Tumwater planners review food-system assessment; cold storage, water costs and school ‘‘Fresh Farm’’ funding flagged as priorities

Tumwater Planning Commission members reviewed a consultant’s community food-system assessment during their April 22, 2025 meeting, focusing on farmland loss in Thurston County, limited cold-storage capacity for food rescue, rising costs and water access for urban production, and the future of a school-run Fresh Farm program.

The assessment presentation, led by consultant Rebecca Kasnick, summarized interviews with local producers, service organizations and public agencies and mapped local strengths and gaps. "What I'm hoping to do tonight is... take this snapshot and figure out what are the goals that you want in the food system plan," Kasnick told commissioners, asking the board to help prioritize city-scale goals that the plan can address.

Why it matters: commissioners and presenters said the city can influence food access and resilience through planning, modest funding and partnerships even where the city lacks direct authority over schools or county programs. Commissioners repeatedly identified cold-storage and distribution constraints at the Thurston County Food Bank, water costs and restrictions for in‑city gardening, and the loss of farmland to non‑agricultural uses as items that could be addressed through the food-system element of the comprehensive plan.

Key findings and local context - Farmland trends: Kasnick cited USDA agricultural-census figures for Thurston County indicating roughly 27% loss of acreage and a 17% decline in farm numbers (county-level data). Speakers clarified that the county statistic includes conversions to housing, commercial and other nonfood uses rather than only climate-driven losses.

- Farms and processing: Presenters identified nearby supply-chain gains (two regional food hubs serving Tumwater, and a planned USDA‑approved slaughter/butchering facility that could reduce processing travel for local ranchers) and local constraints, including limited workforce for farm labor and the high cost for small producers to access processing and markets.

- Food rescue and cold storage: Multiple speakers, and Meals on Wheels coordinator Stephanie Penland among them, said limited cold-storage capacity constrains rescue and meal programs. Kasnick and commissioners noted Thurston County Food Bank’s newer refrigeration warehouse (about two years old) but said demand and distribution remain constrained.

- School and workforce education programs: Commissioners raised the Tumwater school district’s Fresh Farm program, which Kasnick said has produced more than 13,000 pounds of food since inception but faces budget pressures that could end the program in June; staff said they would follow up to confirm who pays for water at Fresh Farm and whether the parks or city subsidize irrigation.

- Water access and cost: Commissioner Kirkpatrick warned that "If you live in Tumwater, you use city water. You're not going to be able to do well in your backyard," reflecting concerns about municipal water pricing, code limits on using city water for irrigation and the effect of annexation and system expansion on rates. The consultant and staff discussed cisterns and rooftop capture as partial options but noted regulatory and scale limits.

- Food access and affordability: Kasnick summarized outreach with the Thurston County Food Bank showing rising demand that outpaces population growth; commissioners emphasized SNAP/WIC and the state Market Match program that doubles SNAP purchasing power at farmers markets as an existing local mitigation tool.

Discussion points and directions - Commissioners pushed for the plan to emphasize practical, budget-friendly steps and milestones—short-term items the city could support during upcoming biennial budgeting cycles as well as longer-term goals. - Staff reported that comprehensive-plan element drafts (technical reports and goals/policies for land use and utilities) should be available for the commission’s next packet; the housing element and conservation element were scheduled for the May meetings and land-use element for June. - Kasnick was asked to add more granular metrics where possible (for example, local cold-storage capacity and waste tonnages), to confirm funding sources for Fresh Farm water, and to spell out which actions the city can directly implement versus activities that require county, school-district or nonprofit partners.

Quotes - "What I'm hoping to do tonight is... take this snapshot and figure out what are the goals that you want in the food system plan," consultant Rebecca Kasnick said when presenting the assessment. - Commissioner Kirkpatrick said, "If you live in Tumwater, you use city water. You're not going to be able to do well in your backyard," while discussing municipal water costs and irrigation limits.

Next steps and outlook Planning staff said the assessment’s recommendations will be folded into the food-system element of the city’s comprehensive-plan update and presented with timing and budget options that the city council can consider during the next biennial budgeting cycle. Commissioners asked staff and the consultant to return with clearer metrics (cold-storage capacity, food-waste tonnages by type, exact Fresh Farm water arrangements) and to identify grant opportunities (state local-food grants, USDA-related programs) and regional partners that could be prioritized for city support.

Ending Commissioners and staff agreed the assessment provides a usable foundation for the food-system element but emphasized the need for follow-up data, short-term milestones the council can fund, and continued coordination with Thurston County, the school district and regional food-system partners.