The Farm Collaborative

THE FARM COLLABORATIVE - FY23 CONGRESSIONAL COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING

WESTERN COLORADO'S FARMS ARE IN CRISIS. NET FARM INCOME IN PITKIN COUNTY HAS DECLINED 93% SINCE 2017 AND FEWER THAN 5% OF REGIONAL PRODUCERS ARE UNDER 35. FOOD SECURITY IN WESTERN COLORADO DEPENDS ON TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION. THE FARM COLLABORATIVE IS A NONPROFIT FARM AND RESOURCE CENTER SERVING WESTERN COLORADO SINCE 2008. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO CULTIVATE AGRICULTURAL SKILLS, BUSINESS ACUMEN, MARKET ACCESS, AND OTHER PATHWAYS FOR BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS (BFRS) TO SUCCEED AS AGRICULTURALISTS.THE FUTURE FARMERS PROGRAM (FFP) WILL ENGAGE A RANGE OF PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE FULL CONTINUUM BFRS: FROM OUR SUMMER FARMERS-IN-TRAINING PROGRAM, TO APPRENTICES EXPERIENCING A FULL YEAR OF FARM LIFE, TO WORKING BFRS WITH FEWER THAN 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD ON A PRIOR BFRDP-FUNDED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND ENHANCE LONG-TERM FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE; AND EXPAND ACCESS TO MARKETS, TOOLS, AND FINANCING FOR WORKING BFRS. THE COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT CULTIVATE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT CURRENT AND ASPIRING AGRICULTURALISTS AS THEY PROGRESS IN THEIR FARMING CAREERS. PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN PRACTICAL SKILLS BY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CROPS AND LIVESTOCK, ATTENDING FIELD DAYS AND WORKSHOPS, TRAINING IN FOOD SAFETY, AND STAFFING THE FARM STORE. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO AN AFFORDABLE EQUIPMENT LIBRARY AND TO 0% INTEREST LOANS THROUGH TFC'S 2FORKS LOAN FUND.THIS PROJECT WILL TRAIN 45 DIRECT PARTICIPANTS AND REACH 150+ ADDITIONAL BFRS OVER THREE YEARS. THE FFP ADDRESSES BFRDP PRIORITIES 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, AND 14.

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE FARM COLLABORATIVE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WESTERN COLORADO FARMERS AND TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, WILL LAUNCH A REIMAGINED WESTERN COLORADO-BASED FARMER TRAINING PROGRAM FOCUSED ON AGGREGATING AND DEPLOYING RESOURCES TO PREPARE BEGINNING AND UNDER-RESOURCED FARMERS WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR LONG-TERM FARM SUCCESS AND VIABILITY. OUR PROGRAM WILL SERVE BEGINNING FARMERS AT ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE. OVER THREE YEARS, WE WILL 1) RUN A HEAVILY EVALUATED VERSION OF OUR CURRENT, UNSTRUCTURED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM; 2) RUN TWO COHORTS OF BEGINNING FARMERS WITH 1-3 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE PILOT APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM, 3) LINK FARMERS WITH TRAININGS ON FINANCES, MARKETING, AND LAND ACCESS, AND 4) PROVIDE MORE EXPERIENCED BEGINNING FARMERS WITH 3-5 AND 5+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF THEIR BUSINESS VIA OPPORTUNITIES FOR 0% LOANS, FINANCING, GUARANTEED PRODUCT PURCHASES, AND HOUSING. FARMERS WITH NO EXPERIENCE (AS WELL AS THOSE AT ALL OTHER LEVELS) WILL ENGAGE WITH THE PROGRAMMING THROUGH FIELD DAYS HOSTED BY OTHER FARMERS AND A WEB-BASED HUB OF RESOURCES TAILORED FOR WESTERN COLORADO FARMERS, WITH BILINGUAL RESOURCES DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REGION'S LATINX FARMERS. AT THE PROJECT'S CONCLUSION, WE WILL HAVE A ROBUST ECOSYSTEM, WHEREIN WOULD-BE, BEGINNING, AND UNDER-RESOURCED FARMERS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE REGION'S MULTITUDE OF FARM SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS EACH OTHER. OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT, WE WILL PROVIDE AT LEAST 1700 BEGINNING FARMERS WITH ACCESS TO RESOURCES, PROVIDE AT LEAST 45 WITH ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, AND RUN 12 THROUGH OUR REVISED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

INNOVATIVE WOOD LEARNING CENTER DEMONSTRATING NET-ZERO EMBODIED CARBON AND DECONSTRUCTION PLAN