Community Partners: Pathways to Farming

The Pathways to Farming Program (PTF) is a farm incubator program supporting beginning Black, Indigenous and all People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQIA2S+ farmers in the development of their farming, programming and business ventures. The program focuses on building BIPOC capacity and leadership in the food system while building bridges with the broader community and engaging in the farm space. The PTF program centers participants and their experience in its design and leadership.

In 2020-2021, participants in this program farmed at Unity Farm, Mudbone Grown and Wapato Island. In 2022, program participants are farming land at Unity Farm, Wapato Island and Hood River. Each farmer is unique in their farming approach and the ways in which they connect to their communities. The cohort consists of vegetable, flower, herb, medicine, and animal farmers and producers.

The program currently focuses on:

• Community building amongst the cohort
• Supporting and collaborating with other BIPOC farmers, producers and community members
• Food distribution to priority equity constituencies
• Peer to Peer learning
• Technical assistance, mentorship and coaching
• Workshop and skillshares
• Land access and relationship on the land
• Financial support
• Expanding wrap-around social services (rental assistance, food assistance, mental health, etc.)