Farmer Incubator = Good Food for Me+You

The Southern Oregon Farmer Incubator helps beginning and limited resource farmers start and sustain their businesses while providing needed fresh produce to area food pantries. Participants can opt to participate in one or both of two program tracks: hands-on farm business courses and access to new markets.

Track 1: Farm / Business Training consists of bi-monthly hands-on agricultural, business management and marketing education over a nine-month season. Participants will receive an on-farm consultation with a small farms instructor and be referred to other experts to address any specific issues arising during the program year.

Track 2: Market Access gives participants an opportunity to sell their produce to area food pantries, made possible by a generous grant from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation. Participants in the second track will also sell product through Rogue Valley Local Foods, an online farmers market, and will gain experience by staffing the markets in rotation.

The program is a collaboration between the Oregon State University Small Farms program and Thrive in partnership with Friends of Family Farmers, Rogue Farm Corps and ACCESS. For more information contact Thrive at http://www.buylocalrogue.org/index.php

FARM to FORK to You!

FARM to FORK, a traveling farm-to-table restaurant, local food fundraiser, and community celebration, will change your relationship with food! These unique dinners are designed to reconnect people to the source of their food, and to honor the talented farmers, food artisans, winemakers, and chefs that contribute to the growing culinary reputation and local food community of Southern Oregon.

Experience a remarkable artisan meal in the company of friends, neighbors, and fellow supporters of our local food and wine community. Proceeds from the dinners will be contributed directly to local farmers, wineries and organizations that support small farms, food security, and greater accessibility to healthy, local food.

An essential part of the FARM to FORK mission is to directly support local farmers and organizations that support small farms, food security, community resiliency, and greater accessibility to healthy, local food.

Summer FARM to FORK events in the Rogue Valley are sold out, so (get yourself on the waiting list!) and sign up for the Sept, Oct and Nov events!

Contact Information:

Web: FARM to FORK 2010 Schedule

Image: By S Baker. Wikimedia Commons.

Rogue Valley Farm to School (Jamie Oliver would be proud)

Rogue Valley Farm to School’s mission is to educate children about their food system through hands-on farm and garden programs, and by increasing local foods in school meals. The organization works to inspire an appreciation of local agriculture that improves the economy and environment of the community, and the health of its members.

• The Farm Education Program teaches students about local organic agriculture and nutrition through hands on activities that incorporate math, science, art and writing as well as practical life skills such as cooking, gardening, problem solving, and working together.
• The School Garden Program helps local schools establish and sustain their own gardening projects, and develop educational activities in the school gardens.
• The Farm to Cafeteria Program creates connections between local growers and the school lunchroom. Rogue Valley Farm to School works with school food service staff to evaluate annual produce needs that in turn assist farmers in planning their seasonal planting. Rogue Valley Farm to School also keeps track of local and regional product availability to facilitate ordering, receiving, storage and distribution of fresh, local produce according to school menus.

Contact Information:
Web: Rogue Valley Farm To School

Image: By Frank Wouters. Wikimedia Commons.

Get Your Farm ON! OSU Small Farms Program

The Oregon State University Small Farms Program is the go-to educational resource for small farms in Jackson County. The program provides one on one consulting for commercial producers and small acreage landowners, and resources and classes for new and beginning farmers and ranchers.

Class topics include:

• business planning for small farms
• pasture management
• small-scale grain production
• integrated pest management
• marketing
• and much more

Contact Information:
Web: Oregon Small Farms
Phone: (541) 776-7371
Email: maud.powell@oregonstate.edu
melissa.matthewson@oregonstate.edu
Staff: Instructors Melissa Matthewson and Maud Powell; program assistants Tracy Harding, Shelley Elkovich and Julia Pederson.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Local Food Thrives With The Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative

The Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative (SSC) is an agricultural marketing cooperative with nine member farms in the Applegate and Williams valleys.

SSC markets primarily through a Community Supported Agriculture program, which provides weekly boxes of fresh produce, meat, cheese, eggs, bread, honey and coffee to 135 families in the Rogue valley. SSC farmers are passionate about providing organic, fresh, and seasonal produce to community members as a way to build a thriving local economy.

SSC accepts the Oregon Trail card. Tom and Maud Powell coordinate the CSA program.

Contact Information:
Web: Siskiyou Sustainable Cooperative
Phone: Maude at (541) 899-9668
Email: maud@siskiyoucoop.com

Image: By edibleoffice. Wikimedia Commons.