Marbleseed Inc

This was the second year of participation in the wi local food purchase assistance as the producer facing procurement partner. With a focus of reaching underserved farmers, marbleseed was able to utilize partnerships to contract with 160 producers, 90% of whom identified as socially disadvantaged and represent 37 counties. As the farmer facing partner, marbleseed staff provided over 3,368 individual consultations with contracted farmers and visited farms twenty-one times. This year marbleseed, through the "grow organic- and other grant programs, hosted or co-hosted 9 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 forty-eight page organic broadcaster are sent to over 4,500 households. The marbleseed youtube channel featuring podcasts, educational events, and conference keynotes had 20,000 views, and added 186 subscribers this year for a total of 2,147. Marbleseed's monthly e-newsletter is sent to over 10,000 subscribers. Our website features a blog with monthly posts covering organic ag news and educational content. The farmer-to-farmer mentoring program had 12 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.

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 1200 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, mentorship and field days for beginning and historically underserved farmers. Marbleseed also worked to develop programs and advocate for policies to mitigate the systemic and climate change challenges identified by stakeholders, board members, and staff who come from historically underserved communities. Programs underway include efforts around land access, mental health, leadership with national policy partners, and resource development.