JACKSONVILLE, Ore. (RFD-TV) — As American farmers continue to feel the effects of international trade policy, one Oregon producer is pushing for greater access to local markets by advocating for the development of regional food systems.
Jagger, an Oregon farmer, says that while today’s supply chain is largely controlled by major players for the sake of efficiency, local and regional supply chains could offer more resilience during disruptions.
“Because so much of the supply chain is controlled by the majors, and I understand why from an efficiency standpoint,” Jagger said in an interview with AgInfo.net. “But I like thinking about things in terms that individuals can affect. I’ve been trying to think about what that would look like in our region—if we could start building a supply chain that is more resilient to hiccups in the greater system.”
Jagger has already started experimenting with a hub model on his own farm, connecting local producers to identify gaps in the regional market and find solutions together.
“I’ve been loosely running kind of a food hub here off the farm—just really loosely trying to see what’s out there with my local farmers,” he said. “And then I’ve been reaching out to farmers in other regions of the state and saying, ‘What is missing from your region, and what could we all do to plug in together and make things better for everyone?’”
Jagger says consumer demand for regional food systems is strong, but the challenge lies in scaling production and infrastructure to meet that growing need.
