In Their Words: Puget Sound Food Hub's Andrew Yokom

Andrew Yokom is general manager of the Puget Sound Food Hub, a farmer-owned cooperative based in Mt. Vernon, Washington, that provides participating producers with marketing, sales, distribution, and invoicing services. Andrew joined OPN for a conversation about the cooperative’s history and mission, its organic produce offerings, its plans for the future, and more.

Andrew Yokom, General Manager, Puget Sound Food Hub

What is your background in ag, and what led you to take a position with the Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative (PSFHC)?

Since graduating from college, I’ve spent the last decade immersed in a diversity of food systems development work, including on-farm labor, farm management, farm entrepreneurship, retail cooperative operations, sales and distribution for local systems, and regional network development.

I see many of the challenges of our era being exacerbated by our food production systems. Whether you’re concerned about public health, social justice, environmental destruction, or animal welfare, how you eat touches them all. I saw an opportunity to help impact some of these issues by working to develop Puget Sound Food Hub’s cooperative business model.

Andrew Yokom, General Manager, Puget Sound Food Hub

What is the history and mission of the Puget Sound Food Hub?

PSFHC started in a parking lot 10 years ago when a handful of farmers came together to collaborate on a shared vision. Originally a farmer-run organization working out of shared or borrowed spaces, PSFHC now has a 12,000-square-foot warehouse, a fleet of five refrigerated trucks, and a year-round staff of over 20 employees.

The mission of PSFHC is to support and champion local, family-scale farms (and producers) by providing a direct connection with buyers in our region seeking high-quality, locally produced food.

“I see many of the challenges of our era being exacerbated by our food production systems. Whether you’re concerned about public health, social justice, environmental destruction, or animal welfare, how you eat touches them all.” – Andrew Yokom

For readers who may be less familiar with the term, can you define what a “food hub” is and how it benefits farmers as well as customers?

Food hubs can look dramatically different depending on their geographic location and their community’s makeup. Generally speaking, food hubs are locally or regionally focused distribution systems that provide value by connecting farms and businesses with individual and/or wholesale customers.

Andrew Yokom, General Manager, Puget Sound Food Hub

Puget Sound Food Hub makes it easy to buy directly from dozens of local farms—one order, one delivery, one invoice. Twice weekly, customers like PCC Community Markets, Bellingham Food Bank, and Seattle-based restaurants submit their orders through our online storefront. These orders are then communicated electronically to our farmers who harvest/wash/pack the products and deliver everything to our warehouse. That same day, PSFHC staff intake and aggregate each farm’s product according to customer and prepare the orders for delivery. PSFHC trucks leave our warehouse for final delivery the next morning, with customers often receiving product that was harvested less than 24 hours earlier. Farmers set their own prices and can connect directly with any customers that order their products online, which is advantageous and different from how traditional wholesalers operate.

“The mission of PSFHC is to support and champion local, family-scale farms (and producers) by providing a direct connection with buyers in our region seeking high-quality, locally produced food.” – Andrew Yokom

How many produce farmers do you have in your food hub? And how many of them are certified organic?

PSFHC is made up of about 80 local producers. More than 60 of those are member-owners who either grow produce or raise livestock. Over 40 farmers grow produce exclusively, and nearly 30 of those are certified organic.

What organic produce items does PSFHC offer? 

Our farmers grow everything that can be produced in our mild northern climate. We offer a wide range of organic leafy greens, root vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, berries, apples, stone fruit, grapes, and more. With season-extending infrastructure, many of our farmers can offer tomatoes and other warm-weather crops beyond the summer season.

“Puget Sound Food Hub makes it easy to buy directly from dozens of local farms—one order, one delivery, one invoice.” – Andrew Yokom

Can you describe your customer base and distribution area? 

PSFHC has a diverse wholesale customer base (we do not sell directly to end consumers, and therefore do not offer any home deliveries). Our customers consist of chefs, grocers, foodservice managers, hunger relief directors, corporate dining teams, grocers, school districts, and local food entrepreneurs. Common motivational themes that animate our customers include supporting local, sustainable, and organic farms; strengthening local communities; and investing in the future resilience of a shortened supply chain here in the Northwest.

We distribute in our own trucks as far north as the Canadian border and as far south as Tacoma, Washington. Through local partnerships, we’re also able to get our farmers’ products out onto the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juan Islands, and as far south as Olympia, Washington.

“Common motivational themes that animate our customers include supporting local, sustainable, and organic farms; strengthening local communities; and investing in the future resilience of a shortened supply chain here in the Northwest.” – Andrew Yokom

What are PSFHC’s plans for the future?

Our Board of Directors (made up entirely of farmers) has published a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide us through 2025. We will be working to expand our farmer and producer base within the Puget Sound region. We plan to expand our service through southern Seattle while investing in our staff and infrastructure. Food processing (fresh cut and frozen to start) is in our future to continue extending the season and adding value for our farmers. Finally, we’re very excited to be collaborating on the development of an ambitious network of food hubs in our region that will link small diversified growers together in a nonconsolidated network under a shared brand. So there is much more to come in the near future!