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

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Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: beekeeping, catch crops, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, drainage systems, drought tolerance, fertilizers, food processing facilities/community kitchens, food product quality/safety, greenhouses, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, irrigation, multiple cropping, nutrient cycling, nutrient management, organic fertilizers, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, postharvest treatment, season extension, shade cloth, water management, water storage
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, focus group, mentoring, technical assistance, workshop
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, community-supported agriculture, cooperatives, farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, financial management, grant making, land access, marketing management, new enterprise development, risk management, value added, whole farm planning
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, habitat enhancement, soil stabilization
• Pest Management: compost extracts, cultivation, cultural control
• Production Systems: permaculture
• Soil Management: composting, earthworms, soil analysis, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community development, community planning, community services, employment opportunities, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, food access and security, food hubs, food loss and waste recovery/reduction, food sovereignty, infrastructure analysis, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, quality of life, social networks, social psychological indicators, sustainability measures, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, values-based supply chains

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 state.  

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 Institute 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 Metropolitan 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.