The Farm and Ranch Resiliency Award is an opportunity for HDFFA to showcase what makes farm and ranch operations resilient. From production challenges to market disruptions and climate change, agricultural producers are faced with volatility in all aspects of their business.  This award highlight our Partners who are incorporating resilience into their business plan and educating the community on what sustainable farming truly means.

Why Resiliency?

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, we will highlight producers who have innovative strategies.

How it Works

HDFFA Partners and community members can nominate one or multiple farms or ranches in three categories (production challenges, market disruptions, and changing climate). HDFFA Farm and Ranch Partners are eligible to nominate themselves. The nominated farm or ranch will be notified and asked to write a short description on how they are addressing the problem for which they were nominated for. A group of community reviewers will score the responses based on a rubric and one winner from each problem category will be selected to win a $500 reward and a free marketing and promotional video. 

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

The panel of community reviewers will score each application based on the following criteria:

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

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, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC+), LGBTQ+, living with a disability, and/or veteran.

Timeline

• April 15th: Nomination and Application Period Open
• April 30th: Nomination Deadline
• May 14th: Application Deadline
• May 26th: Winner Announcement!

Awards

The winner in each category will receive:

• $500
• A free marketing and promotional video

All other nominees that submitted an application will receive a $50 gift card to Wilco.

Nomination Categories and Examples

Production Challenges

• • • • Water use reduction
      • Integrated Pest Management
      • Research trials on disease or pests
      • Installation of high tunnels
      • On-farm food waste reduction
      • Seed saving

Market Disruptions

• • • • New/innovative product offering
      • Diversifying sales stream (i.e. wholesale to direct, restaurant to grocer, farmers markets to on-farm pick-up)
      • New sales outlet such as with a new farmstand or CSA

Changing Climate

• • • • Cover crops
      • Rotational grazing
      • Renewable energy use
      • No/low-till practices
      • Crop rotation
      • Silvopasture

Contact Info:

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

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