Farming for the Future Working Group

Coordinator: Andrew Collins-Anderson

What is the Farming for the Future Working Group?

The Farming for the Future Working Group was formed to improve the collective effectiveness and impact of OCFSN Member organizations addressing a range of challenges faced by Oregon’s small and midscale farmers and ranchers. This is done through joint learning and collaborative project development through issue focused subgroups. Each subgroup meets virtually on a set schedule depending on current projects and engagement. The full F4tF Working Group convenes in-person once a year.

For more information you can see our 2026 Working Group Impact Report and our 2026 Working Group Plan. See below for how to join the working group and connect with your peers.

The first step in engaging with the Farming for the Future Working Group is to join our Google Group by emailing farmingforthefuture+subscribe@ocfsn.org. This list is used by OCFSN staff and farm service providers from across Oregon to share program updates, event/meeting reminders, funding opportunities, and other resources.

  • Beginning Farmer & Rancher Subgroup

    Purpose: Members of the Beginning Farmer & Rancher (BFR) subgroup meet to build connections with their colleagues and to collaborate on existing and new services for Oregon’s beginning farmers and ranchers at all stages of development, between 0 and 10 years of agricultural production.

    Objectives:

    • To expand the availability and impact of BFR programing in Oregon

    • To provide a forum for BFR service providers to network and increase collaboration

    • To develop and support the delivery of collaborative projects for Oregon BFRs

    Successful Collaborative Project Examples:

    Meeting schedule: 

    Quarterly at 10am on the 3rd Thursday of the month - February, May, August, November.

  • Climate Resilience & Stewardship Subgroup

    Purpose:

    To integrate climate resilience into OCFSN member’s food system projects and policy advocacy and support members to create projects that integrate climate, community, and economic resilience.

    Objectives:

    • Provide a collaborative space to share issues, updates and opportunities to advance climate resilience and stewardship on Oregon’s farms and ranches.

    • Identify and work on collaborative projects that assist farmers impacted by climate change and increase available resources to expand agriculture-based climate solutions. 

    • Advocate for and expand state and federal policy to advance climate resilience and stewardship on Oregon’s farms and ranches.

    Successful Collaborative Project Examples:

    Meeting Schedule: 

    Quarterly meetings as scheduled depending on presenter availability

    Ongoing Farmer & Rancher Disaster Resilience Grant Program meetings

  • Farmland Access Subgroup

    Purpose:

    Be a forum for a coordinated network of organizations working on farmland access technical assistance, program development and advocacy.

    Objectives:

    • To expand the availability and impact of Farmland access TA programing in Oregon

    • To provide a forum for Farmland Access service providers to increase collaboration

    • To develop and support the delivery of collaborative projects for farmland access

    Successful Collaborative Project Examples:

    Meeting Schedule: 

    Monthly project team meetings and quarterly information meetings on farmland access open to the network membership

  • Farm Viability Subgroup

    Purpose:

    Be a forum for a coordinated network of farm business technical service providers that is engaged in continuous improvement (learning together) and collaboration so that we have the greatest possible impact in our collective work to support farm viability.

    Objectives:

    • Be a farm and ranch business technical assistance peer space that helps members keep each other informed for referrals, program updates and collaboration on programs.

    • This space is uniquely focused on Farm Viability Technical Assistance

    Meeting Schedule:

    Every other month on the Fourth Wednesday at 2pm (Sept, Nov, Jan, March, May, and July)

Join a Subgroup

Click the image above to view the Map

 

Beginner Farmer and Rancher
Story Map & Brochure

Our Story Map shares a glimpse of the programs and resources currently available to support Beginner Farmers and Ranchers (BFR) across Oregon. Our brochure provides a printable list of BFR service providers.

Get your program added to the map