SEWEDA offering funds for coalition summit

The Palouse Clearwater Food Coalition has booked a food summit for local producers in Moscow Friday, Jan. 27, and SE Washington Economic Development Association wants to help Whitman County producers attend.

“SEWEDA is offering a scholarship to Whitman County residents,” said Sarah McKnight, SEWEDA director.

The price range to attend is $15 to $200, and SEWEDA is offering $25 per person to attend. McKnight said depending on how many inquire about scholarships, the amount could go up to $50 to $100.

The food summit is themed with the value of local food, and it is a full-day conference with presentations, networking opportunities, entertainment, lunch and snacks.

McKnight said local producers would benefit the most from it.

“People who are in the small value-added ag business, people who produce their own food and sell it to restaurants or the Moscow Co-Op or sell it here at First Thursdays,” she said. “Really, producers of any sort of food.”

McKnight said she plans to offer the scholarships to those who attend and are part of the newly-formed Whitman County Food Coalition, which will next meet at the Colfax Food Pantry Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. She added that anyone outside of that group is welcome to contact her, too.

Funding for the scholarships is coming out of a USDA grant awarded to SEWEDA in December. The $18,000 grant is split between Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and Whitman counties, and SEWEDA will plan more workshops with the grant funding. Later workshops and dates are still to be determined.

McKnight can be reached at 509-288-1317 or [email protected].