Empowering Farms, Nourishing Communities: HDFFA's Grants in Action

Throughout Central Oregon, where water scarcity and harsh conditions challenge even the most determined farmers, small grants are making a big difference. High Desert Food & Farm Alliance’s On-Farm Efficiency Grants are sowing seeds of resilience into local agriculture by helping farmers invest in seemingly simple solutions that deliver huge results, from upgrading irrigation ponds for efficiency to repairing cold storage areas at a generations-old ranch.

By empowering small, local farms to overcome obstacles and innovate, the entire community gains so much: farm-fresh, delicious food that boosts not only our health but that of the local economy and the environment, too. Each grant offers up to $3,000 in matching funds to support improvements in infrastructure, supplies and professional development. Funded in 2024 by a private donor and the USDA, the grants focus on Central Oregon growers who prioritize sustainable practices and sell their products locally.

HDFFA awarded a total of $23,677 to ten local farmers and ranchers in 2024. With the recipients’ matching contributions, this resulted in more than $50,000 being invested in equipment and structures to improve efficiency in time management, water usage and crop yield. This helps alleviate many challenging factors, including the rising costs of land, labor and supplies to low profit margins and vulnerability to extreme weather and pests.

“The stories of our grant recipients reveal just how crucial even a little local support can be in the risky, demanding — sometimes grueling — endeavor of growing local food,” said HDFFA Executive Director Sharon Maier-Kennelly. “At the same time, consumers are increasingly seeking not only locally grown food’s health benefits and flavor, they are also discovering the satisfaction of meeting local farmers and ranchers and being part of their vital work toward nurturing a healthy planet for future generations.”

As part of the program, each awardee also participated in an agricultural workshop and they shared useful resources and what they learned, ranging from water rights issues to calculating production costs. They also detailed how their projects prompted innovative solutions, resilience and growth.

HDFFA is deeply gratified by the successes that this diverse group had with their grant-supported projects, and is energized to partner with community donors to make that happen for a new crop of awardees in 2025.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.

This article appears in Source Weekly October 17, 2024.