Remember life before Facebook? Someday, Northwest farmers and chefs might say that about FoodHub, an interactive online tool launched in February by the Portland-based nonprofit Ecotrust. The site (www.ecotrust.org/foodhub) pairs food service professionals who want to buy local food with growers and processors wanting to sell it. With a new version of the online marketplace set to be released in a few weeks, we decided to get the details from Deborah Kane, Ecotrust's vice-president of food and farms.
Q: What is FoodHub?
A: FoodHub is a new online directory and marketplace that makes it possible for regional food buyers and sellers — professionals, not consumers — to quickly and easily find each other, connect and do business. Some people call it the Facebook of local food, or the Match.com for food buyers and food sellers.
Q: How many users do you have, and who are they?
A: As of today (Aug. 19) FoodHub boasts 611 members. On the buyer side it's everybody from restaurants to caterers to hospitals to schools to resorts. On the seller side, it's anyone large or small producing or processing food in the Northwest, from fruits and vegetables to dairy, meat and fish. It's big packers and processors, little companies making jams or pickles, wineries and distilleries. And it's not just for the certified organic operator; it's for Northwest agriculture of all kinds.
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