Lincoln County
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Lincoln County, located on the central Oregon coast, is the western-most area of the Ten Rivers foodshed. The area’s rugged nature, primarily forested with limited flat land, prevented it from being settled by pioneers until the late 1800s, but Native Americans lived off the natural bounty of the area—from fish to berries—for many years.
Today these natural resources are important to the local economy:
- Newport—the county seat—is home to the area’s fishing industry, and ranks within the top twenty fishing ports in the United States (based on number of landings);
- Lincoln County has a strong timber industry;
- A burgeoning emphasis on local food is fostering the growth of coastal agriculture and small direct-sale farms.
Though Lincoln County has valuable food resources, some struggle with food insecurity. Fifteen percent of the population lives in poverty, with another 31% living on the verge of poverty. These people live with some uncertainty about their next meal because they have limited incomes, limited access to full-service grocery stores, and/or limited knowledge about healthy eating on a budget.
In 2011, Ten Rivers Food Web partnered with Oregon Food Bank to produce a comprehensive community food assessment of Lincoln County. Read the results of this in-depth look at all aspects of our local foodshed—from farm-to-fork and sea-to-table—in the Lincoln County Community Food Assessment.
How to get involved locally
The Central Coast Growers group meets at different times throughout the year to visit local farms and have potluck discussion about regional food system issues. Contact Patrick Richardson at .
Volunteer with The Lemonade Project, a volunteer-run social enterprise that supports the SNAP Match program at the Newport Farmers Market.
Find out where to buy local every week!
Volunteer with The Lemonade Project, a volunteer-run social enterprise that supports the SNAP Match program at the Newport Farmers Market.
Find out where to buy local every week!
