Marbleseed Inc

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

WITH THE BACKDROP OF THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, MOSES HELD THE ANNUAL ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE WITH REDUCED ATTENDANCE IN 2022. THERE WERE 1616 ATTENDEES, 66% OF PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. THE CONFERENCE OFFERED 54 WORKSHOPS AND 7 FULL-DAY, PRE-CONFERENCE COURSES, INCLUDING ONE FOCUSED ON FARMERS ADDRESSING RACISM IN ADDITION TO FARM BUSINESS AND PRODUCTION TOPICS. FORTY-FOUR PERCENT OF ATTENDEES IDENTIFIED AS FARMERS. THIS YEAR THE ATTENDEES TRENDED YOUNGER AND MORE DIVERSE WITH A ROBUST OFFERING OF AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS AND TRANSLATION SERVICES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. WE ALSO OFFERED A VIRTUAL OPTION OF THE CONFERENCE AND 120 PEOPLE ATTENDED THAT WAY, GETTING ACCESS TO LIVE STREAMED KEYNOTES, 2 LIVE STREAMED WORKSHOPS AND ALL OF THE RECORDED WORKSHOP CONTENT.

IN MAY OF 2022, WE RE-BRANDED AS AN ORGANIZATION, EMERGING AS MARBLESEED: FARMER-LED, ROOTED IN ORGANIC. A NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE LAUNCHED AS THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED. THIS YEAR MARBLESEED, THROUGH THE "GROW ORGANIC" PROGRAM, HOSTED OR CO-HOSTED 7 ON -FARM FIELD DAYS WITH 321 PARTICIPANTS. HUNDREDS OF CALLS AND EMAILS WERE ANSWERED THROUGH THE "ASK A SPECIALIST" ORGANIC ANSWER LINE PROGRAM. SIX ISSUES OF THE TWENTY-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 13 MENTOR/MENTEE PAIRS. THE MARBLESEED YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT INCLUDES PODCASTS, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, AND CONFERENCE KEYNOTES HAD 42,000 PLAYS. AND THE "IN HER BOOTS" (SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND NONBINARY FARMERS) PROGRAM'S PODCAST, UPDATED THIS YEAR TO MORE SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE THE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS, WOMEN OF COLOR IN FARMING, HAD 3,101 PLAYS. THE NEW WEBSITE NOW ENABLES VISITORS TO SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC RESOURCES VIA A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE ON THE SITE.

THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR MOSES BECAME MARBLESEED. THIS NAME CHANGE IS 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 UTILIZED PRIVATE GRANTS AND COMMITMENTS FROM SECURED FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIPS TO LAUNCH THE AG SOLIDARITY NETWORK, A FARMER-LED SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM. SINCE THE LAUNCH IN SUMMER 2022, THE NETWORK HAS OVER 400 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 MINNESOTA. 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.