Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience continues to be new and beginner farmers of color who are socially-disadvantaged. For this reporting period, we have reached 545 minority BFRs through small business farm courses, specialty courses, and one-on-one business coaching. A good percentage identify as female. Changes/Problems:COVID introduced numerous difficulties with even basic farm logistics, however because so much of the work is done outside in an environment where it is possible to distance, we were still able to deliver key activities as planned, both hands-on and classroom time, and to meet most of our outcome goals. Yet, COVID did impact in terms of WOSA meeting in-person for two years overall. We did meet virtually, yet a big component in supporting BFRs across Western Oregon was to have more in-person state wide meetings. This has begun again in 2022. This has also impacted evaluation work as most of this work was planned for in-person evaluation work, yet for two years many of evaluation work had to be done virtually and dependent on how open participants were to fill out the diverse evaluation forms. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Over the project period, WOSAhas provided the following professional development trainings for BFRsand other established farmers in Oregon: Leading people in a farm setting via engagement, Social Equity & Agriculture Balancing Work and Education, Mentoring to Create a Self-Starter Apprentice, Giving & Receiving Feedback, Recognizing and Interrupting Micro-Aggressions, Non-Violent Conflict Resolution. Tarping for Soil Health, Practices for Soil Health Business skills (comparing pricing strategies and market outlets; analyzing cost of goods sold including with a lean manufacturing lens; reviewing gross sales; basic bookkeeping) Supervision/crew management (interns, crewleader rotation, delegating tasks and managing harvest scheduling, etc.) Also in 2022, one of our WOSA partnersrolled out the Oregon Farm & Ranch Equity and Anti-racism Project (OFREAP) with our host farmer network. OFREAP is an in-depth, self-guided online curriculum with approximately 40 hours of content that was developed specifically for farmers, ranchers, educators, and agricultural service providers in Oregon. The Equity and Anti-Racism curriculum is an educational framework for gaining the knowledge and skills that enable students to be a threat to the existence of inequity in their spheres of influence. This framework, as opposed to traditional "cultural competence" or "diversity" training, prepares individuals to see even subtle ways in which access and opportunity are distributed unfairly across race, class, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, language, and other factors. The framework builds proficiency across four domains: The ability to recognize even the subtlest biases and inequities; The ability to respond to biases and inequities in the immediate term; The ability to remedy biases and inequities in the long term; The ability to create and sustain bias-free and equitable programs, workplaces, and institutional cultures. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? On December 2, 2021, we hosted a WOSA Partner meeting in which we provided an update on our efforts for this collaborative. Along with presenting updates and data, we started to share workshop topics that would be most useful for the communities we serve. In addition, we have presented updates on our work with partners such as the City of Forest Grove, City of Cornelius, Oregon Farmers Market Association, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, North Coast Food Collaborative, Northwest Farm Credit, Washington County Solid Waste and Recycling, Washington County Economic Development Department, OSU Extension - Small Farms Program, the Small Business Development Center, Oregon Agricultural Trust, Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network, Oregon Community Food Systems Network, Ecotrust, PNW Food Sovereignty & Food Systems Infrastructure Strategy Session, and East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District. ? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
WOSA and its Increasing the Sustainability of First and Next Generation Minority Farmers project will close a three-year project with great success, particularly taking into account a global pandemic and wildfires that greatly impacted BFRDP. We provided increased training and education to minority-led, small farms through our two strategic and interconnected goals of Growing Farmers and creating Vibrant Farms. A key highlight of Year 3 with WOSA partners was the successful planning and implementation of the Dia del Agricultor Latino 2022 on July 24 at Our Table, where 57 program participants and staff members of the WOSA organizations gathered to learn from subject experts and one another. This event has been postponed since 2020 due to COVID. For this project, we served a total of 545 BFRs. Key Outcomes: Total BFRs served: 5456 Started farming: 60 Helped prepare to start farming: 92 Improved farming success: 26
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience continues to be new and beginner farmers of color who are socially-disadvantaged. For this reporting period, we have reached 74minority BFRs through small business farm courses, specialty courses, and one-on-one business coaching. A good percentage identify as female. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic continues to provide challenges for our regular programming. However, the WOSA partners recognize that growing food and training farmers is essential to ensuring food security, and mental and financial wellbeing in our community. For that reason, we have continued to operate our programming within a new structure that ensures compliance with social distancing guidance. Due to the rise in case counts and Covid-19 restrictions during the winter months, we cancelled our large group meetings for November and December. Instead, we offered Technical Assistance and support to farmers through phone calls, and connected virtually for a meeting in January. We also shifted much of our time and capacity as a collaborative to connecting program participants who were struggling to direct financial assistance. With the relaxation of Covid-19 mandates in the spring, we were able to hold in person meetings, yet were still outside and physically distanced, during the spring months. These mini-workshops were intended to teach about seed starting and transplanting techniques, fertilizing principles, and post-harvest handling requirements for annual CSA programs while still maintaining safety precautions. This has undoubtedly affected our capacity to offer our normal in depth trainings and advance elements of our programming, but we are still keeping open communication with farmers through phone calls and emails, and offering training and technical assistance when possible from a distance. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?• Seed starting techniques • Transplanting techniques • Fertilizing principles • Drip irrigation installation and trouble shooting • Water use management • Pest management • No-till/leaf mulching • Greenhouse management • Proper use of PPE and social distancing • Covid-19 related information • Collective decision making How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We perform outreach for future program recruitment through newsletters, databases and list-serves as well as communicating via partner organizations, other regional farms and horticulture businesses, and informal networks held by other staff/board relationships. Partneres have also presented at conferences over the winter which included discussion of the farmer training program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have begun strategizing for 2022 activities as a collaborative and with our stakeholders. We will be diving into the impact of the first two-years of this grant period and how COVID-19 and extreme climate change is impacting our farmers of color. Particularly, in their ability to adapt and respond to these climate emergencies. ?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, Western Oregon's Sustainable Collaborative (WOSA) which consists of 6 different agriculture programs that support farmers of color, accomplished the following outputs: 1) Provided 2 Agriculture Courses in Spanish; 2) Mentored 56 new beginner farmers through specialty workshops and internship programs; 3) Supported 18 minority BFRs via access to local Farmers Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Particularly, farmers had access to 10 local Farmers Market across Western Oregon and 2 CSA's. Furthermore, it trained and provided one-on-one technical assistance to 56 minority BFRs with best practices on how to make risk management decisions related to farm financial and operational benchmarking. A total of 1,835 hours of one-on-one technical assistance or business coaching was offered to participants. For specialty workshops, the following topics were delivered: Leaf Mulching, Virtual Cooperative Development, Seed Staring, Greenhouse Management, Transplanting tecnhiques, Irrigation System, Seed germination, Brewing Compost Tea, and Farm Law Workshops. WOSA have decided to host Día del Agricultor Latino on Saturday, April 30th, 2022. ?
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience continues to be new and beginner farmers of color who are socially-disadvantaged. For this reporting period, we have reached 101minority BFRs through small business farm courses, specialty courses, and one-on-one business coaching. Additionally, there have been recruitment efforts that have engaged over 70 potential inspiring and beginner farmers. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 has impacted our programming, but WOSA stays committed to its participants and community. This is critical as we serve those on the frontlines cultivating fresh produce for communities who are in need of access to food. Below are a few examples of how WOSA is responding: 1) We serve the most vulnerable community during this crisis. The vast majority of those impacted are low-income immigrants. Many of the participants prior to beginning their farm were and are migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Our decision to postpone some programming events was based on 1) the feedback and concern from our participants in terms of their safety and health, and 2) Oregon's executive order of "Stay Home, Save Lives". 2) WOSA recognizes that growing food and training farmers is essential to ensuring food security, and mental and financial wellbeing in our community. For that reason, we have continued to operate our programming within a new structure that ensures compliance with social distancing guidance. Due to our office being closed to the public, we have indefinitely canceled all meetings and events with our program participants beginning March 16th, 2020. To comply with social distancing guidance, we have not had our large monthly workshops with our farmers. We have also instated social distancing rules in and around our farm and greenhouses. In order to continue elements of our educational programming, we are offering mini-workshops to teach about seed starting and transplanting techniques, and fertilizing principles. These occur with no more than two farmers at a time at our farm. This has undoubtedly affected our capacity to offer our normal in-depth training and advance elements of our programming, but we are still keeping open communication with farmers through phone calls and emails, and offering training and technical assistance when possible from a distance. 3) During the months of February and March, WOSA was busy preparing for Día del Agricultor Latino and we were gearing up to secure presenters for all the workshops planned for the event. About 75 farmers and gardeners were scheduled to attend this event. Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to COVID- 19. We hope to be able to reschedule the conference later in the Fall or Winter and if not in early 2021. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Collective decision making Seed starting techniques Transplanting techniques Fertilizing principles Hoop house construction demonstration How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?As of March 30, 2020, we have not disseminated materials to the communities of interest. The Latino Farmer Advisory Council has been involved in reviewing the results of the latest growing season results to ensure the farmer's needs are being met for the next growing season. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?WOSA plans to continue the following major activities: providing agriculture classes in Spanish and English, Internship and Apprenticeship programs, One-on-One technical assistance, Access to Market opportunities, and Specialty Workshops. WOSA has responded quickly with participants in mind due to COVID-19 in the following ways: 1) Transition agriculture classes to virtual platforms or to postpone until the Fall/Winter 2020; and 2) Continue to provide telecommunication and one-on-one farm site support with protective gear to support farmers who are still working to produce and sell produce. WOSA recognizes that growing food and training farmers is essential to ensuring food security, and mental and financial wellbeing in our community. For that reason, we have continued to operate our programming within a new structure that ensures compliance with social distancing guidance. During the next reporting period which is at a peak growing and selling season, WOSA is committed to continuing to support all minority BFRs to ensure their farm business is stable and ongoing.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, Western Oregon's Sustainable Collaborative (WOSA) which consists of 6 different agriculture programs that support farmers of color, accomplished the following outputs: 1) Provided 2 Agriculture Courses in Spanish; 2) Mentored 56 new beginner farmers through specialty workshops and internship programs; 3) Supported 18 minority BFRs via access to local Farmers Markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Particularly, farmers had access to 6 local Farmers Market across Western Oregon and 1 CSA. Furthermore, it trained and provided one-on-one technical assistance to 56 minority BFRs with best practices on how to make risk management decisions related to farm financial and operational benchmarking. A total of 161 hours of one-on-one technical assistance or business coaching was offered to participants. For specialty workshops, the following topics were delivered: soil biology, soil building and soil conservation, nutritional needs of plants, pest management, and weed management, cooperative bylaws, cooperative finances, production of crop planning, farm machinery, food safety, grafting vegetable, seeding and transplanting techniques, hoop house construction, and business marketing. During this reporting report, the Farm Advisory Council met in January and February 2020, at the end of the season to review the challenges and successes of the growing season. They reviewed the feedback from participants who took the agriculture class, workshops, and/or internships.
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