Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience has primarily been Beginning Farmer and Rancher educators and service providers working in Oregon, including but not limited to members of the Oregon Community Food System Network. This grant supported an effort to reach out specifically to organizations and program officers who are serving farmers of color in the state to increase the network. Changes/Problems:Challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have lengthened the timeline for the grant. This project requested a No-Cost Extension (NCE) that was approved in June of 2021. This allowed us to delay the in-person convening. We also hosted a hybrid in-person/online BFR Working Group Convening in September 2021 and continued with virtual meetings throughout the winter, spring, and summer of 2022. Due to COVID-19 the LCTA Advisory Group did not meet in person in the spring of 2021 to plan for the BFR Working Group convening, but instead continued to meet virtually. The group was able to come together in person when members of the Advisory Group traveled to Corbett for the BFR convening; a special day-long planning session dedicated to the LCTA project was held the following day. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Since January of 2022, 60 individuals from Oregon's farm and ranch community have accessed and engaged with Oregon's Farm and Ranch Equity and Anti-racism online curriculum through various pilot programs being run by project partners. The official launch of the program is slated for fall of 2022. Over the time period for this grant, the project team worked with our consultant to finalize the outreach materials for the official rollout of this project. In addition, individual organizations also got to have a consultation session. Rogue Farm Corps utilized consultation hours with equity trainer Ruby Shirazi to evaluate their farmer training programs and explore program development questions with an equity lens. These conversations helped inform the development of a new entry-level farm training program centering equity and accessibility that RFC plans to roll out in 2023, the Regenerative Farming Fellowship. Friends of Family Farmers utilized consultation hours to discuss how to connect and collaborate with BIPOC led organizations, especially around designing focus groups and listening sessions. The consultation led to more intentional and meaningful collaborations. OSU Small Farms Program spent consultation time focusing on outreach and communications around the Oregon's Farm and Ranch Equity and Anti-racism program (OFREAP) as well as anti-racism and equity work within our programs. The consultation was highly valuable as they received feedback on communication tone and strategies as well as program design. They were provided honest feedback on how their organization could come across, as well as how "good intentions" could cause harm. In addition, Ruby prepared them for how to manage any push back or criticism in a way that focuses our work on systems instead of individuals. The one on one time provided the practice and support their team needed to feel confident moving forward. Ecotrust utilized consultation hours with the equity trainer to get feedback on how to make their farmer training program, Ag of the Middle Accelerator, more equitable. These conversations supported Ecotrust's decision to sunset the program and channel its efforts and capacity into BIPOC-led food equity projects and programs that were already in development. Presentations from USDA staff from RMA, NRCS, and FSA at the BFR Working Group Convening in the fall of 2021 gave agricultural educators and service providers in attendance a firm grounding in the suite of services these agencies offer to BFRs in Oregon. It also provided the USDA staff with an opportunity to get to know other organizations working with BFRs and to become familiar with the collaborative work of OCFSN and its working groups. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Regular articles on the BFR Working Group (now the Farming for the Future (F4TF) Working Group) have been included in OCFSN's monthly newsletters throughout 2021 and 2022. These updates went out to the entire OCFSN mailing list and to the BFR/F4TF Working Group listserv. The F4TF Working Group listserv has added nearly 100 new people since September 2020, for a total of 155 people, and is used regularly by members to share information. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Through increased and consistent coordination and facilitation of the BFR Working Group throughout 2020 and 2021, this group has flourished and re-structured in early 2022 to become the Farming for the Future Working Group. This working group includes four subgroups that collaborate on specific areas of work, including: Beginning Farmer and Rancher- Members of the Beginning Farmer Rancher Subgroup collaborate to coordinate existing services for Oregon's beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) at all stages of development, between 0 and 10 years of involvement in agricultural production. The primary focus of this working group is to support BFRs through education and training programs plus available resources and services for this segment of Oregon agriculture. Land Access, Connection, and Succession Technical Assistance- This collaborative group concluded a Land Connection Technical Assistance pilot project in late 2020 after members spent a year providing assistance on all aspects of farmland transition, including help searching for the right piece of land and the right new farmer, securing financing, developing business plans and agreements, writing leases, and other legal aspects around leasing and purchasing land. They are moving forward with new program development, funding, and setting up regional hubs for land connection assistance and resource navigation. Farm and Land Viability- This group will focus on farm and land viability looking at ways to support land staying in agricultural production, sustainable farm management, and farm business vitality. Working with other subgroups, the goal is that there is a growing pipeline of beginning farmers and ranchers who can access land to start and grow new farm businesses. Climate Resilience and Stewardship- This new subgroup recently came together to organize a statewide disaster relief fund for farmers and ranchers in response to the current drought and wildfire situation throughout Oregon. Creating an emergency fund gave us a mechanism for an immediate response to emergency situations. Now that the fund is established, the subgroup is working on collaborative projects that focus on regenerative agriculture, stewardship, and climate resilience. These subgroups and the Working Group Coordinator share news, updates, and information through the twice monthly OCFSN newsletter, twice monthly Working Group listserv updates, subgroup email lists, regular meetings, regular one-on-one conversations, regional network convenings, and an annual Working Group convening. All of these communication venues serve to strengthen connections, share resources and build capacity between members of the Farming for the Future Working Group. In addition, the BFR Working Group hybrid in-person and online Convening that was held in September 2021 brought together 28 people in-person and 14 online for a day and a half worth of activities, including the following professional development opportunities: Farm tour and site visit with Mudbone Grown and their Pathways to Farming educational program for BIPOC farmers; Presentation of the new Equity Literacy Curriculum; OCFSN Food Charter Review presentation and discussion of priorities; Networking and shared meals; Presentations from USDA staff from RMA, NRCS, and FSA. This diverse and inclusive event included many new members of the BFR Working Group and allowed for face-to-face connection and the sharing of resources, experiences, and exchange with USDA staff. Thanks to funds leveraged from this BFRDP planning grant, increased coordination and facilitation capacity led to a new relationship with an Oregon-based foundation that provided 1 year of funding for a full-time coordinator to continue to build the Farming for the Future Working Group and expand collaboration among partner organizations and advance prioritized projects. To create a more diverse and inclusive BFR Working Group and agricultural community at large, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee successfully built, tested and released for piloting the Oregon Farm and Ranch Equity and Anti-Racism online curriculum. During the pilot phase of this project, 60 individuals have accessed and engaged with the online curriculum. The project team worked with our consultant to finalize the outreach materials for the official rollout of this project. We have been soliciting feedback and adjusting the cohort discussion groups based on feedback. Once we have participants who have completed the curriculum, we will be doing surveys and interviews to assess impact. OSU Extension Small Farms Program and other project partners have been releasing this as an official program across the state in fall 2022. Over the winter months, we will be offering optional rolling discussion groups based on location as well as progression in the curriculum. Some of these discussions will be co-facilitated with partner organizations. Feedback to date has validated that the information is new or complimentary to people's anti-racism and equity work and that people value this opportunity. Feedback has also confirmed that to get the most out of the program, it takes time. The estimated 40 hours of engagement online may be a minimum. The project team is exploring how to keep momentum going as people work through this challenging and rewarding process. Based on feedback and learning from the 2019-2020 Land Connection pilot project, the LCTA Advisory Committee developed the concept of a regional hub model to advance prioritized collaborative projects that will support the viability of BFRs in Oregon. This Advisory Committee successfully planned, developed, submitted, and was awarded a full BFRDP proposal to increase place-based support for both landholders and land seekers in hubs around Oregon, while also drawing upon the larger network of advisors and resources. The DEI & Outreach Advisory Committee also completed an update to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Resource Guide and corresponding online Story Map, which serves as a centralized location for information on BFR resources, including Farmer and Business Training, Farm Financing, Land Access, and Bilingual programs. The online Story Map can be found here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?appid=e2f5bbf828b14c02bd652f3a83050851 This update includes nine new entries from organizations and agencies serving BFRs in Oregon such as the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, Black Oregon Land Trust, Farm Commons, Farm Service Agency, Oregon Agriculture Trust, USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers program, North Coast Food Web, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, and Zenger Farm. In total, the Story Map and Brochure highlight 35 different organizations and agencies. The Story Map has been shared with the wider agricultural community via the collective reach of OCFSN's 60 member organizations, as well as on the Oregon Department of Agriculture website. Over 2,500 copies of the brochure have been distributed to these organizations and agencies to share with the BFRs that they are working with. OCFSN is purchasing a license to upgrade the platform for the Story Map to allow for ease of editing and updating information.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during this reporting period has primarily been Beginning Farmer and Rancher educators and service providers working in Oregon, including but not limited to members of the Oregon Community Food System Network. Changes/Problems:Challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have lengthened the timeline for the grant, but we were able to host a hybrid in-person/online BFR Working Group Convening in September 2021. Due to COVID-19 the LCTA Advisory Group did not meet in person in the spring of 2021 to plan for the BFR Working Group convening, but instead continued to meet virtually. The group was able to come together in person when members of the Advisory Group travelled to Corbett for the BFR convening; a special planning session dedicated to the LCTA project was held the following day. Brochure distribution has been limited due to lack of face-to-face communications and offices being closed. The cost of printing exceeded our expectations and we were not able to print as many brochures as originally planned. Despite these changes, overall the BFR Working Group has succeeded in meeting our goals for this collaborative project. We are grateful for the support of USDA NIFA in building a more robust ecosystem of support for Oregon's beginning farmers and ranchers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Equity Literacy Project has provided an opportunity for ongoing learning and professional development among BFR service providers. The group of organizations coordinating this effort have benefited from group consultation time with the equity consultant who prepared the curriculum. Individual and group coaching sessions are ongoing. The Convening in September 2021 provided an opportunity for pee-to-peer learning and coordination among the state's agricultural service providers. Participating organizations also had time with USDA staff, who presented to attendees on the diversity of USDA programs available to support farmers. It was extremely productive and meaningful for BFR educators and service providers to be able to connect in person after being restricted to online communications for a year and a half. In addition, the Convening succeeded in growing our network with 50% of the attendees being new to the BFR Working Group. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Over 2,500 copies of the brochure have been distributed to 35 organizations and agencies throughout Oregon to share with the BFRs that they are working with. The BFR Working Group listserv has added nearly 50 new people since September 2020, for a total of 94 people, and is used regularly by members to share information. 28 people attended the BFR Working Group Convening in-person and 14 attended online for a day and a half of presentations, discussions, and collaborative work sessions. Notes and decisions from the Convening have been shared out with the wider network. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Over the next few months, the BFR Working Group will solidify the work plan for the new Farming for the Future Working Group coordinator, who will continue to coordinate and facilitate the BFR Working Group, the DEI and Outreach efforts, the LCTA group, and new subgroups focused on climate resilience, land stewardship, and farm viability. The LCTA Advisory Council is developing the Guidance Counselor position description and seeking funding for this position. Once hired, this position will play a key role in developing a robust network of support for beginning farmers and ranchers in the Willamette Valley, vetting local service providers, helping farmers navigate the ecosystem of support, and connecting them with the right types of support at the right times.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The BFR Working Group held three Zoom meetings in November 2020, February 2021, and June 2021. The BFR Working Group Convening was held in September 2021. The DEI & Outreach Advisory Committee and the LCTA Advisory Committee met separately throughout the year in between the whole Working Group meetings (six times for each group via Zoom and one in-person session for the LCTA group as an add-on to the BFR Working Group Convening). Regular articles on the BFR Working Group have been included in OCFSN's monthly newsletters throughout 2021. These updates went out to the entire OCFSN mailing list. The DEI & Outreach Advisory Committee has completed an update to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Resource Guide and corresponding online Story Map, which can be found here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?appid=e2f5bbf828b14c02bd652f3a83050851 This update includes nine new entries from organizations and agencies serving BFRs in Oregon such as the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, Black Oregon Land Trust, Farm Commons, Farm Service Agency, Oregon Agriculture Trust, USDA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers program, North Coast Food Web, Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District, and Zenger Farm. In total, the Story Map and Brochure highlight 35 different organizations and agencies. The Story Map has been shared with the wider agricultural community via the collective reach of OCFSN's 56 member organizations, as well as on the Oregon Department of Agriculture website. Over 2,500 copies of the brochure have been distributed to these organizations and agencies to share with the BFRs that they are working with. In addition to specific outreach for the BFR Working Group, members of the DEI & Outreach Advisory Committee have been working with other BFR organizations and a consultant to create an online, self-guided Equity Literacy Curriculum for BFR educators and mentor farmers. Equity literacy 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. Equity literacy, 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. The Equity Curriculum Map can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjPt9Z_k4rXviwU6OtC8cwyteuHx_ODd/view?usp=drivesdk The curriculum is currently being piloted by the organizing group, who will then roll it out with cohorts of farmers and ranchers across the state. The organizing group is also receiving several hours of guidance and facilitation assistance from the consultant who developed the curriculum. The agricultural service providers participating in the Land Connection Technical Assistance Advisory Committee met seven times from the fall 2020 to fall 2021 to develop plans for a more comprehensive land connection and farm succession program in Oregon. Beginning in the Willamette Valley, the LCTA group plans to develop a network of regional hubs for land connection and technical assistance support. Each regional hub will be served by a Guidance Counselor who will help land seekers and landholders alike navigate the available educational programs, resources, service providers, and legal professionals available to help successfully get one on land or get land handed off to the next generation. This includes individual needs assessments and then personalized assistance for the landseeker or landholder with referrals to the right people/programs on issues such as financial readiness, succession planning, business development, valuation and retirement considerations, land access/transition strategies, and legal assistance. At the regional level, these Guidance Counselors will also create ways for the broader community of land seekers and landholders to meet and develop relationships. Regional Guidance Counselors around the state will eventually be connected through OCFSN's Farming for the Future Working Group and will receive support and oversight from the experts on LCTA Advisory Committee who will continue to help shape the program, update the Guidance Counselors on new developments and resources, create synergy among existing programs, write grants and fundraise, and cultivate the ecosystem of support. Project partners include the Oregon Community Food System Network, Farm Commons, Friends of Family Farmers/Oregon FarmLink, Rogue Farm Corps, Oregon Agricultural Trust, Headwaters Incubator Program, Ecotrust, Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Agriculture and Climate Network, Clackamas Community College, and Oregon State University Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems. A two-page summary of the LCTA project and description of a regional hub Guidance Counselor can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dPnc0v9JVFMCyQ6AvbAgXvNPDnPBF_gtWHeZJeI_Jks/edit The Advisory Committee is collaborating with OCFSN leadership on seeking funding for this Guidance Counselor position. The BFR Working Group hosted a hybrid in-person and online Convening on September 27th-28th, 2021 in Corbett, Oregon. 28 people attended in-person and 14 attended online for a day and a half worth of activities, including: Farm tour and site visit with Mudbone Grown and their Pathways to Farming educational program for BIPOC farmers; BFR Working Group and OCFSN updates; Presentation of the new Equity Literacy Curriculum; Food Charter Review presentation and discussion of priorities; Networking and shared meals; Proposal for restructuring the Working Group to include access to land issues, climate change, stewardship, and resilience, as well as beginning farmer and rancher issues; Listening Session with USDA staff from RMA, NRCS, and FSA.
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