December 2024 Newsletter

Published December 6, 2024

  • Round Two of the Farmer & Rancher Disaster Resilience Grant is now open, please spread the word to your farmer networks!

    Grant applications open on November 15 and close January 17. Info session recordings, outreach documents and all program details can be found on the websites:

    New this year, we have contracted Spanish language support for Spanish speaking applicants. Please send Spanish speaking applicant questions to rodrigo@ocfsn.org.

    Please send all English language applicant questions to grants@ocfsn.org.

    Grant Team Office Hours (details on the website)-

    • English Office Hours: 8am-9am weekly on Tuesdays Nov 17 - Jan 14 (except Dec 24 and 31)

    • Spanish Office Hours: 2pm-3pm weekly on Fridays Nov 22 - Jan 17 (except Nov 29, Dec 20, 27)

    • You can send applicants with questions or who need support to these office hours to get help from our team or have them email us.

    Please spread the word far and wide and reach out if you have any questions.

  • The team is in the process of finalizing updates to eligibility and applications for Round 2 of the Food Hub Worker Safety and Infrastructure Grants.

  • In case you missed joining OCFSN’s Annual Convening online, catch up with the below resources:

  • We want to try and recognize all the different ways people and organizations contribute to this beautiful community by adding an additional way to be recognized for your time and energy as part of the network. We will be building out a collaborators section under each of the working group pages so please fill out form 2024 Participation Opt-In by Dec 20 to be listed!

  • Our deadline for applications to join the OCFSN Leadership Team has been extended to the end of day Monday, December 9th.  

    If you are part of an OCFSN member organization and are looking to connect with other leaders from around the State to further our mission of bringing people and organizations together to realize a thriving, just and resilient food system, please consider applying! 

    You can find out more information and apply through our website at https://ocfsn.org/leadership-team 

  • As food systems organizations prepare for the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session, we are happy to restart regular Community Food Systems at the Legislature Working Group meetings for members to network and share their priorities for the upcoming session.

    We hope you can join us for the kick-off meeting!

  • Registration to join the inaugural HRSN Learning Collaborative (LC) will open Dec 10 and close Dec 20. We anticipate LC meetings to begin in February 2025. Read more details under the Veggie Rx Working Group Updates below.

    More info to come next week.

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.

  • This past month the Food Hub Network partnered with the NW Rocky Mountain Regional Food Business Center to host  Business Basics: Finance 101 w/ Carla Titus of Wealth and Worth Within. We are currently finishing up this year's series of Worker Safety evaluation site visits with Safety Northwest. These evaluations are making a difference! Hubs that have had two evaluations are showing clear improvements from year to year. Our October meeting helped demystify common marketing terms and approaches and guest starred our friends from the Good Meat Project, and our November meeting covered the inspiring story of how Clatskanie Farmer Collective has grown into the dynamic food hub it is today.

  • Sign up for the Veggie Rx mailing list by emailing veggie-rx+subscribe@ocfsn.orgto automatically receive the calendar invitations. First two quarterly meetings of 2025 are scheduled for February 18 and May 6, 2025: 9:00 - 10:30 am.

    Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) Community Capacity Building Funds (CCBF)  Updates:

    The OCFSN Veggie Rx Working Group was awarded CCBF grants to facilitate an HRSN Food/Nutrition Provider Learning Collaborative for organizations interested in providing Medicaid transition populations with these vital benefits. The total project budget is $71,916 over the next 18 months, which was awarded by EOCCO and Trillium Health. Through the Learning Collaborative we plan to:

    • Convene a monthly/bi-monthly Learning Collaborative with 15-20+ CBO partners from around the state who are working to become HRSN food/nutrition providers. The priority of this group will be to prepare CBO partners to be ready to deliver HRSN food/nutrition benefits beginning Jan. 2025 and ongoing, while also recognizing that some partners may need to extend their start dates. This will be a peer-learning space with opportunities to bring in external support/training as identified by the group.

    • Contract technical assistance support for the group, as identified and needed, for training and guidance.

    • Host training on Community Exchange Platforms (i.e. ConnectOregon/UniteUS)

    • Facilitate frequent bi-directional communication with OHA and CCO partners for policy/program updates and advocacy to improve systems.

    Registration to join the inaugural HRSN Learning Collaborative (LC) will open Dec 10 and close Dec 20. We anticipate LC meetings to begin in February 2025. More info to come.

    Email veggierx-admin@ocfsn.org with any questions.

  • The working group had an excellent BFR subgroup meeting in November, had great representation at the OCFSN virtual convening and some upcoming meetings, see details below. We have launched the second round of the Farmer & Rancher Disaster Resilience Grant Program and will be working on updating our BFR brochure and story map this winter. Several of working group collaborative projects are starting to plan for their next project iteration. We are excited to share project outcomes in future newsletters.

    As always, please continue to use the farmingforthefuture@ocfsn.org Google Group to share your updates with working group members and email farmingforthefuture+subscribe@ocfsn.org to join that group.

    Meeting Outcomes:

    • November 21st Beginning Farmer & Rancher Subgroup meeting: Notes can be found here

    Upcoming Meetings:

    • The Farm Viability sub-group of Farming for the Future meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 11am to noon. The next meeting is on December the 18th Join us on Zoom from 11am - noon to hear from American Farmland Trust’s Pacific Northwest Senior Program Manager, Chantel Welch, and Farm Viability Policy Manager, Emily Liss. Chantel will share an overview of an AFT project focused on Agricultural Viability in Puget Sound. Emily will share about AFT’s efforts to support viable farms by advocating for funding to support business technical assistance. There will be time for questions and we’ll reserve the last 20-minutes of the meeting for program updates. 

  • As food systems organizations prepare for the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session, we are happy to restart regular Community Food Systems at the Legislature Working Group meetings for members to network and share their priorities for the upcoming session.

    We hope you can join us for the kick-off meeting!

    Please join the Google Group if you would like to get regular updates on policy work this session by emailing cfs-policy+subscribe@ocfsn.org.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

  • Visit OCFSN's calendar page for details on all the upcoming working group or other OCFSN hosted events.

    • December 17: Food Hub Network Monthly Meeting

    • December 18: Farm Viability sub-group of Farming for the Future meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 11am to noon. The next meeting is on December the 18th Join us on Zoom from 11am - noon to hear from American Farmland Trust’s Pacific Northwest Senior Program Manager, Chantel Welch, and Farm Viability Policy Manager, Emily Liss. Chantel will share an overview of an AFT project focused on Agricultural Viability in Puget Sound. Emily will share about AFT’s efforts to support viable farms by advocating for funding to support business technical assistance. There will be time for questions and we’ll reserve the last 20-minutes of the meeting for program updates. 

    • December 19: CFS at the Legislature 2025 long session kickoff

    • January 15: Farm Viability Subgroup Meeting

    • [Due 12/20/2024] 2025 SHIP funding opportunity. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will provide up to $15,000 in funding to 10 organizations. This funding will support these organizations to gather feedback from their identified community(ies). The collected feedback will be shared with an external steering committee to help inform the revisions and updates to the 2025 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).  Learn more here.

    • [Due 12/20/2024] CHLPI Request for Technical Assistance Proposals: State-Level Food is Medicine.Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI), with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, launched an effort to facilitate nationwide implementation of Food is Medicine (FIM) policy and build capacity for change at the state level. As part of this effort, CHLPI is seeking proposals from partners who would like to receive in-depth technical assistance to advance FIM policies in their respective states (e.g., Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waivers, state-funded pilot programs, FIM practices that support local food systems, etc.). Learn more here.

    • [Due 12/31/2024] For Portland-area nonprofits, New Seasons is accepting applications for their Bag it Forward program. Learn more here.

    • OCFSN's Disaster Resilience for Farmer and Rancher Grant Round 2 is accepting applications through January 17, 2025.

    • OCFSN's Food Hub Worker Safety & Infrastructure Grant Round 2 expected to open in February 2025.

    • FSA’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program is now open to small and medium-sized businesses. Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification. Apply by Jan. 31. 2025.

    • RD’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program funds many facility types including local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses. Limited to areas with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census data. Open Year Round.

    • Director of Finance and Operations at Growing Gardens. $64,350 yearly. Learn more here.

    • Eastern Oregon Educational Coordinator at Growing Gardens. $23.31/hour. Learn more here.

    • Executive Director at North Coast Food Web. Salaried equivalent of $40.85/hr ($63,725 at 30 hrs/week to $74,000 at 35 hrs/week). Learn more here.

    • Executive Director at Rogue Climate. Salary range $90-93,000. Learn more here.

    • Contract Organizer at Friends of Family Farmers. Two positions open. Apply by Dec 20. Learn more here.

    • Senior Manager, Financial Planning, Analysis & Budget at Oregon Food Bank. Learn more here.

    • December 9, 12:00 - 1:30 pm: Elevating Native Perspectives & Practices at Farmers Markets. Register online.

    • January 17, 2025: Rogue Valley Food Solutions Summit. Save the date for our upcoming Food Solutions Summit, hosted by the Rogue Valley Food System Network! This exciting event will unveil RVFSN's completed Community Food Assessment and Action Plan, a pivotal step towards creating a sustainable and thriving local food system.

    • January 22, 2025: Oregon Soil Health Summit at OSU LaSells Stewart Center, Corvallis, OR
      OrCAN invites you to take part in Oregon’s first-ever Soil Health Summit: a gathering of Oregon’s agricultural community to promote soil health for climate resilience. The Summit will include workshops on current resources, research, best practices and strategies; keynotes; and networking opportunities. Check the Soil Health Summit website for updates. 

    • February 15: OSU Small Farms Conference. Learn more here.

Our next newsletter will be published February 2025.

Please reach out to info@ocfsn.org with any questions regarding the content of this or future newsletters. To get email notifications when newsletter issues drop, join our mailing list below.