Help Shape the Future of Farming in Indiana
Update! Partners in Food and Farming is hiring a Director of Partnerships. Please help spread the word! Questions, resumes, and cover letters can be sent to Jessica Murnane at Jessica@indianafarming.org.
Partners IN Food and Farming
The Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition has an opportunity to grow in scope and resources, and we want you to help co-create a stronger food system and farmer community for Indiana.
The dream is to build a farmer- and food system advocate-led coalition that serves as a statewide resource for sustainable farmers of all stages and ages as well as folks working to strengthen the food system. We won't be replacing or competing with all of the good work already happening - instead, we want to collaborate with folks already working on food and farming in Indiana, and fill in the gaps were farmers need things like mentoring programs or food councils and businesses want to collaborate on marketing or value chain coordination. We're calling our group "Partners IN Food and Farming."
The dream is to build a farmer- and food system advocate-led coalition that serves as a statewide resource for sustainable farmers of all stages and ages as well as folks working to strengthen the food system. We won't be replacing or competing with all of the good work already happening - instead, we want to collaborate with folks already working on food and farming in Indiana, and fill in the gaps were farmers need things like mentoring programs or food councils and businesses want to collaborate on marketing or value chain coordination. We're calling our group "Partners IN Food and Farming."
How We're Listening
We want the input of farmers and food system advocates from across the state as we begin to pull this dream into reality. We're putting together several ways for you to tell us what you need to make your farm and your food system stronger.
Last Fall, we conducted an online survey of over 70 farmers statewide, including urban and rural farmers, BIPOC farmers, female farmers, veggie growers and livestock folks, and sustainable farmers operating on a wide range of scales. We've be sharing survey results this winter, and seeking more input via the Indiana Uplands Conference (in February), the Indiana Black Loam Conference (in Feb and March), and the Indiana Small Farm Conference (in March). This was a first step to listening. We are also very excited to host in-person, in-depth listening sessions in 2022 that will target farmers as well as food system advocates.
We want to hear from everyone, because we are stronger together.
Last Fall, we conducted an online survey of over 70 farmers statewide, including urban and rural farmers, BIPOC farmers, female farmers, veggie growers and livestock folks, and sustainable farmers operating on a wide range of scales. We've be sharing survey results this winter, and seeking more input via the Indiana Uplands Conference (in February), the Indiana Black Loam Conference (in Feb and March), and the Indiana Small Farm Conference (in March). This was a first step to listening. We are also very excited to host in-person, in-depth listening sessions in 2022 that will target farmers as well as food system advocates.
We want to hear from everyone, because we are stronger together.
We need help imagining and building the most effective and useful statewide food and farming coalition we can. We want to gather input and insights from everyone that makes up the Indiana's agricultural landscape: the farmers, the eaters, and the good folks working on building up our food systems. We are working hard to reach out to all sorts of small scale, sustainable farmers, including urban and rural, first generation farmers as well ask folks who have been farming for decades, BIPOC farmers and LGBTQ+ farmers, farmers who raise livestock and veggie growers, and everyone in between. We know it will take time to build up these relationships, but we're eager to get started. We'll also be reaching out to food councils, farmer organizations, nonprofits who work on food and food access, and anyone else working on local food in Indiana.
Ready to Dive In?
We're building this airplane midair, because it's needed now and we can't wait forever to launch or we'll never move towards our destination. Thanks in advance for your patience.
For more information about PIFF, visit our new (and very basic!) website, click here to join our e-newsletter or please email us at:
For more information about PIFF, visit our new (and very basic!) website, click here to join our e-newsletter or please email us at:
Liz Brownlee
Director of Farmer Programs liz@indianafarming.org |
Jessica Murnane
Director of Operations jessica@indianafarming.org |