QUILCENE — A business is using a social networking poll to generate support for community improvements — specifically, a plan to teach people how to grow and prepare local food.
Cathy Barsukoff, owner and operator of the Mount Walker Inn, has applied for a $250,000 grant offered by Chase bank and Living Social.
The small business grant utilizes Facebook as a way to judge community support for the projects that apply for funding.
Barsukoff is asking people to log on to Facebook and “like” her proposal, with the goal of attracting 250 people to show their support.
If she reaches that number, the proposal will be examined by those awarding the grant. But if she fails to do so, she will not be considered.
As of Monday, she had gathered 91 likes.
The voting deadline is June 30.
Barsukoff, who has operated the motel for 10 years, has 17 acres, which can be used to grow food, that she would open up for the project.
Her proposal involves the construction of a commercial kitchen, which would host guest chefs to provide instruction on food preparation.
The prepared food could then be served at regular community meals that would also provide a healthy dining-out option for local families, Barsukoff said.
“I love to cook for large groups,” she noted. “I could provide a spaghetti meal that, instead of using canned sauce, would use tomatoes that people would pick themselves.”
Along with growing and cooking food, the project could also teach people how to can and preserve produce, she said.
Those wishing to vote must got to missionsmallbusiness.com, select the “Log in with Facebook to support your community” option, and click on the “log in and support” button.
They must then select the project by entering “Mount Walker Inn” in the business name search field, or selecting “Washington” in the state search field and “Quilcene” in the city search field.
Once on the Mount Walker page, they need to click on the “vote” button.
Facebook membership is required, with only one vote allowed per person.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.