When we became Co-Directors at the end of 2021 we wanted FoFF to have a concrete impact in the day to day realities of farming. To do that we continue addressing root causes and when those require seasons after season to rectify, we seek out solutions for our farmers in the present. The future of FoFF and our food system has to be built row by row, step by step and farmer by farmer. We need many hands to make progress and we need your support to keep the momentum we’ve gained.
Incremental change can be hard to see in the short term, but by sticking to our values and keeping our approach consistent we are seeing the pay off for the communities we serve. In our current strategic plan we have committed to:
Promoting farmer driven initiatives that respond to emergencies and emergent needs.
- Our policy positions and program focuses always come directly from farmer feedback and requests.
Valuing the time and expertise of farmers, staff and community partners and re-allocating resources to the people on the ground doing the work.
- This means paying people for their time, collaborating with regional and community based partners at every level, and equitable staff policies within FoFF.
Advocating for resources that solve real problems for Oregon farmers.
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This year we secured more money for farmers from foundations and state and federal government than ever before in FoFF’s history.
As we write this we are preparing to gather and listen once again. In the depths of winter when the plants aren’t growing and the hands are (relatively) still, farmers share their sorrows and joys, talk through solutions, and give us feedback on potential options. Farmer input sets our work plan and your donations fuel all the awesome things you’ll read about in our year-end report.
Unfortunately the biggest thing we have learned from working at FoFF is that there will always be more work to do. When we help farmers work through climate change, or land insecurity, or threats from industrial agriculture, we are always going to need to address the present threat while working for long term systems change. We need your support to continue to be there for the food system we are building together. Make your donation to Friends of Family Farmers this year to keep us in the room, keep us listening, and keep us ready for what’s next.
In solidarity,
Alice Morrison and Natalie Danielson
Co-Executive Directors