Change the Story about Farms and Climate Change!
Climate Farmer Stories is a USDA-funded project to promote the positive role farming plays in climate and community resilience, involving farmers and artists from this region.
The project aims to boost farm produce sales and improve public awareness of the important roles farms play in climate resilience. It builds on the 2021 “Climate Hero” campaign by Vital Communities and NOFA-VT – but with more farms, more art, more stories, and more marketing and events.
The project includes:
- Expert marketing advice for the farmers in the cohort
- Original visual art depicting each farm’s climate-friendly practices, which the farms can use for marketing
- Audio portraits of the farmers
- An interactive traveling exhibit integrating the visual art and audio portraits to educate the public about climate-friendly farming
The project involves two groups (or “cohorts”) of participating farmers, for 2022 and 2023, respectively.
What the Cohorts Receive
Farms selected for either cohort will receive 10 hours of marketing assistance, art/sound story materials for their farm, and $3,000 for marketing activities. Through the project’s traveling Climate Farmer Stories exhibit, the farmers will reach new customers and help educate the public on the value of ecological farming.
Timeline
Farmer Application Process: Application is open December 7, 2022- February 1, 2023. Farmers will be notified if they are accepted into the program in mid-February.
Cohort Gatherings: 2023 Cohort kick-off meeting in mid-March, monthly +/-gatherings (in-person and/or virtual). Cohort discussions and training sessions, schedule, topics, and frequency determined by cohort participants.
Summer 2023: Local visual and audio artists visit the farms and create an illustration telling your farms climate-friendly story. The audio interviewer records an interview with the farmers.
Winter 2023-2024: Farms receive 10 hours of professional marketing assistance, art/sound story materials for their farm, and $3,000 for marketing activities.
2024: Visual and audio art is used in Climate Farmer Stories campaign run by Vital Communities and in traveling Climate Farmer Stories exhibit. Vital Communities implements a regional advertising and promotional campaign using the farmer portraits and audio interviews
Spring 2024: Cohort ends with evaluation and income reporting.
Please Tell Me...
Is this project only for farms with direct sales?
Yes, the funder of this project is the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program. The FMPP only funds farms who have a direct sales enterprise as part of their business.
Does it matter where my farm is?
Some cohort meetings will be in person next winter, at a location within the Vital Communities service area. Check the map and if you are willing to travel to those locations, you should apply!
Can farmers markets or other group sales venues apply?
No, this program is only for farms.
Can a farm choose an artist that they know/like/already have a relationship with?
Yes, if that artist applies to be a part of the project. The artist application will be open January 12-March 1, 2023.
How long do the farms have to use the stipends? What type of records/invoices are needed to show what the stipends were used for?
Cohort members will fill out an extremely simple application indicating the amount and purpose of the stipend. We will ask cohort farms to report on stipend spending in spring of 2024 at the earliest.
Will cohort meetings be in person?
We hope so. It will depend on who applies and what the participants want, and if there aren’t COVID restrictions.