Gorge Grown ran Community Food Leader courses with funding from Meyer Memorial Trust from 2013-2016 in Stevenson, White Salmon, Hood River, The Dalles, and Goldendale. This program is no longer funded, but the leaders trained are at the forefront of the local food movement.
This program consisted of a two-month training program that taught community farmers how to move from talk to action and make positive changes in your community.
Topics covered included:
- Food Systems 101: Who, What, How, Why
- Moving from Talk to Action
- Making Meetings Work
- How to Plan and Execute a Community Food Project
- Building Community Partnerships.
The course covered 8 weeks for a total of 30 hours of training – 6, 3-hour weeknight sessions and 2, 6-hour Saturday sessions. Snacks and meals provided. Participants who completed the entire course of training earned the designation Community Food Leader!