The Program

The Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award is a new opportunity from HDFFA for farmers and ranchers to showcase what makes their operation resilient. Through a written and video application, producers will share how they’ve incorporated resiliency into their agricultural operations. The videos will be judged by a panel of reviewers made up of fellow farmers, ranchers, and community members, and the top three applications will be awarded cash prizes. The videos will be posted online at the end of the award period so that other farmers and ranchers can learn more about on-farm resiliency.

Why Resiliency?

The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA) believes everyone deserves good food, and that the backbone  of a resilient food system are our farmers and ranchers.

Throughout 2020, producers experienced a multitude of disruptions including market shifts, reduced access to water for irrigation, and hailstorm damage. In 2021, HDFFA is excited to highlight the change-makers in our community of farmers and ranchers who are taking a proactive approach to agricultural resiliency.

Through this new and hopefully annual initiative called the Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award, HDFFA will highlight producers who have innovative strategies addressing changes in weather conditions, market access, and any other factors that may directly affect their operations.

Eligibility Requirements

• 2021-2022 HDFFA Farm/Ranch Partner
• Be an existing agricultural producer in Crook, Deschutes or Jefferson counties
• Primary markets are in Crook, Deschutes or Jefferson counties
• Must be in production for at least a year at time of application submittal

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be required to submit a written and video application, which will be reviewed by a Review Committee. The Review Committee is made up of farmers, ranchers, organizations and community members who are aligned in the goal to support a healthy and thriving food system. The Review Committee will use a rubric to score applications based on:

• The clarity of the problem and strategy
• How the project addresses the identified problem
• The longevity of the impacts of the project
• The replicability of the project
• The promotion of environmental sustainability, economic viability, and/or community health

The Review Committee will assign scores based on the categories outlined in the rubric and scores will be averaged to determine the highest ranking projects. The highest three scoring projects will be selected for awards. In the event of a tie, the Review Committee will have a vote between the tied applicants.

Priority points will be provided to traditionally underserved farmers and ranchers.

Timeline

• January 18th – February 19th: Written Application Period
• March 1st – March 31st: Video Submission Period
• April 5th: Winners Announced!

Award Amounts

• First Place: $1,000
• Second Place: $750
• Third Place: $500

Application Information

January 18 – February 19: Submit your written application with operation basics and an overview of your resiliency project.

February 22 – February 26: Wait for the Review Committee to evaluate your application.

March 1 – March 31: (If approved) Film and edit a video showing and explaining your resiliency project

March 31: Submit your video online.

Contact Info:

Annie Nichols
annie@hdffa.org
541-390-3572

Thank you to the Roundhouse Foundation for funding this initiative in its inaugural year.