Adelante Mujeres Forest Grove, OR
organic farming + employment for Latina immigrants
www.adelantemujeres.org
 Adelante Mujeres is delighted to be selected as one of the 10 finalists for a Green America Green Grant. If selected, funds would go towards a restoration and farmscaping project at La Esperanza Farm, a collective farm managed by Adelante Agricultura, the sustainable farming program of Adelante Mujeres. We are a community-based non-profit in Forest Grove, Oregon that works towards the education and empowerment of immigrant Latina women and their families. Established in 2005, the Adelante Agricultura program provides training and technical assistance for emerging organic farming businesses. Adelante Agricultura’s mission of achieving social justice and equity through ecological land management and economic viability is directly in line with the mission of Green America as it encompasses both themes of social justice and ecological sustainability.The program goals are:
- To increase opportunities for the immigrant farmers of tomorrow through entrepreneurial training, mentoring and access to land,
- To strengthen direct marketing capacity of Spanish speaking small-scale farmers with limited resources, and
- To advocate ecological awareness and action for a sustainable economy and healthy communities.
La Esperanza Farm is 12 acres of land within the Forest Grove city limits where farmers who graduate from Adelante Agricultura’s 12 week long organic farming course have the opportunity to put into practice their newly acquired organic farming skills and knowledge. Farmers lease ½ acre plots of land and work in cooperation with the other farmers on the land to grow produce to be sold through direct marketing opportunities such as the Forest Grove Farmers Market (another project of Adelante Mujeres). Adelante Agricultura supports the farmers in establishing their farm businesses and eventually, their transition to other locations as independent farmers.
Adelante Agricultura plans to use the Green Grant to implement restoration projects at La Esperanza Farm, which include the reintroduction of native plants and the improvement of the riparian zone. The development of natural spaces is meant to serve both as a conservation education tool as well as to provide ample habitat for beneficial pollinators and other wildlife that will contribute to the sustainability and productivity of the land. The program is currently partnering with local organizations such as City of Forest Grove Public Works and Clean Water Services to work to eradicate invasive plants and to restore the fragile habitat along bordering Gales Creek. Funds from this grant will go to support the further development of riparian buffers, swales, native hedgerows, artificial nests and the creation of additional natural areas. Adelante Agricultura plans to transform La Esperanza farm into an educational farm that teaches both the resident farmers and the local community about the benefits of creating a healthy farming environment that is in balance with nature.
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| Forest Grove Farmers Market |
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| Local farm visit |
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| Community Garden |
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Working in the Gardens
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