Connected Harvests: Growing Sustainable Production and Community Food Access in the Salmon River Region

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: workshop
• Farm Business Management: value added
• Sustainable Communities: food loss and waste recovery/reduction

The Salmon River region of east-central Idaho faces significant barriers to developing a sustainable and resilient local food system. Agricultural production in Lemhi and Custer Counties is dominated by beef for export markets and hay, with less than 2% of crop sales derived from vegetables or fruits available to local consumers according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture for Lemhi & Custer Counties. Producers report limited access to training, technical support, and marketing opportunities, constraining the region's capacity to meet the need for local, sustainably produced food.

Salmon Valley Stewardship's Connected Harvests project addresses these challenges by building capacity and connections among producers and consumers in Custer and Lemhi Counties over a 3-year period. The project will provide beginning and small-scale farmers and food producers with education in regenerative soil management, specialty crop production, season extension and value-added processing. Participants will be linked to technical assistance, mentorship, and new market connections through our workshops and programs.

A new gleaning program will recover unharvested (or surplus) crops, reducing food waste while providing additional revenue opportunities for farmers. Targeted, efficient gleaning strategies will provide fresh local produce for new value-added food production and food access initiatives. A web-based local food finder and producer directory will further strengthen market connections, enhance consumer awareness, and facilitate collaboration across the region's food system.

We anticipate participants will form longer-lasting, more sustainable businesses over the 3-year period as a result of our programming. As a result, we expect to see four beginning producers enter the market and ten producers expand, diversify, or streamline existing food operations. This project will reduce food waste, increase the availability of locally produced food, and expand consumer purchasing of local and sustainable food, advancing environmental stewardship, farm viability, and community well-being in this rural part of Idaho.

SVS's Connected Harvests project will strengthen sustainable agricultural production, reduce food waste, and expand community food access in the Salmon River region. From September 2026-August 2029, SVS will achieve the following objectives:

1. Increase producer knowledge and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
SVS will build the technical capacity of 14 food producers and 30 backyard/subsistence growers through workshops on soil health, specialty crops, season extension, and value-added processing. At least 80% will show increased knowledge, and 10 food producers will newly implement or streamline sustainable practices they learn. This addresses barriers identified in prior SARE research, including limited access to regionally adapted, hands-on training.

2. Strengthen the economic viability and number of local food producers.
By improving producer skills, market access, and business support, four beginning producers will enter the local market and ten will expand or diversify operations. Annual surveys and technical-assistance records will track progress, supporting long-term economic resilience.

3. Reduce food waste and increase community access to fresh, local food.
SVS will establish a gleaning program that recovers at least 4,000 pounds of surplus produce from eight producers. Gleaning logs and distribution records will document outcomes. This responds to SARE-identified barriers such as limited labor and inefficient harvest strategies.

4. Improve consumer awareness and connection to local food producers.
By summer 2027, SVS will launch an online producer directory listing at least 30 producers. Website analytics and producer surveys will measure increased visibility and consumer access, strengthening social and market connections within the regional food system.