Ecotrust is a Portland, Oregon-based organization dedicated to inspiring economic activity, social equity, and environmental well-being. This sounds like a formidable challenge, and it is, but Ecotrust is chipping away at it through myriad innovative programs in the Pacific Northwest. From California to Alaska, Ecotrust focuses on fresh thinking in forestry, fisheries, native programs, rangeland management, and, naturally,  food and farming. One of the primary projects of Ecotrust’s food and farming branch is  FoodHub, a comprehensive and interactive catalog of food buyers and sellers. FoodHub works to gather an online community of  farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and artisan producers together with professional buyers, chefs, grocers, and institutions seeking high-quality local products throughout Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. With a growing number of members, FoodHub is making it easy as pie for farmers and producers to link up with buyers big and small, and, conversely, for buyers to find precisely what they want when they want it.

FoodHub offers visibility to farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and artisan producers. It is a brilliant marketing tool for a farm. A producer can create a hearty online business profile so that potential customers can learn about the business and what it has to offer. FoodHub also makes it easy to communicate with buyers via messaging, keeping vendors updated on the freshest products.

FoodHub offers buyers efficiency. It is a one-stop shop for chefs, grocers, school food buyers, and others to find exactly what they want. It has everything from salmon to raspberries, artisan cheese to local wine, and it’s all in one easy-to-search place. If buyers have specific product requests they can publish posts to solicit bids.

Other such interactive databases are cropping up around the country (see Real Time Farms too), but if you’re farming in the Northwest, FoodHub is where it’s at. Sign up and be seen–it’s free!