Walla Walla Valley Food Hub
FEASIBILITY STUDY
2021 | Walla Walla Valley, WA
Client
PROJECT PURPOSE
PROJECT OUTCOMES
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One project outcome here which will be followed by some more project outcomes
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One project outcome here which may or may not be followed by some more project outcomes
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Another project outcome here which may or may not be followed by some more project outcomes
Evaluate options for developing food hub services that best fit the BMAC Food Bank’s needs and that are compatible with its operations
OUR STORY
We founded Arrowleaf Consulting in 2014 because we wanted to follow our passions and apply our expertise to better serve local communities. Since then, Arrowleaf Consulting has successfully served over 50 clients on a diverse range of projects.
Meet
Our
Team
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DIRECTOR
DARIN SAUL
I have dedicated my career to helping people and communities understand and address complex problems and needs. I have a PhD in English from Washington State University and have written nearly 250 successful proposals to foundations, corporations, and government funders for over $120 million in awards.
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Previously, I owned and directed Ecovista, an environmental research and planning company that specialized in watershed assessment where we developed nearly 50 watershed and subbasin assessments and plans. We conducted water sampling, surveyed habitat, conducted GIS analysis, interviewed and surveyed stakeholders and decision makers, and facilitated public involvement. We developed some of the first GIS-based watershed and subbasin assessments in the Northwest. We also worked on a variety of assessment, strategic planning, and training projects with agencies, tribes, and nonprofit organizations focused on capacity building. In addition, I co-founded and later became the executive director of Groundworks Institute, a nonprofit that provided environmental education programs and coordinated stream and wetland restoration projects.
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I was the Director of the Center for Environmental Education at Washington State University and the Sustainability Director and Associate Director of the Office of Community Partnerships at University of Idaho. I also worked for eight years as the Director of the Office of Grant and Project Development in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho, where I helped faculty members increase their grant success through funding research, proposal preparation and strengthening, and mentoring. In addition to supporting University of Idaho faculty, I led teams to secure grant funding and then to implement applied research and outreach projects focused on local and regional food systems, community and economic development, and rural entrepreneurship.
My published work can be accessed here.
DIRECTOR
SOREN NEWMAN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
I love working with clients to develop and implement meaningful data collection, analysis, and dissemination that that tells a story and makes a difference. As a sociologist, I have years of experience applying my survey, interview, focus group, and participatory research expertise to a variety of community and economic development projects as well as to program and project evaluation. I have a PhD in Natural Resource and Environmental Science, a master's degree in Sociology, and bachelor's degrees in Spanish and Sociology.
I am also an experienced grant writer. In addition to my work at Arrowleaf Consulting, from 2013-2022
I worked at the University of Idaho first in the Office of Community Partnerships and then in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Office of Grant and Project Development where I co-authored and strengthened countless grants on a wide range of topics, from youth development and socioeconomics to regenerative agriculture and soil sciences, raising more than $30 million. I also provided project evaluation and conducted research on place-based food systems, entrepreneurship among rural minority women, rural community resilience, and environmental issues.
My published work is available here.
JANE KOLODINSKY
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
I am a believer in using an evidence base to inform policy and practice that makes a positive difference. As Director of Research at Arrowleaf, I bring long and deep experience in working with clients and colleagues to conceptualize, fund, and implement research that leads to actionable findings. I am Professor Emerita from the University of Vermont where I was Chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, Director of the Center for Rural Studies, and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With a B.S. in Nutrition, an MBA and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics, I believe that transdisciplinary approaches are key to solving the “wicked problems” facing society.
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Here is a sampling of my research and publications.
ALEX RADAKOVICH
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
At Arrowleaf, I get to combine two of my favorite things—learning about the world around me and using my design skills to help others communicate their ideas. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR) and studied graphic design at Shillington School (New York, NY).
I am currently based in Portland, OR.
GRANTS & RESEARCH SPECIALIST
ERINN CRUZ
As a Grants and Research Specialist at Arrowleaf I get to combine my writing, budgeting, and research skills in ways that directly help local communities and organizations. My previous research work has covered a wide range of topics, including local food systems, early childhood education, and Idaho’s
dairy workforce. My recent experience includes managing grant and departmental budgets, project management, and grant writing. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from
the University of Idaho.
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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
MALEA SAUL
At Arrowleaf, I combine my data analysis, communication, and design toolboxes to help our clients amplify their impacts and continue to make imperative differences in the world around us. In my role,
I focus on grant writing, assessments, and effective data design and communication for projects surrounding environmental conservation, early learning, rural services, and more. As part of my role at Arrowleaf, I also serve as the Regional Data Lead representing the Southeast Early Learning Coalition for the Washington Communities for Children Network.
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I completed a Graduate Certificate in Data Science for Environmental Applications from Western Washington University in 2021 and hold a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from the University of Washington. My technical background is complemented by my ongoing creative communication pursuits, which range from filmmaking to environmental education to graphic design.
GRANTS & RESEARCH SPECIALIST
JOSH COWGILL
One of my greatest passions is creating and inspiring meaningful ways for my community to engage
with their environment, culture, and self. My background includes years of community organizing complementing a bachelors in Community, Environment, and Planning from University of Washington, where I studied policy work & urban project management and implementation on a grassroots scale.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
MICHELLE TYNAN
As a Research Associate at Arrowleaf Consulting, I employ my unique academic and work experience to conduct rigorous social science research using qualitative and quantitative methods. I am especially passionate about projects addressing the economic, social, and environmental health of agricultural communities and ecosystems.
I have a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Lewis & Clark College and an M.S. in Food Studies from Syracuse University. My graduate research focused on dairy farmers’ use of seaweed feed supplements to reduce enteric methane emissions as part of a USDA-funded “Coast-Cow-Consumer” project. This work was highly interdisciplinary and used focus group, survey, and interview methodologies. My other areas of graduate research included agricultural guestworker programs, farmworker migration in the food system, and agroecology.
My previous work experience includes four years at the Washington State Department of Agriculture as an organic crop and livestock specialist and seven years as a farmworker, most notably milking cows and making cheese for three years on a small Jersey cow dairy in Massachusetts. I also worked in the climate non-profit space after graduate school focusing on collaborative and creative solutions to reducing livestock methane emissions in the U.S. dairy sector.
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A sampling of my research and publications can be found here.
GRANT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
STACY BREHMAN
As a Grant Development Specialist at Arrowleaf, I help organizations secure the resources they need to support their missions and local communities.
My previous experience in nonprofit development for human service organizations equips me to understand the realities of the nonprofit sector and the funding challenges that organizations face.
I strive to bring my passion for human rights advocacy and coalition building to this role every day.
I am currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington and hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Penn State University.
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
RENÉE HILL
At Arrowleaf, I get to bring together two decades of experience working with a wide variety of organizations across multiple sectors in several countries. I have supported a diversity of stakeholders in multiple countries to develop, manage, and evaluate projects and programs for public policy, natural resource management, rural community development, human health and nutrition, and public education. These projects have involved multiple participants from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, international organizations, academic institutions, private companies, and citizen groups.
In all of my work I am driven to help organizations foster collective leadership, use qualitative and quantitative data to clearly define problems and identify areas of growth, develop action plans to implement evidence-based best practices, design productive processes for communication and decision-making, and identify strategies to solve problems effectively and equitably.
I have a PhD in Environmental Science from the Joint Doctoral Program between the University of Idaho and the Tropical Research and Education Center (CATIE), a master’s degree in International Nutrition from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis.
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I spend most of my free time backpacking, mountain biking, teaching middle schoolers the art of rock climbing, and practicing mindfulness in the beautiful world we all share.
ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS
ASSOCIATED CONSULTANT
STEVE PETERSON
Steve Peterson is a Regional Economist with over 25 years of experience. Steve’s research interest is local and regional economic analyses, with a focus on economic impact studies. Steve has conducted over 150 economic impact studies in his career covering virtually every industry in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest including energy, agriculture, biofuels, manufacturing, wood products, Tribal studies, mining, health care, transportation, education, and nonprofit organizations. Steve has a strong business background and was a real estate salesman (family business) for ten years before returning to academic pursuits. He has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Idaho.