Following Great Northern’s 2013 Community Food Assessment (CFA) of Siskiyou County, among many good ideas, a need for a “South County Commercial Community Kitchen” was identified. Loosely defined, this is a facility that could meet the needs of small food producers, community groups, serve significant commercial use and provide space for food business development. Great Northern (GNC) and JEDI have recently partnered to initiate the steps to make this project a reality.
Why South County? “The synergy and current momentum in South County is driven by the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals and commercial users and the leadership from groups and organizations passionate about local food. A South County location offers a regional answer that would still make the facility available to all”, says Nancy Swift, JEDI Executive Director. “To make this project sustainable we are exploring multiple diversified funding streams, a facility with a mixed use of purpose and potential job creation”, says Great Northern Executive Director, Bonnie Kubowitz.
Complete the survey online at GNC’s homepage http://www.gnccorp.org or copy this url into your browser https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SC5LB3B
The next step will be to convene an informal advisory group, refine the vision and identify the commitment level of the stakeholders. This helps to position the project for funding sources.
“JEDI will randomly draw a name from all surveys completed by Friday, March 7, 2014 to receive three months of Northbound Roasters home delivered coffee,” says a recent press release about the survey.