Change the Story about Farms and Climate Change!
Climate Farmer Stories is a project to promote the critical role farming plays in climate and community resilience, involving farmers and artists from this region. Farms produce more than food – let’s share that story!
The project aims to boost farm sales and improve community awareness of the important roles farms play in climate resilience. Addressing climate change through food requires us to get back to the roots of farming and working with natural cycles strengthening ecosystem health. If you farm with practices that positively impact climate and community resilience, this project will increase your ability to share that story.
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
- Farm tours and activities to learn and share with your peers
What the Cohorts Receive
Farms selected 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 for Second Cohort of Climate Farmers
Farmer Application Process: Application period was December 7, 2022- February 1, 2023. Partcipating farmers were notified 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 each farm’s 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.