Expanding Agriculture Professionals Knowledge and Professional Development to support Growing Latine Farmer Population in Washington County, Oregon.

Commodities

Practices

The Latine community are vital
contributors to Oregon’s agricultural success. Even so, they
often face discrimination in the workforce that leads to low
wages, limited upper movement, and unfair hiring and labor
practices. This is where Adelante Mujeres’ Microenterprise
Department supports new, beginning and aspiring Latine farmers.
In the face of discrimination, the Latine community remains
hardworking, resilient, and entrepreneurial. Providing new and
beginning Latine farmers with access to education, resources, and
opportunities to create and sustain their own farm businesses
generates economic security for low-income Latine families,
supplies local and affordable produce to families throughout our
community, and enhances the local
economy.  

According to Oregon Department of
Agriculture, the average age of Oregon’s farmers remains at
around 60 years, as many as 10.45 million acres or 64% of Oregon
farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years. The
good news is that according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture,
the population of farmers in Oregon is growing as well as Latine
farmers. While Latine-owned farms only make up 3% of the state's
total, there has been a steady increase in part due to the
changing demographics of the state1.  

Adelante’s project will increase our
Microenterprise Department’s farm business and regenerative
agriculture knowledge, skillset, and ability to produce high
quality and culturally responsive Small Business Development and
Market Access for Latine agricultural professionals in Washington
County. With the professional development gained by this grant,
our team will be better prepared to support the next generation
of farmers through workshops, courses, and 1:1 business
coaching.  

Through the Western SARE Professional
Development Grant, Adelante’s main objective is to increase our
Microenterprise (ME) Department’s education, skills, and capacity
through professional development in order to better facilitate
our programming for farmers, farm-businesses, and
food-businesses. Specifically, with grant funds our main
objectivities include:  

• Increase Regenerative Agriculture
  Knowledge of ME Staff and Agriculture Professionals through
  Soil Food and Savory Institue Regenerative Agriculture Online
  Training. Key Topics include - On-farm renewable energy, pest
  and weed management, pastured livestock and rotational grazing,
  no-till and conservation tillage, cover crops, high tunnels and
  season extension, crop rotations, sustainable communities,
  integrated systems, pollinators, local and regional food
  systems, and small ruminants.  
• Increase knowledge for ME staff in
  Farmers Market Sales, Outreach, Vendor Support, and Federally
  Assisted Food Programs such as SNAP, WIC, etc. through the
  Farmers Market Pros’ InTents Conference, Market Cities Online
  Training, and Customer Service
  trainings. 
• Increase technical capacity for our
  ME Team to provide 1:1 business support for agricultural
  professionals through Conflict Resolution trainings, Rogue Farm
  and Julia Shanks Farm Business Trainings, Hispanic
  Metropolitain Chamber Latino and Third Truth Leadership
  Trainings, and National Farm Viability Conference. These
  trainings and conference will
  provide skills in intentional communication, effective coaching
  and conflict management in small business development and
  agricultural family-based businesses, farm business planning,
  financial and business analysis, and accounting basics.