Black Farm Bureau

THE MISSION OF BLACK FOOD SOVEREIGNTY COALITION (BFSC) IS TO IGNITE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE AS OWNERS & MOVEMENT LEADERS WITH FOOD SYSTEMS, PLACEMAKING, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

BLACK FUTURES FARM (BFF) - IS BOTH A COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND PRODUCTION FARM, WHERE WE GROW MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS ALONGSIDE VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND HERBS. BFF IS ON 1.15 ACRES WITH 17 DIFFERENT FRUIT TREES, VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, MEDICINAL AND COOKING HERBS IN THE BRENTWOOD-DARLINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS LOCATED ON UNCEDED CLACKAMAS AND MULTNOMAH FIRST NATIONS TERRITORY. THE MISSION IS TO HEAL THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BLACK PEOPLE AND THE LAND, AND WE ACHIEVE THIS BY CULTIVATING A HEALTHY PLACE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO GATHER IN JOY. STARTING IN MAY AND ENDING IN OCTOBER, EVERY SUNDAY IS BLACK SUNDAY, A DAY FOR BLACK-IDENTIFIED FOLKS TO GATHER, CELEBRATE, LEARN, AND GROW TOGETHER.

OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDING BACK TO THE ROOT CONFERENCE (BTTR), COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY, CONSULTATION, EDUCATION/GRANDMA'S HANDS, EDUCATION/WELLNESS, FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MARKET - COME THRU, MARKETS, HEALING SPACE, MARKETS-MLK ROOTS, REDD - FOOD BOX PACKING, REDD - MARKET AND GENERAL PROGRAMS.

FOOD HUB - THE BIPOC CENTRAL KITCHEN BUSINESS MODEL SHRINKS THE FOOTPRINT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE, PACKS IT WITH GOOD FOOD ITEMS, AND SCALES THROUGHOUT URBAN COMMUNITIES. INSTEAD OF ONE CENTRALIZED STORE, WE PLACE MULTIPLE STORES WITHIN A COMMUNITY AND ACROSS A CITY TO INCREASE ORDERING AND DISTRIBUTION EFFICIENCIES AS WELL AS ACCESS WITHIN A TWENTY-MINUTE WALK OF MOST NEIGHBORHOODS. WHEREAS TRADITIONAL GROCERY AND CONVENIENCE STORES ARE PRIMARILY CONSTRAINED IN OFFERING HEALTHY FOOD IN FOOD DESERTS BY HIGH REAL ESTATE COSTS AND INFLEXIBLE DESIGN, BIPOC CENTRAL KITCHEN DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THESE LIMITATIONS. OUR EFFICIENT DESIGN AND PLACEMENT IN BUSINESS PARKING LOTS ENABLE US TO LEVERAGE EFFICIENCIES NOT FOUND IN THE CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM. IN THE BIPOC CENTRAL KITCHEN MODEL, TRANSACTION VOLUME IS ACHIEVED ACROSS MANY SMALL STORES SUPPORTED BY A LARGER, LOCALIZED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. RATHER THAN LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE TRANSPORTING THEMSELVES TO ONE STORE TO PURCHASE SMALL QUANTITIES OF GROCERIES, WE TRANSPORT LARGE BUNDLES OF GROCERIES TO MULTIPLE STORES, EACH SERVING A SMALL COMMUNITY. THIS PROVIDES THE VOLUME TO ACHIEVE THE LOW COSTS NECESSARY TO CREATE PROFIT AND SCALE OUR BUSINESS. BIPOC CENTRAL KITCHEN IS THE STORE OUR CUSTOMERS CAN DEPEND ON FOR PRODUCE AND WEEKLY STAPLE ITEMS SUCH AS BREAD, DAIRY, FROZEN FOOD, MEAT AND SOME HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS. OUR FOOD WILL BE AFFORDABLE, NUTRITIOUS, MADE FROM INGREDIENTS PEOPLE CAN PRONOUNCE, AND ORGANIC AND LOCAL AS MUCH AS FINANCIALLY POSSIBLE.

HOWELL FARM/RBG - RBG IS A 5 ACRE FARM SITE. BFSC BEGAN WORKING WITH METRO, VILLAGE GARDENS, SEVEN WATERS CANOE FAMILY, HAPPINESS FAMILY FARMS, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER BIPOC FARMING GROUPS TO DEVELOP A SITE ON SAUVIE ISLAND AS A SITE FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION BY BIPOC GROWERS, AND TO HOLD COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS.