FULL ARTICLE LINK: NORTHWEST CO-OP BUILDS FOR A LOCAL FOOD FUTURE BEYOND BIG AG

The Local Inland Northwest Cooperative (LINC), a worker and farmer owned food hub, is reimagining the food system of the community of Spokane, WA. LINC is both an online and physical marketplace "where restaurants, schools, grocery stores, hospitals and individual shoppers can order produce and other food from small farmers in the region instead of relying on huge wholesalers." Founded in 2014, LINC has seen continuous growth since—that is until 2020. High Country News reporter, Carl Stegerstrom, follows the co-founders in LINC's struggles and evolution through the COVID-19 crisis.

In this article, Stegerstrom thoroughly details the very real challenges of re-establishing local food distribution.  There’s a lot stacked against the small-scale. Government subsidies only available to large corporations and unbeatable prices from the global south make the dominance of the global supply chain undeniable. Despite continuous growth, LINC is hardly profitable, surviving off of philanthropic investors and price points that cater to high-end restaurants and privileged communities.

Read the full story here.