Creston’s Directed Funds Committee welcomes Fields Forward Coordinator Paris Marshall Smith

Paris Marshall Smith is stepping into the Fields Forward Coordinator position.

by Keith Powell — May 31, 2016

Fields Forward Coordinator Paris Marshall Smith. — Photo Courtesy of Fields Forward/Paris Marshall Smith

Since the launch of the Fields Forward partnership, dozens of volunteers, community development professionals, local government representatives, farmers, and food producers have dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours to local agriculture and food security projects. Riondel’s Paris Marshall Smith has been one of the volunteers. Now, Paris is stepping into the Fields Forward Coordinator position – continuing a career dedicated to strengthening local food systems. Her role will be to guide and support community action. Paris comes well equipped for the many tasks this will include – from research to project design to fundraising. She brings two related Masters degrees, training as a professional community planner, and a track record of helping communities to set and realize food security goals.

Bringing food systems stakeholders together

Fields Forward is the first project funded by the Creston & District Community Directed Funds initiative. It was designed to answer a call from the community to boost economic development in the agri-food sector and improve local food security. Funding was announced late last December after more than a year of community consultation, research, and planning. The volunteer Committee allocated just over $250,000 to fund the project’s first three years. This is a significant portion of the $600,000 entrusted to them by Columbia Basin Trust for investment in locally-driven community change.

Coordinator will support collective action

Putting a paid coordinator in place is central to the Fields Forward strategy. “No single organization, business, or group can transform our food system alone,” says C&DCDF consultant Laura Hannant, “Real change happens when we pull together.” The Coordinator will help Fields Forward partners to communicate with each other, find shared goals, develop and advance projects, mobilize funding, and engage volunteers.

C&DCDF Committee Chair Hugh Grant explains that the selection process was a competitive one. “We were looking for a diverse skill set and a track record of success. We ended up with a very good problem in that we had several excellent candidates. It was encouraging that most of them live right here in Creston & District.”

“The process was a reminder of the need to create more local food systems jobs,” elaborates Laura Hannant, ”Our community is rich in people with the knowledge and skills to move us closer to food security. The challenge is find ways to compensate people for the work that needs to be done. This is part of what Fields Forward is all about.”