August 2026 Newsletter

Published August 11, 2026

  • Thursday, August 13, 1-2pm

    REGISTER HERE

    OCFSN is excited to be launching our new Strategic Plan! Starting in September of 2025, OCFSN embarked on a nine month planning and engagement process to set the direction of the Network for the next five years. Our new plan is now completed as of July 2026. 

    We had hundreds of individuals from Network Member Organizations and partners engage in our planning process. OCFSN hosted in-person and virtual workshops, multiple surveys, and listening sessions to create and affirm the Network's mission, vision, values, and strategies. With this new foundation, together, we will continue nurturing a thriving statewide network where people and organizations collaborate to advance a just, equitable, nutritious, and resilient food future for Oregon! Folks can read the new plan here - OCFSNStrategicPlanFINAL26-31.pdf

    Join us on Thursday, August 13th from 1-2pm as OCFSN staff outlines what is in the new plan and how we all can use it to strengthen our Network and movement. This session will be recorded. 

    REGISTER HERE

  • OCFSN has received a Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) from Oregon Health Authority for a Veggie Rx Expansion Project. Veggie Rx programs that allow healthcare providers to prescribe fresh food to patients experiencing food insecurity or diet-related health conditions. Participants receive produce through vouchers, boxes, or retail partnerships, Funding supports program expansion, relationship-building between healthcare and food systems, technical assistance, and group learning opportunities. This model directly connects nutrition and healthcare to improve chronic disease outcomes. Read more about the Rural Health Transformation Program here.

  • Oregon’s food system organizations are doing incredible work in their communities everyday. These critical community based organizations do everything from supporting the next generation of farmers to fighting to ensure everyone in Oregon has food. 

    With 59 committed OCFSN Members and a new strategic plan, OCFSN is the most robust network it has ever been. With so many great organizations working on many parts of the food system, we want to help celebrate and uplift the work you are doing across Oregon. 

    In our future newsletters we will have a Member highlights section that shares updates and success from a few Members each edition. For Members who would like to be included in future highlights, please complete this short form asking for your logo and a couple sentences on a new program or success and we will share those with the network!

    Form Link

  • Members, please nominate your amazing staff to serve on the OCFSN Leadership Team (LT)! We have had an LT member leave their position and are now recruiting to fill that space.

    List of OCFSN's current members - https://ocfsn.org/current-members

    Please complete the nomination form here to nominate someone you think would be a great LT member, or if you would like to nominate yourself.  We will reach out to them/you to work through the application and voting process.

    What do folks get out of being on the OCFSN LT?

    • You will deepen your connection to Oregon’s food systems ecosystem and expand your connections with partners across the state.

    • Your organization will be compensated $2,000 annual for your time commitment

    • You will get to help steer the direction of OCFSN’s work and how we serve the membership

    What is your commitment?

    • The LT meets monthly for 1.5 hours on the second Wednesday of the month at 1pm.

    • You commit to reviewing staff reports and meeting materials before the meeting

    • You commit to promoting OCFSN’s mission and vision with members and allies to build our community of engagement and collaboration.

    • You commit to review new member applications quarterly, Leadership Team nominations annually,  and vote to appoint the OCFSN Board annually.

    Who is Eligible to serve on the LT?

    Any person that represents (staff, board or volunteer) an OCFSN member organization and who is approved to serve on OCFSN's Leadership Team by their organization is eligible to join the LT. Our goal is to have diverse and equitable representation of historically underserved communities; urban, rural, and regional perspectives; and other lived experiences. We welcome all levels of experience. You don’t have to be an “expert” or an Executive Director. 

  • OCFSN is always recruiting for new members to grow the strength and diversity of the Network.

    Voting members are described in the OCFSN bylaws and are expected to participate in network working groups and events. Membership is open to non-profit organizations, agencies, and institutions committed to the OCFSN mission and vision.

    Who can apply?

    • Community-based farm and food focused non-profits and grassroots groups.

    • Regional or statewide social-purpose organizations working on farm and food issues.

    • Governmental entities involved in Oregon food system planning and development.

    • National organizations with a staff presence and farm/food programming in Oregon.

    https://ocfsn.org/how-to-join-the-network

OCFSN Member Organization Locations

Resources & Engagement Opportunities

  • Submit a Funding Need

    In response to the current and projected threats of wildfires this season, The Oregon Community Foundation, The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, and other ODFN funders have pledged almost $1M and counting towards resilience and response this wildfire season.

    To strengthen readiness, Les Schwab Tires has a special allocation for tires for nonprofits and first responders helping to keep communities safe via their Tires for Purpose program.

  • Join the Oregon Resilience Summit, October 21-23, in Sunriver, OR, as folks gather to share experiences and insights from those impacted by wildfires over the summer and others working in disaster resilience. 

    The Oregon Resilience Summit is a community-led disaster recovery and resilience gathering. Join organizations from all over the state to reflect on challenges and discover potential solutions. The Governor’s Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO), a people-centered resilience strategy to help communities around Oregon adapt and thrive in the face of increasingly severe disasters, will be featured at the event. Many organizations part of OCFSN have engaged in the PRO, and food systems resilience will be included in the Oregon Resilience Summit programming this year.

    Secure your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/orstickets, and learn more or discover other ways to participate at oregonresilience.com.

Working Group Updates

  • Missed a meeting? You can find recordings of working group meetings on OCFSN’s Youtube Channel and other materials in our Public Google Drive.

    Stay looped into the latest news for each of the working groups by joining the mailing lists: How to Use OCFSN Google Groups.

    • Zak Wiegand from OSU’s Pilot Processing Plant introduced us to the Pilot Plant and its resources and capabilities at our June meeting. Check out the Resource Folder to find the meeting recording, slides and transcript.

    • Our August 4th meeting was with Amy Gilroy of Oregon Department of Agriculture. She introduced us to ODA’s Regional Food & Agriculture Business Centers pilot. These pilot hubs are designed to help regional food and farm entrepreneurs start, scale, and navigate market logistics

    • Based on the dialogue from the April WG meeting and the responses  to the follow-up survey, OCFSN has pursued two grant funding opportunities to support the projects that WG members identified as most  helpful and important. If awarded, these funds would support quarterly working group meetings and other workshops, individualized technical assistance and networking support,  and establish a statewide roadmap for food is medicine policy and opportunities at a state level. We will announce if one or both of these proposals is awarded later this summer!

    • For resources and recordings of the April 2026 and all 2025 working group meetings including guest presentations from program operators and vendors visit https://ocfsn.org/veggie-rx.

    • This group of 27 organizations meets monthly to learn from each other and build systems to become nutrition service providers under HRSN, a program where they can be reimbursed for providing services  through Medicaid. To learn more about this group visit https://ocfsn.org/hrsn.

      • New Resource! HRSN Eligibility Matrix is available here. This visual tool shows all eligibility criteria for HRSN Nutrition Services in one place. 

      • Interested in final guidance materials about the  Fruit and Vegetable benefit or Pantry Stocking benefits? Find resources from Oregon Health Authority saved here.

      • Find answers to  frequently asked questions from OHA, CCOs, and current HRSN service providers in the OCFSN Quarterly HRSN FAQ  EN / ES

  • With the launch of OCFSN’s new Strategic Plan the Farming for the Future Working Group we have updated the Working Group’s plan to align with OCFSN’s more refined Mission, Vision, Goals and Strategies. This is a great opportunity to join or reengage with the Working Group and connect with your colleagues working hard to support Oregon's small and midscale producers.

    Meetings:

    • Farm Viability subgroup meeting | July 22

      • Meeting notes

      • The Farm Viability subgroup met and heard updates about the ODA Regional Food & Agriculture Business Centers, plans for an Oregon Farm Viability Summit in January, plans and ideas for a farm labor session with OCFSN and working group, and ideas to create a regional farm viability cohort that extends outside of Oregon.

      • Next Meeting: September 23rd, 2pm - Zoom | Calendar Link

    • Beginning Farmer and Rancher Subgroup | May 21

      • Meeting notes

      • Folks discussed plans for a 2026 working group gathering, plans for BFRDP and LAMP applications, how folks are navigating new USDA Terms and Conditions, and a bit on upcoming BFR events this summer.

      • Next Meeting: August 19, 10am - Zoom | Calendar Link

        • Join us for this meeting to connect with other BFR service providers and learn about upcoming opportunities including engaging with a new Oregon AgrAbility initiative.

    • Climate Resilience & Stewardship subgroup meeting | June 29 

    • Virtual Farmland Access Convening | May 28

      • Recording

      • OCFSN hosted organizations working on Farmland Access from across Oregon to present on their farmland access work and discuss opportunities for collaboration. California's Kitchen Table Advisors presented on their Land Access Ecosystem Building program and participation on the CA's Agricultural Land Equity Task Force whose report has many recommendations that can be informative to the farmland access work and policy in Oregon. This is the first of multiple of these farmland access discussions.

      • Next Meeting: TBD

    • The Oregon Policy Working Group Coordinators (Andrew Collins-Anderson and Lauren Gwin) have completed our new Working Group plan for 2026/2027. This document outlines the who we are and what we do of the Oregon Policy Working Group.This working group is open to OCFSN members regardless of your policy or advocacy experience. Folks can join the working group by emailing cfs-policy+subscribe@ocfsn.org and receive meeting updates and other materials.

    • The Oregon Policy Working Group met on August 5th at 3pm.

      • Meeting Notes

      • Multiple food system organizations and policy coalitions are preparing for the 2027 long legislative session. We heard from folks engaged with coalitions working on food systems priorities at the 2027 session. Coalition updates are being tracked and can be found here.

    • Our June OFIC meeting focused on farm to corrections with presentations from author and researcher Leslie Soble, formerly of Impact Justice as well as Nutrition Inside working in the farm to prison space.

    • Our July OFIC meeting highlighted the Oregon Organic Coalition who are launching a statewide Organic School Food Assessment to evaluate the demand, supply, and feasibility of increasing organic food procurement across Oregon schools and other public institutions. The project will explore opportunities to leverage existing procurement mechanisms, including the USDA Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Program and the Oregon Farm to School Program, to increase access to Oregon-produced organic foods.

    • OFIC has been awarded a grant to continue an institutional sales pilot that began in 2025 with Kitchen Sync Strategies. This grant will allow for the continued support for three food hubs to access institutional sales as well as a dissemination of best practices and storytelling. We will be sharing updates to this work in the Fall. 

    • The Oregon Farm to Institution Collaborative is a workgroup of OCFSN with a mission to create and sustain a network of relationships between Oregon's agricultural producers, organizations, and institutions that supports local food purchasing, creates new markets for food producers, and improves food and nutrition security statewide. If you are interested in being added to the OFIC listserv, please email oregon-farm-to-institution-collaborative+subscribe@googlegroup.com 

    • Our current OFIC documents and resources are linked here 

      • If you have a key resource for either producers or institutions regarding farm to institution to be added to the webpage, please email Aliza McHugh at ofic-coordinator@ocfsn.org

    • Operations Manager at Oregon Farm to School Network. Salary $65,000-$80,000 DOE. Priority deadline Aug. 3, 2026. Learn more here. 

    • Communications Director at Friends of Family Farmers. Base salary is $67,161. Learn more here. 

    • Clean Energy Fund, Regenerative Agriculture and Green Infrastructure PM (Coordinator II - CPPW) at PCEF.  $85,217.60 - $121,617.60 Annual Salary. Learn more here. 

    • Director, Medicaid & Food Security at Medicaid Food Security Network (MFSN) as well as other health partnerships and initiatives within Share Our Strength’s Benefits Integration priorities. $120k-$130k max. Learn more here. 

    • Oregon Agricultural Trust - Farm and Ranch Business Advisor. Compensation: $70,000 - $80,000 FTE equivalent DOE, plus generous benefits. Learn more here.

    •  Forest Grove Farmers Market support roles at Adelante Mujeres. 

    • July 18 and 19. Oregon Food Bank is looking for volunteers for their booth at Portland Pride Waterfront Festival. Register here.

    • Thursdays and Fridays in Astoria. North Coast Food Web is looking for reliable volunteers to help with food box assembly, volunteer delivery drivers (fuel mileage reimbursement provided), and onsite food pickup. Contact info@northcoastfoodweb.org for more info.

    • Farmers Market Volunteers at Adelante Mujeres. 

    • Backyard Harvest, Community Orchard, and other volunteer opportunities at Portland Fruit Tree Project.

    • Fall 2026 Research Intern - Organics to School Project at Oregon Organic Coalition. Rate: $18/hr, $2700 total stipend. Apply by August 31. Learn more here. 

    • Disaster-related Funding Need Oregon Disaster Funder Network

    • [Ongoing] AFRI Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1713). Learn more here. This program area priority is designed to rapidly deploy strategies and fill knowledge and information gaps to protect the Nation’s food and agricultural supply chains—and the people who support and rely on them—during and after the emergence or re-emergence of pests and diseases associated with animal production systems and/or the emergence or re-emergence of invasive diseases, insects, and weeds associated with plant production systems and/or toxins affecting the health of either plant or animal production systems. All applications must directly address 

      • 1) effects associated with the emergence or re-emergence of pests and/or disease in animal and/or plant production systems or within the food supply; and 

      • 2) one or more of the following emphasis areas: 

        • One Health

        • Plant/Animal Health

        • Ecosystem Health 

    • [Open Grants] The Ford Family Foundation - Technical Assistance Grants, Good Neighbor Grants, and larger funding requests. Learn more here. 

    • [Reviewed Monthly] AgWest - Farm Credit’s Rural Community Grant

      • AgWest Farm Credit is dedicated to enhancing the economic and social wellbeing of rural communities across the West. Their Rural Community Grant program offers funding to nonprofit organizations working on projects that improve rural areas in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Eligible projects include facility improvements, equipment purchases, and capital enhancements to support community infrastructure and prosperity.

  • Visit OCFSN's calendar page for details on all the food systems related events on our radar.

    • September 5. Inaugural Rogue Flavor Showcase at Bingham Knolls. Interested in being a vendor? Fill out this short application. 

    • Sept 9-10: Northwest Indigenous Food Sovereignty Alliance) is planning an Indigenous Food Sovereignty Summit and Mini Food Expo-Here is the registration form for the Food summit.  The presenter's call for proposals can be found here. 

    • September 15 (Redmond) High Desert Nonprofit Conference: Designed for Central Oregon nonprofit leaders, staff, and volunteers, this conference will include sessions on fundraising, finance, governance, and leadership, along with networking opportunities and an inspiring keynote by Steve Patty. Learn more here.

    • September 16: OSU Small Farm School https://extension.oregonstate.edu/smallfarms/metro/small-farm-school 

    • Sept. 16th 5-8pm Ontario Community Food Center Groundbreaking Event aka “Community Block Party”

    • Sep 17 at Chemeketa Agriculture Complex Oregon Partners Meeting on Supporting Farmers & Ranchers navigating pain, disabilities, injury, or age-related changes. RSVP here.

    • Sept 17. Four Rivers Healthy Community Conference-call for presenters open (Application Deadline: Monday, July 31, 2026 How to Apply: Complete the online application form by the deadline.)

    • October 7-8. 8th Annual Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum will be hosted in Denver. Learn more here.  Apply by August 14th to be considered for a farmer scholarship. 

    • October 7-9. Oregon Rural Health Conference

    • October 21st–23rd at Sunriver, OR for the 2026 Oregon Resilience Summit where disaster survivors, thought-partners, CBOs, and nonprofit, public, and private sectors come together for three days of energizing collaboration. http://oregonresilience.com 

    • October 26-27 (Portland) – Nonprofit Impact Conference: Centered on Insight, Innovation & Impact, this two-day event brings together 500+ nonprofit leaders for workshops, panels, and networking. Keynote speaker Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, will headline this two-day event!

    • November 16-18 (Bellingham, WA). Tilth Conference. Check out the preliminary event schedule. Scholarships are available for farmers, Extension agents, Conservation District employees, and food system educators/consultants who support farmers. Scholarships will cover 100% of registration fees (lodging not included). Applications are due by Monday, September 14 at 11:59 p.m. Learn more and apply.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Our next newsletter will be published October 2026.

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