Marbleseed Inc

MARBLESEED EDUCATES, INSPIRES, AND EMPOWERS FARMERS TO THRIVE IN A SUSTAINABLE, ORGANIC SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURE.

MARBLESEED HELD THE 34TH ANNUAL ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE WITH REDUCED ATTENDANCE AGAIN IN 2023. THIS 20% REDUCTION WAS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER AGRICULTURAL CONFERENCES THAT DRAW A NATIONAL ATTENDANCE. THERE WERE 1728 ATTENDEES. THE CONFERENCE OFFERED OVER 60 WORKSHOPS AND ROUNDTABLES AND 9 IN-DEPTH PRE-CONFERENCE COURSES. WE ALSO HELD A PRODUCER MEETING FOR THE WI LOCAL FOOD PURCHASE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT FOCUSED ON PREPARING SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED PRODUCERS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY IN WISCONSIN COMMUNITIES AND FOR WHOLESALE MARKETS. FIFTY-ONE PERCENT OF CONFERENCE ATTENDEES IDENTIFIED AS FARMERS. THIRTEEN PERCENT OF ATTENDEES IDENTIFIED AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, OR PERSON OF COLOR AND 45% IDENTIFIED AS FARMING LESS THAN 10 YEARS. THIS YEAR THE ATTENDEES AGAIN TRENDED YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE WITH A ROBUST OFFERING OF AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. WE ALSO OFFERED STREAMING OF SOME OF THE CONFERENCE AND 30 PEOPLE ATTENDED THAT WAY, GETTING ACCESS TO LIVE STREAMED KEYNOTES, AND ALL OF THE RECORDED WORKSHOP CONTENT. IN THIS HISTORIC TIME OF SUPPORT FOR ORGANIC FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND SMALL TO MEDIUM SCALE FARMERS, WE HAVE EXPANDED AND DEEPENED PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON TRANSITION TO ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AND CONSERVATION PRACTICES.

IN FALL OF 2022 WE LAUNCHED THE WI LFPA AS THE PRODUCER FACING PROCUREMENT PARTNER. WITH A FOCUS OF REACHING UNDERSERVED FARMERS, MARBLESEED WAS ABLE TO UTILIZE PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTRACT WITH 160 PRODUCERS, 81% OF WHOM IDENTIFIED AS SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED AND REPRESENT 37 COUNTIES. AT THE CLOSE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, DURING THE MAIN GROWING SEASON OF 2023, 127 GROWERS PROVIDED PRODUCTS VALUING 1,059,067.00. AS THE FARMER FACING PARTNER, MARBLESEED STAFF PROVIDED OVER 3,000 INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS WITH CONTRACTED FARMERS AND INITIATED TWENTY ONE VISITS AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS ON THEIR FARMS. THIS YEAR MARBLESEED, THROUGH THE "GROW ORGANIC" PROGRAM, HOSTED OR CO- HOSTED 6 ON -FARM FIELD DAYS WITH OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS. HUNDREDS OF CALLS AND EMAILS WERE ANSWERED THROUGH THE "ASK A SPECIALIST" ORGANIC ANSWER LINE PROGRAM. QUARTERLY ISSUES OF THE TWENTY-EIGHT PAGE ORGANIC BROADCASTER NEWSPAPER HAD A CIRCULATION OF 15,000 FARMERS, AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS AND LOCAL FOOD ADVOCATES. THE MONTHLY ENEWS SUBSCRIPTION WENT TO OVER 11,000 EMAIL ADDRESSES. THE FARMER-TO-FARMER MENTORING PROGRAM HAD 11 MENTOR/MENTEE PAIRS. THE MARBLESEED YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT INCLUDES PODCASTS, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, AND CONFERENCE KEYNOTES HAD 36,000 PLAYS WITH AN ADDITIONAL 352 SUBSCRIBERS THIS YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 1,919. AND THE "IN HER BOOTS" (SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND NONBINARY FARMERS) PROGRAM'S PODCAST ADDRESSED ACCESS TO LAND AND CAPITAL FOR UNDERSERVED FARMERS. THIS PODCAST HAS 91 VIEWS AND 460 IMPRESSIONS ON SPOTIFY.

AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS SINCE MOSES BECAME MARBLESEED, THE NAME CHANGE CONTINUES TO BE INDICATIVE OF HOW WE VIEW OUR WORK AS ADDING THE NETWORK AND CONNECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN AND BRING THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT TOGETHER. CRITICAL TO THIS APPROACH IS CENTERING EQUITY, AND THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE, ANIMALS AND THE PLANET. THE BOARD AND STAFF RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO EMBRACE ORGANIC AS A 'MOVEMENT'. MARBLESEED CONTINUES TO UTILIZE GRANTS AND COMMITMENTS FROM PARTNERSHIPS TO MAINTAIN THE AG SOLIDARITY NETWORK, A FARMER-LED, COLLECTIVELY 'OWNED'SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM. SINCE THE LAUNCH IN SUMMER 2022, THE NETWORK HAS OVER 800 FARMERS AND FOOD SYSTEM ADVOCATES SIGNED UP, DISPERSED ACROSS VARIOUS PRODUCTION FOCUSED GROUPS. THE FARMER ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM ADDRESSED ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND FARM FINANCES THROUGH EDUCATION AND MENTORSHIP FOR BEGINNING FARMERS WHICH INCLUDED FIELD DAYS AS WELL AS A NEW FARMER UNIVERSITY HELD IN WISCONSIN. MARBLESEED ALSO WORKED TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES TO MITIGATE THE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED BY THE ORGANIC SPECIALISTS ON STAFF WHO COME FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. PROGRAMS UNDERWAY INCLUDE EFFORTS AROUND LAND ACCESS, MENTAL HEALTH, LEADERSHIP WITH NATIONAL POLICY PARTNERS, AND DIRECT FUNDING OF FARMERS VIA MINI-GRANTS.