Producer Working Groups
Gorge Grown supports several groups of farmers and ranchers engaged in building communities of practice called producer working groups.
Producer working groups are informal gatherings of farmers and ranchers that come together to share information on common challenges and find collaborative solutions to regional problems. Working groups are centered loosely on different agricultural products and are meant to serve as a supportive space that allows for networking, resource-sharing, and cooperation on larger projects. The end goal in facilitating producer working groups is to create self-sustaining informal associations that equip growers with knowledge, skills, and tools they need to succeed.
Gorge Grown facilitates several producer working groups focused on key production niches to work toward solutions for our unique regional challenges. There are currently 4 active producer working groups: Latino Farmers, Meat (direct-marketed red meat and poultry), Organic Tree Fruit, and Vegetable Producers. If you would like to learn more about these producer working groups or become involved, contact Michelle McGrath, Outreach Manager.
* A quick but important note: PWGs are intended to be a gathering place and resource for farmers who are actively producing for market. If you are a prospective farmer, feel free to contact Gorge Grown staff and we will connect you with helpful and appropriate resources for those considering starting a farm, ranch, or food enterprise.
Why Participate in Producer Working Groups?
Producer working groups are a tried and proven method of improving success rates of growers who participate and conditions for regional agricultural business in general. Noted benefits from a producer working group project conducted by Value Chain Partners in Iowa included:
- A place for farmers and ranchers to share knowledge, advice, and news
- Access to niche-specific workshops and speakers locally!
- Identifying and implementing opportunities to work together on
projects of mutual benefit
- Investing pooled resources, including monetary support, supplies, and
equipment
- Collaborative searches for project funding
Producer Working Groups Project Partners
Gorge Grown is fortunate to have a host of knowledgeable and connected project partners who help make producer working groups useful for all growers who participate.
- Washington State University Extension
- Oregon State University Extension
- Underwood Conservation District
- Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District
-The Next Door / Nuestra Communidad Sana
- .. and more
Latino Farmers Producers’ Working Group
The Latino Farmers PWG is facilitated in cooperation with Nuestra Communidad Sana and is comprised of Latino farmers who grow a variety of agricultural products. This PWG is geared towards addressing the unique needs and challenges of Latino farmers in the area.
Niche Meat Producers’ Working Group
The Niche Meat PWG is an active regional working group of meat producers raising beef, pork, lamb, goat, and poultry. This group is working toward solutions for specialty meat processing in the region, in addition to other cooperative cost-sharing projects.
Organic Tree Fruit Producers’ Working Group
Tree fruits such as cherries, pears, and apples are all a large part of the agricultural economy in the Columbia Gorge. The Organic Tree Fruit PWG is comprised of growers who produce a variety of stone and pome fruit at various scales of production. The group is focused on expanding local education offerings on organic growing practices and is exploring potential collaborative solutions to shared packing, marketing, and distribution challenges faced by organic producers in the region.
Vegetable Producers’ Working Group
The Vegetable PWG consists of producers who grow a great diversity of field crops. Members are primarily small-scale direct-market growers such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms or market gardens, and the group is focused on expanding local education opportunities, improving regional marketing, and using collective action to tackle the common problems of these business models. The Vegetable PWG is looking into group purchasing of agricultural inputs to reduce costs, regional branding, and cooperative distribution options to improve the regional market for vegetable producers.
How to Get Involved
Contact Michelle McGrath, Outreach Manager
