Good Groceries: Getting Good Food to Rural Areas, Supporting Producers

Kristy Athens founded Good Groceries in 2020 to deliver local produce, proteins, and value-added foods from Northeast Oregon's farmers, ranchers, fishers, and small producers to their neighbors' homes and workplaces. "It's everyone working together to bolster our local economy and get good food to people," she said. Athens moved to the Northwest from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1995 and began studying for a masters in food systems management at Marylhurst University. After getting her degree, she landed a job with the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District which ran a program called Genuine Wallowa County (GWC), designed to support local and indigenous artists by selling gift boxes of artisan products. Good Groceries offers seasonal produce from farmers like Aida and Felipe of Jimenez Farms After three women farmers inquired about the possibility of adding their products to the GWC lineup, Athens realized there was an opportunity to support local food producers. GWC Provisions…