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Locally Delicious, a nonprofit organization that works to support a sustainable local food system, has produced the Local Food Guide since 2017. Established as a resource for the community to access information about local, organic and freshly prepared foods, the guide lists Humboldt County farms, bakeries, markets and more. It’s designed to help visitors and residents alike find restaurants that source local produce and seafood, and to shre information about CSA (community supported agriculture) memberships and how to eat seasonally on the North Coast.

“The Local Food Guide shines a spotlight on our vibrant local food scene,” says Locally Delicious founding member Ann Anderson. However, fellow member (and Journal contributor) Pat Bitton says, “we're all seniors now and it's simply too much work for our core team…, not to mention the distribution challenges we've encountered this year because of COVID-19.”

After four years, Locally Delicious is ready to pass on the project to an organization with more energy and resources. In 2021, publication of the Local Food Guide will be taken on by another nonprofit organization, Cooperation Humboldt. With a focus on building a “solidarity economy,” Cooperation Humboldt is already invested in food and sustainability programs like community gardens and fruit trees, Free Little Pantries, and Food Not Lawns. Read more about Cooperation Humboldt’s roots and programs here.

"We’re taking on this project because a strong, sustainable local food system is a critical piece of our organization’s vision to transform our bioregion into a thriving and regenerative society,” says Cooperation Humboldt’s Tamara McFarland. As the food and garden programs coordinator, McFarland hopes to enhance the education component for homesteaders and backyard gardeners who have grown in number during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We’ll be keeping many aspects of the existing guide, including the directories, while adding information to help readers understand how critical it is to work toward true food sovereignty at this moment of climate chaos and societal uncertainty,” says McFarland.

During the transition, members of Locally Delicious will support Cooperation Humboldt as they take on the significant work involved in publishing the annual guide.

“We hope there will be many more successful Local Food Guides in the future,” says Anderson.