The increasing food security in central oregon project is a community-based participatory effort spearheaded by the high desert food & farm alliance to improve access to nutritious and culturally…

The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFAA) will receive $591,404 under a three-year Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to implement the Increasing Food Security in Central Oregon project. The grant is part of the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFPCGP), which aims to support community-based efforts to address food security through comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues.

Through this funding, HDFAA will work to improve access to nutritious, culturally appropriate foods grown by regional farmers for food insecure residents in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson Counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon. Key activities include assessing tribal food sovereignty; increasing the production and diversity of local foods available to direct and wholesale markets as well as the regional food bank; providing nutrition education; and disseminating information about food access programs. HDFAA also aims to empower farmers and low-income communities through education and incentive programs while collaborating with multi-sector stakeholders to identify and address short and long-term food security challenges in a comprehensive, data-driven manner.

The increasing food security in central oregon project is a community-based participatory effort spearheaded by the high desert food & farm alliance to improve access to nutritious and culturally appropriate foods grown by regional farmers in the TRI-county region of crook, deschutes and jefferson counties and the confederated tribes of warm springs. Building upon existing assets and multi-sector relationships, we will (I) improve access to and utilization of regionally grown fresh food for food insecure residents by understanding their needs and increasing the availability, consumption, and their proficiency in preparing foods through education, a tribal food sovereignty assessment and action plan, and relevant food access programs; (II) increase the availability of local foods by improving the production volume and diversity of food for direct and wholesale markets and the food bank from regional producers; and (III) deepen the knowledge and disseminate information about food access and food security to and on behalf of food system stakeholders, specifically targeting low-income residents, farmers, ranchers and warm springs residents. This project will provide a comprehensive plan to address food security by removing barriers to access and food production, providing education about nutrition, making connections to incentive programs and working with multi-sector stakeholders and beneficiaries to address short, medium and long term issues collectively identified in our region. The primary goals of hdffa's grant application are aligned with all of the cfpcgp's goals in the following ways: (1A) meets the food needs of low-income individuals through culturally appropriate fresh food distribution, improved access to and volume/diversity of fresh foods, outreach/education about double up food bucks and nutrition incentive programs - all in collaboration with stakeholders and beneficiaries; (1B) increases the self-reliance for (I) low-income residents by empowering them through educational events, printed materials, and in person learning; (II) marginalized farmers through educational workshops, season extender and animal husbandry grants, and food access programs; and (III) working with multi-sector stakeholders in data driven collection and analysis of food security metrics and dissemination of program results; (1C) promotes comprehensive responses to local food access, farm, and nutrition issues by supporting community driven food sovereignty work, and investing in long-term strategies for local food economies through multi-sector collaboration; (2A) provides for region-specific needs as identified by the oregon and regional food bank, health council, farmers and food insecure residents that participate in existing hdffa food access programs; (2B) plans for long-term solutions including: (I) identifying and working with regional partners that integrate aspects of this project into their existing work, (II) the creation of a regional food security coalition, and (III) participation in our annual food and farm event that allows for built trust and community leadership in the food system; and (2C) innovative marketing activities including the farmer-run fill your pantry bulk buying event, which will include more outreach to low-income residents and provides for increased regional ranch and farm sales at the end of the year; and through an on -arm cooking classes for low-income families that are farmer and farm-chef led.