Gorge Grown supports several groups of farmers and ranchers engaged in building communities of practice called producer working groups. Producer working groups are informal gatherings of farmers and ranchers that come together to share information on common challenges and find collaborative solutions to regional problems.
Working groups are centered loosely on different agricultural products and are meant to serve as a supportive space that allows for networking, resource-sharing, and cooperation on larger projects. The end goal in facilitating producer working groups is to create self-sustaining informal associations that equip growers with knowledge, skills, and tools they need to succeed. Gorge Grown facilitates several producer working groups focused on key production niches to work toward solutions for our unique regional challenges.
Producer working groups are a tried and proven method of improving success rates of growers who participate and conditions for regional agricultural business in general. Noted benefits from a producer working group project conducted by Value Chain Partners in Iowa included:
Gorge Grown is fortunate to have a host of knowledgeable and connected project partners who help make producer working groups useful for all growers who participate.
These groups communicate through Google Group Listservs (an electronic mailing list). To join a group, please send a request to communications@gorgegrown.com.