Research to Resources: Understanding Rural Perspectives to Inform Program and Personal Development

Posted on by egronert

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by Alex Van Grunsven, Working Lands Program Developer, Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council 

Committing to serve in a rural community could not be more rewarding. Imagine meeting individuals who have lived on a single property for 30 plus years. They tell stories of the animals who frequent their woods, the water that meanders across property lines, the shift in cover crops that populate their pasturelands and, most importantly, the deepening of their connection to their environmental and local communities. These stories, in my eyes, are the reasons why opening your ears and heart to those around you helps to shape not only your understanding of a rural community, but also your entire being for the better. 

Going on my second year serving in rural regions, I’ve talked with numerous people about the barriers and gaps community members face regarding their connection to food and farming. My current term as Working Lands Program Developer for the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council in Cottage Grove, Oregon has brought me a new perspective on how rural producers and consumers interact with their local food systems. I couldn’t have ever imagined to have learnt the valuable information I did in these past 4 months without having the opportunity to table at the South Willamette Valley (SVFM) and Lane County Farmers Markets (LCFM). 

The general scope of the Working Lands Program (WLP) is to provide a farmer-centered, free service aimed at tackling the barriers farmers, ranchers and foresters face and provide support to transition to more regenerative land management practices (Van Grunsven, Alex “Working Lands Program Farmer’s Market Outreach Report 2022” January 19, 2022.Working Lands Program, Report). Furthermore, the WLP is a brand-new program offering assistance to landowners beginning January 2023. The Working Lands Program relies heavily on the input of community members in the counties of Lane, Linn and Benton to provide context for program development and its evolution over time. That is why the WLP team identified the SVFM and LCFM as prime opportunities to gather community input and accomplish the following: 

  1. Raise community awareness of the Working Lands Program 
  2. Gather impressions of “regenerative agriculture” and associated practices from the public and market vendors 
  3. Gain an understanding of the expressed and perceived regional issues associated with working lands operations 

Now the background of why our organization decided to conduct on-the-ground outreach at farmers markets is an important piece to note. However, the how and what following such motives paint a better picture of what impact my position directly has on the local communities I aim to help. On three separate occasions, I stood through rain and shine at each market to welcome community members to engage in conversation, fill out a survey and answer topical questions about their local agricultural systems. I asked consumers at the LCFM to write or draw their response to the question: “What is the number one issue Oregon farmers face today?” Let’s just say – the range of answers written on that poster were vast and highly entertaining to reflect upon. Similarly, consumers at the SVFM were eager to discuss the nuance of farmer impacts on society and were thinking on a deeper level about the survey questions at hand. Back and forth conversations flowed as new understandings helped inform the place-based impressions my fellow community members believed in. Such responses were essential pieces to include in a comprehensive outreach report I wrote outlining community impressions and how they will inform further program development. Which as a little spoiler, the WLP will focus on increasing producer awareness for the term “regenerative agriculture” given the consumer support in the marketing realm and increased government funding for such practices. 

Documenting and analyzing the feedback of local peoples was not an easy task. Many community members came from all different backgrounds and ways of life, which posed difficult to apply a one-size-fits-all theme across the collected data. However, it only took one interaction with Tom Murray, SLO Farm Farmer and LCFM Board President, to shape my perspective on rural farming and food systems moving forward. As a farmer himself, Tom understands what it takes to run a farming business in this region. He shared thoughts of how success in agriculture does not come without time, effort and high amounts of sacrifice. What I gained from his insights was a chilling realization that all types of farmers, small scale, large scale, rural and urban alike, suffer from lack of mental health support in their communities. To be a rural farmer, rancher or forester takes a certain type of dedication and grit that superimposes your life with your livelihood. If there is one thing I will take with me from my experience chatting with consumers and vendors at both farmers markets, it is building relationships with your neighboring farmers will not only strengthen local food systems and peoples, but will also shift the very framework rural societies operate on forever. 

Thank you to all the rural farmers, ranchers, foresters, and landowners I’ve met for opening my eyes to the beauty and struggles of your livelihoods. I hope I can give you the support and attention you deserve during the rest of my time as a RARE member. 

 

Headshot image of Alex Van Grunsven About the author, Alex Van Grunsven: Originally from the dairy capital of the United States, Wisconsin, Alex made the trek to the Pacific Northwest in 2017 to attend school at the University of Oregon (UO). She pursued a degree in Environmental Science and Food Studies while working with UO affiliated programs such as the First Year Interest Group program, the Urban Farm on campus and Environmental Leadership Program. Her passions lie in creating and maintaining sustainable, accessible and local food systems and agricultural operations across regional communities. Looking at the year ahead, Alex hopes to connect with as many local farmers, ranchers and landowners of the Upper Willamette Valley as possible and is eagerly awaiting any and every opportunity to grow food and spend time in the soil. She also enjoys trying foods from different cultures and exploring the hidden lands of Oregon and beyond.

Interested in gaining food systems experience of your own? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 30 (2023-24) due April 30, 2023 by 11:59pm PDT.

Dancing With Maple Seeds: Environmental Education in the Willamette Valley

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by Autumn Wilson, Youth Education Project Lead, Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council

It started with the wind. A sudden burst of warmth that cut through the dense, frigid November air like a long-awaited reprieve. The five tiny humans that had previously had their limited attention fixed on me suddenly locked their eyes on the sky, noticing the swirling shadows on my table long before I had. In the air, what looked to be a flock of birds was perhaps thousands of woody propellers cascading from the Maple trees that encased the creek where our field trip was taking place.

The woods around us filled with the soft giggles and shouts of happy students, all diverting from their respective outdoor lessons to dance in the falling Maple seeds. I was stationed at a fold-out table teaching students about the importance of water quality at the time. My lesson, only slightly disturbed by the breeze, was nearing the apex of what scientific investigation was for a group of fifth and sixth graders: a mild chemical reaction coupled and some broken glass. However, at that moment, nothing could be more entertaining than the raining seed pods.

At no more than two months into my eleven month journey with RARE, I still found myself wondering what role I served in the grand scheme of environmental education, especially as someone who hardly knew where my own path was meant to lead as a freshly graduated BS. With a new diploma in one hand and my trusty waterproof boots in the other, I began diving headfirst into education–Still feeling more so like a student myself than an instructor. As time went on, I found my perpetual student mindset to be more of an asset than I initially gave it credit for. Being able to design lesson plans that a fourth grade, sixth grade, or high school version of myself would have wanted proved to be both a benefit for the schools we worked with as well as a self-healing experience for me.

Our students that particular November day were from a small school on the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon. Many of whom had never stepped outside their town limits, much less provided a natural space teeming with biological intricacy like the Whittaker Creek–an active spawning site for Salmon at the time, and the location for this particular field trip. The entire day was filled with children tracing the ornate grooves of Douglas-Fir trees with eager fingers and wide-eyed observations of salmon spawning in their natural habitat, something suburban life is unfortunately lacking.

Being a part of this RARE adventure has given me the space to grow in a way I could have never anticipated. I get the unique experience of watching children build their own relationships with nature and seeing the outdoors as a place where they can become environmentalists in their own way. I also get to build lessons that embrace the topics of environmental education from an equitable and accessible lens that can make science artistic, playful, poetic, as well as scientific. I get to stretch my creative legs and do what I have always loved; be nerdy with kids.

As the Maple seeds fell from the sky, and my lesson promptly halted, I took a moment to absorb the gleeful moment. I realized that this was why we work so hard to get these students out to these environments. In ten years, they may not remember my science experiment, or the salmon in the spawning channel. Instead, they will carry with them the memory of dancing in the sun and catching the twirling, woody propellers.

Headshot image of Autumn WilsonAbout the author, Autumn Wilson: Autumn grew up along the scenic Columbia River, often spending her childhood days scaling towering Cottonwood and Douglas Fir trees or collecting frogs in the muddy creeks near her home. She developed a passion for biology and environmental sustainability after working four years in the agricultural sector and later graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. After her undergrad in Eugene, she decided to serve in the RARE AmeriCorps program and was placed here at the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council to be a part of their environmental education projects. Autumn loves ecology and could spend hours identifying trees if she could, but outside of the lush PNW forests she is an avid gym-goer with a passion for trying out different varieties of fitness forms–Everything from pilates to powerlifting! She is beyond excited to be a part of such a dynamic and vibrant team and cannot wait to experience everything this role has to offer.

Interested in gaining sustainability and environmental planning experience of your own? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 30 (2023-24) due April 30, 2023 by 11:59pm PDT.