** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THROUGH A THREE-YEAR PROJECT, ADVANCING WATER RESILIENT STRATEGIES - SUPPORTING ADOPTION OF CLIMATE-SMART FARMING PRACTICES BY SMALL AND MID-SCALE UNDERSERVED PRODUCERS ON THE WEST COAST, AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST (AFT), IN COLLABORATION WITH NORTHWEST CLIMATE HUB, CALIFORNIA CLIMATE HUB, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY, THE DRY FARMING INSTITUTE, AND OREGON CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURE NETWORK, WILL WORK TO BUILD STRONGER REGIONAL NETWORKS OF AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PEER-TO-PEER PRODUCER COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE WORKING WITHIN AND ACROSS WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND CALIFORNIA TO ADVANCE LANDSCAPE LEVEL AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE TO DROUGHT AND CLIMATE INSTABILITY. A WATER RESILIENCE COORDINATOR WILL BE HIRED TO FACILITATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARTNERS AND PROMOTE INTEGRATED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH INVOLVING WATER RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE SMART FARMING PRACTICES. VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSIONS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS IN WA, OR, AND CA THAT FOCUS ON ON-FARM SOLUTIONS FOR WATER RESILIENCE. THESE SESSIONS WILL BE TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF ATTENDEES USING DATA COLLECTED FROM PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS. IN ADDITION TO AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS, FARMERS WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN BY BEING EXPOSED TO REGIONALLY APPROPRIATE EXAMPLES OF WATER RESILIENT STRATEGIES THROUGH 12 HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING CIRCLES WILL BE CONDUCTED TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE, ACCESS TO RESOURCES, AND THE CONFIDENCE OF BEGINNING, SMALL-SCALE, UNDERSERVED WOMEN PRODUCERS IN THE REGION. THE OUTCOMES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE VARIOUS TRAINING, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND LEARNING CIRCLES WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED USING STORYTELLING, CASE STUDIES, AND MAPPING TO BROADCAST THIS INFORMATION TO A WIDER AUDIENCE.
$747,698FY2023National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA
The American Farmland Trust