The International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimates that 40 percent of immigrants and refugees arriving in the United States have an agricultural heritage, and thousands have become farmers after resettling in the U.S. They bring experience, passion, and commitment to the challenges of cultivating resilient local food systems. However, these communities are not always familiar with U.S. agricultural production, markets, or conservation practices.
In 2022, Third Sector New England (TSNE) was awarded a $603,700 Equity in Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreement through the Outreach and Partnerships Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The project, Expanding Equity and Conservation for Refugee Beginning Farmers, partners with IRC and Refugee Farming Incubator to deliver conservation assistance and training. Training modules under development include modules on soil health, cover crops, greenhouses/hoop houses (including high tunnels), pest management, water management, and urban agriculture.
Project partners include Cultivate Kansas City (MO); IRC New Roots Charlottesville (NC); Lutheran Social Services in Iowa; IRC New Roots Phoenix (AZ); and Salt City Harvest Farm (NY).
To date, at least 300 farmers have participated across the five locations, with countries of origin including Bhutan, Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, Thailand, Nepal, Kenya, and Rwanda.
- In Iowa, Global Greens hosted a two-day partner meeting to learn about content development; winter classroom trainings have been held with participating producers; and in-field demonstrations are planned for the upcoming growing season.
- Cultivate Kansas City hosted a No-Till Farm Tour at Urbavore Farm featuring a rain simulation demonstration trailer hosted by NRCS soil health specialist Luke Skinner.
- In Phoenix, 44 New Roots farmers received technical assistance and a marketing workshop was offered.
In March 2023, project team members from sites across the network gathered at Phoenix’s CamelBackyard for three days of Training-the-Trainer workshops and the group, together with local and headquarters-based NRCS staff, toured the site’s aquaponics operation and community garden. Raised beds at the urban project site grow everything from kale to prickly pear and aloe, while tilapia tanks provide nutrients to the aquaponic operation.
“NRCS local offices were instrumental in the success of the first refugee farming incubator I started in Massachusetts in 1998,” said Project Director Hugh Joseph. “It’s so encouraging to see the substantial NRCS support that builds on this local capacity to build stronger partnerships among multiple similar initiatives across the country.”
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