The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA) was recently awarded a Beginning Farmer and
Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) Grant from the United States Department of
Agriculture. This highly competitive grant is focused on programs for farmers and ranchers who
have been producing for less than ten years and will allow HDFFA to increase their farm and
ranch support in Central Oregon. The award will fund programming from September 2020
through August 2023.
Through the BFRDP HDFFA will provide educational workshops for farmers and ranchers
focused on livestock processing, agritourism, understanding local policy, and mentorship
opportunities. An additional component of the grant is support for Veterans who are new to
farming and ranching, which will be implemented in partnership with the Central Oregon
Veteran’s Ranch, located near Redmond.
“This grant will allow us to ramp up support for beginning Central Oregon farmers and ranchers
who face a multitude of challenges entering the industry. From leasing land to accessing new
markets, this grant will allow us to connect farmers and ranchers to the resources they need to
succeed in the local food system,” said HDFFA Farm & Ranch Support Manager Annie Nichols.
“By partnering with organizations that are also part of our community, we are able to multiply
the impact this grant will have and utilize subject matter experts to deliver
valuable programming to our farm and ranch partners.”
HDFFA’s Agricultural Support programming works in tandem with their Food Access
programming and towards HDFFA’s vision of a prosperous food and farm network with
equitable access for all Central Oregonians.
Key program implementation partners in this grant are Oregon State University Extension, the
Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, Friends of Family Farmers, Visit Bend, and Travel Oregon.
HDFFA is a 501(c)3 non-profit serving Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. HDFFA’s
mission is to support a healthy and thriving food & farm network through education, collaboration and inclusivity. For more info visit hdffa.org.
HDFFA Receives USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Support Grant
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