Remote Oregon School District Transforms Local Food Access Despite Distribution Challenges

This article is pulled from episode 1-1 of The Farm to School Podcast hosted by Michelle Markesteyn and Rick Sherman. For the full episode and transcript, click here.

Rural school districts often believe farm to school programs are impossible in remote areas without robust distribution networks or nearby farmers. Rikkilynn Starliper, Nutrition Services Director for Umatilla School District in Eastern Oregon, proves that determination and creative problem-solving can overcome even the most challenging geographic barriers.

Overcoming Distribution Obstacles in Rural Oregon

Located in the high desert of northeastern Oregon near the Columbia River, Umatilla School District serves 1,400 students across three schools in a truly remote setting. As Starliper describes the area, “we have one tiny little grocery store that has been there for as long as I can remember and any other grocery stores you have to drive into Hermiston to get to or over to tri-cities.”

When Starliper received her first farm to school grant in 2013, she discovered the reality of rural food distribution. “Out of five of the vendors that I contacted, they all stopped shy of me,” she explains. Major distributors from Boise stopped in Pendleton, while Portland vendors wouldn’t travel past Hood River to reach her district.

Building Direct Farmer Relationships

Rather than giving up, Starliper took matters into her own hands. She started with the Yellow Pages, calling every farmer from Boardman to Walla Walla looking for fresh local produce. Most large operations told her “they don’t do retail,” selling exclusively to international markets instead.
Her breakthrough came at a roadside fruit stand in Hermiston. “I pulled in there and I said, you know, I need to spend these farm to school funds. And I really wanted to go to a local farmer. Is there any way that you can, you know, sell me berries? And she said, sure, I don’t have enough here, but you can follow me to my farm.”

Creating Market Transformation

This relationship became the foundation for something much larger. Every week, Starliper loaded her pickup truck with fresh berries, putting all the seats down until she “couldn’t hardly see out the back.” Students immediately noticed the quality difference, asking where the berries came from because “they were so much different…so much sweeter and fresher.”
The impact extended far beyond Umatilla’s cafeteria. That berry farmer “now I believe sells to approximately 60 different schools throughout Oregon,” creating an entirely new market that didn’t exist before Starliper’s initial request.

Expanding Local Offerings

Today, Umatilla School District serves diverse local products including melons, pickle cucumbers, fresh lettuce, lemon cucumbers, and specialty items like purple potatoes prepared in multiple ways. Students particularly love the baby cucumbers because “they just liked the way it looked and that it looked different and it was small. They could hold it in their hand and eat it like an apple.”

Sustainable Investment in Local Food

Starliper’s commitment extends beyond grant funding. “When farm to school dollars run out per say, my spending with the farmers don’t change. So I would say that I probably spend at least 10 to 15% of my budget directly to local producers and farmers in addition to farm to school funds.”
Her advice to fellow rural food service directors emphasizes collaboration and persistence. She even coordinates with other remote districts, holding products for schools that can’t receive direct deliveries, demonstrating how rural communities can work together to expand local food access.
This success story from Oregon’s high desert proves that with creativity, determination, and community partnerships, even the most remote school districts can provide students with fresh, local foods while supporting regional farmers and food systems.

Listen to the full podcast episode to hear more details about Rikkilynn’s journey, including stories about the “possessed greenhouse” and her collaboration with FoodCorps members.