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A program of Global to Local from 2010-2024, the Food Innovation Network (FIN) enhanced the local food system, increased access to healthy foods, and supported local food businesses in the diverse communities of SeaTac/Tukwila and South King County. Global to Local was a SeaTac-based non-profit whose programs addressed the social determinants of health to advance health equity in local communities for 14 years.
Read our 2023 Tukwila Village Farmers Market Report and 2022 Year in Review to see how we put our mission into action.
FIN used a collective impact model to bring community perspective and organizational expertise together in collaboration. Our network included organizations, educational institutions, local government, and community members. We were governed by a Steering Committee made up of organizations and Community Food Advocates.
Our work spanned across the community food system, from farm to fork. We sought and created opportunities for community members to engage in the local food system, and to increase community ownership of that system.
FIN worked to create an equitable community by bringing community members together. Our program was committed to empowering residents to take leadership roles in advancing our mission and to bring an authentic community voice to our work. This was primarily done through our cohort of Community Food Advocates, leaders who represented the diverse multi-cultural communities of South King County. Advocates were key to our strategic planning and choosing culturally appropriate techniques and activities to support policy and systems change. Paid through stipends, advocates were trained in leadership and advocacy skills, and learned through hands-on experience. Encouraged to take on leadership roles within FIN, several became co-chairs on working groups and participated in our Steering Committee. Advocates led our community engagement and outreach efforts by connecting people to our services and resources.
Our Work
Food Business Incubator
One of our core work areas was a Food Business Incubator supporting aspiring entrepreneurs from SeaTac/Tukwila and broader South King County who primarily come from low-income immigrant and refugee communities. Through business coaching and a peer network, entrepreneurs were supported in obtaining permits, offered subsidized kitchen rent, and provided connections to market channels such as catering opportunities. In 2020, we opened Spice Bridge, our commercial kitchen and food hall.
Food Access
Our goal was to address racial inequity in our food system by creating a farm-to-fork distribution channel and connecting people to food. FIN operated Tukwila Village Farmers Market with our partner, the IRC New Roots program. We sold fresh, local produce grown primarily by immigrants and refugees, and offered growers marketing and other business supports. The markets were open June through October, and we accepted SNAP benefits and SNAP Market Match for payment.
Land access for agriculture in urban areas is critical for communities new to growing food in the Northwest. We facilitated the South King Urban Ag Network (SKUAN) to improve resource sharing and collaboration among partners and growers.
Community Engagement
Food connects people and builds community. Our community events included Community Kitchen Dinners to celebrate the rich food traditions of our community, and an annual Resource Fair.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, our community engagement efforts focused on sharing information about food resources and COVID-19 safety. Our Community Food Advocates reached out to a variety of cultural communities, including Latinx, Kurdish, Congolese, Somali, Karen, and Filipino South King County residents.