King County’s modern food system is incredibly complex, with farmers, fishers, processors, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, restaurants, food recovery, businesses, non-profits, food service, and food banks comprising just some of the actors in the local food system.
With such a diversity, it is almost impossible to bring representatives of the whole food system into one room, yet that is exactly the goal at Seattle Good Business Network’s Good Food Connections event.
Good Food Connections is a gathering for anyone working in the food system across the Puget Sound region for a full day of networking, conversation, education, and great food. Now in its second year, the event includes panel discussion, presentations, a trade show, facilitated networking opportunities, product tasting, and a locally sourced catered lunch.
Mariah DeLeo, Good Food Economy Program Manager at Seattle Good Business Network, has been planning this year’s event since the success of the first Good Food Connections in 2023, which sold out and included each participant creating an average of six new connections with others in the food business.
The Good Food Connections event builds upon the greater work of Seattle Good Business Network’s Good Food Economy program that connects the Puget Sound food community to strengthen the local food pipeline and build a resilient, sustainable, and just local food economy.
The program launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the in-person Good Food Connections event became a key part of the program as restrictions lifted and pandemic recovery included rebuilding professional networks.
“This sort of soft infrastructure is absolutely essential to build and strengthen the food system,” DeLeo said. “There’s so much of a gap for events like this is in the region. There’s not structure for people to dig into food systems issues and topics together, and we want to facilitate these conversations.”
The Good Food Connections event brings food systems stakeholders together not only during the event – but in the planning of it. The event is planned by DeLeo and an advisory committee, and DeLeo hopes to continue giving the committee more influence over the event to build a program by and for those in the local food system.
Thanks to the demand for this type of event, Seattle Good Business Network plans to continue holding the Good Food Connections event annually, and potentially even expanding into a multi-day affair.
“We’re there to help establish and strengthen sales relationships and build partnerships around resources and infrastructure,” DeLeo said. “We want to help businesses thrive.It’s really fulfilling when it comes together – seeing everyone in one place feels magical.”
The event will be held on Monday, Feb. 26, at Block 41 in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle.
If you would like to learn more or register to attend, visit goodfoodconnections.org. Scholarships and interpretation services are available.
Leave a Reply