tilth Association Chapter
A non-profit 501(c)3

Carnation Farmers Market Expansion Project

    This project is located at the current farmers market site, using a vacant lot owned by the city which has been identified as an ideal town center plaza area in conjunction with adjoining city properties. It is across the street from Hockert Park which is a well used playground while Tolt Commons provides an entrance to the plaza area.

    The permanent market shelters will be used on market day, the rest of the week it will be available for use as picnic structures for public use. The commercial kitchen is intended for the creation of value-added product for farms and businesses from around the region.

   The bulk of the funding for this project is coming from county, state and federal funds targeted for new job and business creation. A commercial kitchen and development of a downtown plaza was identified in the City of Carnation Economic Development plan approved by the council in 2007. New job and business creation will be in the form of value added product that this commercial kitchen enables such as baked goods, canned products such as salsa and sauces, dehydrated foods such herbal teas, fruit rollups and vegetable soup mixes and much more. While priority will be given to these uses, this kitchen will also be available for community groups and education programs that require a kitchen of this size and type. 

   Commercial kitchens, also known as community kitchens or agricultural processing kitchens are a critical missing infrastructure in the agricultural community. Once common, they have disappeared under the pressures of cheap imported foods. The last pickle processing plant closed last year, spelling the end to a once booming economy in the northwest. However there is a return to purchasing locally grown foods, and organic value-added product is one of the fastest growing sectors in the agricultural community in the US. To learn more read this feasibility study conducted for Clallum County and another conducted by the Northwest AgBiz Center.

    We have used these reports, as well as research conducted by King County Rural Economic Development, and our own surveys as the basis for this project and look forward to a collaborative process with the city and the community to design a management and use plan for the commercial kitchen that is sensitive to the community and local businesses while supporting the purpose of the funding for new jobs and businesses, and our organizations mission.

Copyright © 2008-2009 Sno-Valley Tilth
Last modified: 04/25/09