Just after marking its first anniversary in March, Genuine Wallowa County is preparing to launch a food-shopping service to sell locally produced food to Wallowa County residents.

Beginning Friday, June 5, GWC Provisions, owned and operated by Kristy Athens, will distribute the fresh produce, frozen meat and processed food products of local farmers, ranchers and manufacturers, offering doorstep delivery and a pick-up location in Enterprise.

Theresa Stangel, of Stangel Bison Ranch, and Mary Hawkins, of Hawkins Sisters Ranch, approached Athens earlier this year to see if she was interested in providing some sort of delivery service for their and others’ products.

“Food was actually the first thing I wanted to do with Genuine Wallowa County,” Athens said. “But I figured it would be easier to start with nonperishable items like hand-carved spoons and goat milk soap.”

GWC is an online gift shop that has showcased the work of 60 local makers in gift and subscription boxes since March 2019, according to a press release.

“I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve got about 60 vendors in county,” she said. “In the first year, I paid out about $10,000. I’m pretty happy about that.”

She’s still looking forward to making a profit.

“I haven’t paid myself yet; it’s a start-up,” she said. “My first consideration was getting the vendors paid.”

Athens is eager to get the food-provision aspect of her business going.

“This provision piece is going to serve an important role because it gives producers a way to sell in the county and not have to ship all over the U.S.,” she said, “and it gives people who live here the opportunity to get locally produced food.”

Athens is serious about GWC Provision as a way to both earn more money for local producers and provide healthy food for Wallowa County residents.

And she is well-qualified for the task. She completed a food hub feasibility study for the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District in 2017 and served on the board of the Wallowa County Farmers Market from 2015 to 2019. She also has a master’s degree in food systems.

To launch this new division, Athens needed a little help to build the infrastructure, including a new website, freezer and refrigerator.

She received financial support from local individuals and grants from the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board grant and Slow Food Wallowas. The Stangel family offered the use of Main St. Motors in Enterprise as a pick-up point.

Athens said she will donate $1 from every order to Community Connection’s food pantry. She is also working on being able to accept SNAP (food stamps.)

GWC Provisions will launch with a selection of producers, including Stangel and Hawkins, and adding Backyard Gardens, Prairie Creek Farm and Linda Wafford, who is a licensed egg seller, as well as existing GWC vendors Jör (BGood) energy bars, Carman Ranch jerky and Sei Mee Tea.

Athens plans to add more producers as soon as the GWC Provisions systems have been tested.

“There is so much great food being grown in the county; I can’t wait to expand,” she said.

For more information, call Athens at 541-406-0831, email provisions@genuinewallowacounty.com or go online. membership subscription page will be: https://genuinewallowacounty.com/pages/gwc-provisions. Genuine Wallowa County’s page is https://genuinewallowacounty.com/ and GWC Provisions orders can be placed at gwcprovisions.com.