The High Desert Food and Farm Alliance opened up its nomination period for the Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award on Thursday, April 15th. In its inaugural year, the Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award aims to highlight agricultural producers for taking innovative approaches to on-farm sustainability while educating the broader community on the local food system. After a difficult year for farmers and ranchers with wildfires, hailstorms, and supply chain disruptions, HDFFA is excited to celebrate its partners through this new initiative.
Central Oregon community members are asked to nominate up to three farm or ranch partners in the region that they believe exemplify agricultural resiliency, or the ability to absorb and recover from shocks and stresses to their agricultural production and livelihoods. Community members may nominate farms or ranches in three categories: Production Challenges, Market Disruptions, and Changing Climate.
Winners in each category will be decided by a panel of reviewers judging the applications based on clarity of the problem and strategy, the longevity of project impacts, and the promotion of environmental sustainability, economic viability, and/or community health. The winner in each category will receive $500 and a free marketing/promotional video. Winners will be announced on May 26th.
“After a particularly volatile year for our farm and ranch partners, from wildfires to water shortages to shuttered sales channels, we are excited to be able to highlight the leaders in our community who are taking steps to ensure their long-term viability when faced with a changing world,” says Annie Nichols, HDFFA’s Farm and Ranch Support Manager. “Local farmers and ranchers do so much to feed our community and we are excited to celebrate them through the Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award.”
For more information on the program and how to nominate, please visit: https://hdffa.org/portfolio-posts/resiliency/
