Sarah Akbari

RARE Member Sarah AkbariEmail: sarah@klamathgrown.org
Title: Local Food Resources Coordinator
Organization: Klamath Grown & OSU Extension Service
Community: Klamath Falls
Population: 69,143
County Served: Klamath County

Meet Sarah Akbari:

A native Oregonian and second year RARE member, Sarah received her undergraduate degree in Planning, Public Policy, and Management with minors in Nonprofit Administration and Global Health from the University of Oregon. She recently continued her education by completing a Graduate Certificate in Nutrition Science for Communications Professionals from Tufts University. Sarah is excited to continue her work with Klamath Grown and build upon her experiences in marketing and communication, health promotion, and community engagement. In her free time, she loves to cook, bake, and be active, whether that includes playing pickleball, dancing, or hiking.

Community and Organization:

Located in the south-central region of Oregon and bordering northern California, Klamath Falls sits on the southern shore of the Upper Klamath Lake, nestled in the Klamath Basin on the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountains. Klamath County is known for its plentiful outdoor recreation, sunny and snowy climate, and population of more than 350 species of birds that migrate through the region.

Klamath Grown is a non-profit food hub with a mission to cultivate a diverse and economically resilient food system within the Klamath Basin which supports their local food producers, promotes regionally-produced foods, and increases equitable access for the community. OSU Extension in Klamath County is part of the Extension Service that serves in all 36 counties in the state. They engage the people of Oregon with research-based knowledge and education that strengthens communities and economies, sustains natural resources, and promotes healthy families and communities.

Projects:

The majority of Sarah’s work will build upon her projects from last year. She will continue to support Klamath Grown’s local food campaign in many ways, including adding to the digital local food directory she created in her first year and promoting the launch of Klamath Grown’s upcoming Harvest Box program. Sarah will maintain her support for local farmers, ranchers, and makers by helping organize producer networking events, sending informational email newsletters, and bolstering the regional procurement work she started in her first year.

Another aspect of her service involves decreasing barriers to local food in Klamath County by implementing survey data gathered in her first year, reinforcing a new gleaning program, helping Klamath Grown develop an Equity Action Plan, and increasing redemption of Double Up Food Bucks, Farm Direct Dollars, and SNAP/EBT at the market.