Inspiring work to protect farms and build a new food hub in Clatskanie.
Meet a Dynamic Duo Fighting to Save Port Westward
Jasmine Lillich and Brandon Schilling are farmers at Port Westward, and they serve as leaders on the Board of the local Clatskanie Farmers Market. With an inspiring vision, they are working to build a new food hub in Clatskanie, a project that stands in stark contrast to the massive NEXT Renewables LLC refinery and railyard proposed nearby. The food hub would be a boost for both Clatskanie and the North Coast’s food security.
I got to know Jasmine and Brandon in 2021, as the farming duo relentlessly advocated for protecting Port Westward from a proposed renewable diesel refinery in the midst of sensitive wetlands, productive farmland, nearby residences, and critical salmon habitat. I was inspired by the depth of their vision for expanding sustainable sources of food for their community, anticipating the need for healthy, locally-sourced food in the event of a major earthquake.
Jasmine describes herself as “a regenerative farmer, forager, farm-to-table food producer, agritourism business owner and community organizer.” She comes from five generations who have called Clatskanie home. Like Jasmine, Brandon has advocated in the local community to increase awareness of the NEXT project and the critical need to protect Port Westward. Brandon’s presentation to the Clatskanie City Council this winter drew attention from the community as he methodically, and passionately, picked apart NEXT’s flawed plans.
More recently, the two put together a community information session, connecting their neighbors and friends with critical information to protect their homes from the proposed refinery at Port Westward. I got to participate in the event, and as a result of their work and collaboration with community partners and Columbia Riverkeeper, two-thirds of the people who testified about NEXT’s proposed refinery and railyard urged the Columbia County Commission to deny the project’s proposed land use permits.
For months, despite the demands of farming and building support for a new food hub, Jasmine and Brandon have galvanized their local community to oppose the industrialization and pollution of prime farmland in Columbia County. Columbia Riverkeeper stands with them as we fight together for farms and clean water at Port Westward, a critical bend in the Columbia River Estuary. I am deeply grateful to Jasmine, Brandon and their allies at Port Westward who make a difference every day by fighting for what they love about their community: productive farmland, clean water, and a healthy community.
To learn more about their work to protect Port Westward, check out their Facebook page.
And you can learn more about the Clatskanie Food Hub here, which is currently raising community funds to build up food-resilience in western Columbia County and the North Coast.
Follow Save Port Westward on Facebook
