Cultivate Northwest (formerly Northwest Food and Forest Education Foundation) is proud to work hand in hand with local communities to inform and engage them on impactful issues. Over the years, our members have participated in national programs, such as Agriculture in the Classroom, to educate K-12 students on the value of agriculture in their lives. Ag Fest is another annual event our members look forward to, helping Oregonian families learn more about food sources and the important role agriculture plays in the state and national economy.
Beyond education, we are dedicated to our state’s Future Farmers of America program to encourage the next generation to pursue farming as a career. We also take part in annual events such as the Ag Progress Awards, celebrating leadership and innovation in the industry, and empowering leaders to continue pushing for safer, more environmentally-friendly practices in our field.
Our organization makes a concerted effort to educate stakeholders on the latest developments in integrated pest management. We have hosted a number of education and outreach events, including 2,4-D symposiums and drift education workshops. We also work with environmental safety groups like the Network of Oregon Watershed Councils to better assess how we can improve water quality for our surrounding communities and wildlife.
Current Projects
Grant title: Reducing regulatory burden from Endangered Species Act label implementation
Funding agency: Oregon Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Collaborators: Annie Krueger (Compliance Services, International); Silvia Rondon (Integrated Pest Management Center, Oregon State University)
Project overview: This project was developed to address the issue of grower and pesticide applicator compliance with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements enacted for protection of threatened and endangered species. We are working with Oregon specialty crop pesticide users to reduce the current burden of navigating FIFRA Endangered Species Act mitigations. We are working to develop an online program that will streamline understanding of labeled mitigation requirements, create references for applicators and producers to use to aid in compliance, and host workshops with hands-on training to navigate and demonstrate compliance with Endangered Species Act mitigations.
Grant title: Implementation of Endangered Species Act pesticide mitigations – developing localized solutions for diverse cropping systems in Washington and Oregon
Funding agency: Western IPM Center
Collaborators: Annie Krueger (Compliance Services, International), Kathryn Rifenburg (Oregon Department of Agriculture), Ryan DeWitt (National Marine Fisheries Service), Abigail Nickelson (Washington Department of Agriculture)
Project overview: Overarching label requirements established by EPA at a national level ignores local complexities, on-the ground implementation needs, and existing collaborations. Through a workshop series, we seek to gather information needed to develop a regional implementation plan for pesticide Endangered Species Act mitigations that leverages local expertise and addresses the needs of local communities.
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