Eat Local First is a collaborative of partners from around Washington state working together to merge different online farm finder tools into one comprehensive, easy-to-use, online Washington Food & Farm Finder. We were part of the original team behind the Food and Farm Finder 1.0, and in 2024 we helped relaunch this newly designed resource that helps to connect Washingtonians with local farmers, fishers, and food businesses.
The new Washington Food and Farm finder offers a much more robust search capability and user experience throughout. Expanded categories give businesses and consumers more ways to connect. Account owners experience a much more streamlined sign-up process and a comprehensive set of tools to manage their user profiles.
Project Details
The newly designed Washington Food and Farm Finder is optimized for mobile use. It allows users to filter their search in real-time using expanded categories.
The search filters have also been expanded, and now users can search by activity, season, food access program availability, accessibility, and a suite of values indicators, including animal welfare, cultural relevance, environmental sustainability, fair labor, and lister identities.
Custom icons provide a more visual way of exploring categories.
The previous Food and Farm Finder included indicators for certifications, while the new indicators have been expanded to include listers who may not have undergone the certification process but use certain practices.
Additionally, the lister identity indicators now provide the option for listers to self-select indicators beyond the broad BIPOC label. Listers can identify their businesses as a variety of races and ethnicities, as well as LGBTQ+, veteran, disabled, woman, and family owned, as well as writing in other identities not listed.
Those looking to purchase large quantities of local food, such as schools, restaurants, or retailers can use the specialized Wholesale Finder to identify local businesses with capacity. Consumers looking to purchase a CSA subscription for the season can use the CSA Finder to easily compare options, with filters specifically for CSA products, season, distribution method, and delivery area.
Developed by: Carkeek Studios