Big River Farms and AgSquared have partnered to create a series of new app-based record-keeping tools to help farmers of color, immigrant farmers, and other beginning growers keep the records needed for organic certification and to better understand their farm businesses.
This project is funded by a Conservation Innovation Grant from NRCS, and specifically aims to help farmers make records more useful, regardless of language spoken or whether or not they have reliable computer access. The project also aims to provide a new tool for incubator farms and other farmer service providers to teach effective record-keeping and to more easily communicate with farmers on the incubator farm regarding records kept, pest and disease monitoring and control, and other data.
Join us for a conversation from both a farmer and incubator staff perspective on what our experience has been developing and interfacing with the app over the 2019 growing season, including challenges and lessons learned.
Then, learn from AgSquared app developers the basics of how to use the app, tips for training farmers, and how to sign up for free subscriptions for your farmer community!
REGISTER HERE
Presenters:
Rodrigo Cala, Cala Farm, Minnesota: Rodrigo was born on a small family farm in Mexico City, and moved to Minne¬sota in 2004. In 2005, he joined the Minnesota Food Association where he successfully completed the Big River Farms Immigrant & Minority Farmer training. The training is focused in organic farming and Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) training. In 2008, Rodrigo and his brother Juan Carlos purchased their farm: Cala Farm “Origenes” LLC, in Turtle Lake WI. They sell certified organic produce to various customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He also works as a trainer for the Latino Economic Development Center; he is founder member of Shared Ground Farmers Marketing Cooperative, a multicul¬tural farmers-owned marketing business based in St. Paul, MN.
Laura Mirafuentes, Big River Farms Programs Manager: Ms. Mirafuentes has worked with Big River Farms since 2014, and currently oversees all aspects of the Big River Farms programming. Ms. Mirafuentes has more than nine years of experience in nonprofit program coordination and communications, and a passion for connecting social justice issues with sustainable food systems. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2009 with a B.A. in English, and her interest in agriculture stems from growing up working at her family's garden center in western Wisconsin.