Resilient Local Food System Action Plan

Only about 2% of the area’s farmland is permanently protected; farmland acreage has continued to decline; and land values have risen sharply, putting both farms and working waterfronts at risk.

Most farms in the area report operating at a net loss, and only a small share of food businesses believe they earn a sufficient profit. With many producers near retirement and few pathways for new entrants, the area risks losing both working land and knowledge.

The project area has no dedicated food hub and only one shared commercial kitchen, and limited processing, cold storage, aggregation, and dockside seafood infrastructure connecting producers to markets.

In 2025, about 40% of area households were food insecure, with need falling hardest on older adults, low-income households, renters, residents without
vehicles, and communities of color. Many eligible residents do not use the assistance available to them, and many who are in need of assistance are not eligible for current programs.

Food, farming, and fishing are largely absent from municipal planning, even as extreme weather increasingly threatens food production, distribution, and access.