Case Study: Ethiopian Eritrean Cultural and Resource Center. Sustainable Agriculture, workforce and Teff Pilot program

Case study on increasing farm space, identifying regenerative methods, piloting a teff program and creating a workforce.

The Ethiopian & Eritrean Cultural Center (EECRC) is a non-profit organization founded in September 2017.

Mission: To provide cultural-specific resources to improve the social, cultural and environmental well-being of Ethiopians and other African communities in Oregon & SW Washington.

How do they do this: Through education, advocacy and direct service.

Goal: To identify and address the challenges and needs of our community by providing access to essential resources and programs.

5 values that represent EECRC: Equity, Justice, Integrity, Trust, and Stewardship.

Programs that EECRC operates fall under these 4 categories: Environment, Education, Health and Resources.

For this case study, Rafiki Farm Project focused on the Environmental Program- a key aspect to the existence of EECRC. The environmental program focuses on fostering awareness and engaging community members in understanding the impact of climate change and empowering them to find personal & community-driven solutions to environmental issues.

In summary, the environmental program focuses on prioritizing the following:

  • protection and restoration of ecosystems

  • promoting clean and renewable energy sources  

  • encouraging the adoption of environmental conscious practices within the community served

Objective of this case study is to grow EECRC’s agricultural operation, focusing on sustainable agriculture through regenerative methods and agricultural philosophies. Such as permaculture and agroforestry. Also, to create a pilot program focus on Teff  (a staple grain in East African cuisine) cultivation.

Currently operating a 800sqft community garden thats feeding 4 people year round
The goal is to operate a 20,000 sqft (.46acre) sustainable farm that will feed 100 people year round. With a focus on Teff cultivation.
Practices, philosophies and elements EECRC wants to implement: permaculture, sustainable farming practices, regenerative agricultural practices, carbon sequestration, agroforestry, renewable energy, soil health, increased biodiversity, food sovereignty and workforce that can operate 20,000 sq ft of farm land.

Recommendations + Consultation

The exciting venture of going from a 800 sq ft garden to a 20,000 sq ft small scale farm is feasible but comes with some challenges. In their case, the biggest challenge would be farm management, recruiting an experienced workforce (or one that is willing to learn) and simultaneously trying to apply sustainable agricultural practices. 
Another important aspect to growing that fast (1-2 years) is to understand that farming is a dynamic practice. So my recommendation is to have objectives clarified, and goals set, and systems in place at the beginning of the process.

When it comes to defining the agricultural practices EECRC is hoping to implement, it is important to understand the difference between philosophy, technique, and practice. Here are some defining examples I worked on with EECRC:

Sustainable Agriculture: “farming in such a way to protect the environment, aid and expand natural resources and make the best use of nonrenewable resources."

Regenerative Agriculture: “is much more than just soil restoration - it’s a holistic pathway to cultivation, profits, sustainability, and thriving landscapes.”

Regenerative Agriculture is not a specific practice but is used in sustainable agricultural techniques. It's based on philosophies such as permaculture and agroforestry.

Here are a few farming methods, philosophies and practices I recommended to increase produce yield, increase biodiversity, reduce water usage, improve water cycles, increase soil health, sequester carbon and as a result improve human health

Permaculture, agroforestry, bio-intensive planting, crop rotation, low-to-no tilling, no soil disturbance, cover cropping, growing native plants, perennial planting, crop diversity and ergonomics education.

Recommendation on what can be grown:  A large variety of produce can be grown on a 20,000 acre space, depending on the farming method. To keep it simple, my recommendation is to use the bio-intensive method of farming while applying sections of interplanting. Also, incorporating perennials, fruit trees and berries throughout the land.
When it comes to teff, it is also important to designate a controlled space that is prepared and optimized for teff cultivation. When growing plants that are not native to the land, it is important to research the plant's properties to understand the requirements needed for optimal propagation and growth.
Workforce: To operate a 20,000 sq ft space you will need one farm manager, a solid infrastructure, meaningful tools (machinery and/or hand tools) and well developed systems. It is important for EECRC to understand the direct correlation between workforce, farming methods, and operating systems.
For example, if EECRC chooses to implement permaculture design systems, they would have to follow the principles of permaculture, which will help to design a farm that has minimal labor input and can lead to a self-sufficient farm. This type of holistic design approach will give them all the benefits of a sustainable and regenerative farm + the benefit of a minimum workforce. Which might require a little bit more investment of resources and time upfront.

Core workforce for a 20,000 sqft small scale farm + volunteers.

1 farm manager, 1 farm assistant,  1 farm hand and about 5-10 volunteers by-weekly.

Farm materials + Farm tools: When it comes to materials and farm tools it is important for EECRC to understand the direct correlation to which method of farming they will choose.

They might buy a BCS tiller to break the ground the first year, then if they decide to go with a low-no-till method, they might start using other tools to prep beds each year. Tools such as a tilther, broadfork or silage tarps. It is important to know which tools will help them be efficient, help produce a healthy farm and most importantly help EECRC steward the land. 
You might be asking, why buy a BCS tiller and not use it that often? Well, having a BSC tiller is very important if you want to break new ground plus you can get different attachments that can be utilized in all aspects of your farming operations. EECRC’s can also rent out the BSC tiller through a farm tools library and be a resource for the community they are serving.

Here are some suggested tools to get EECRC started.

BCS tiller, tilther, silage tarp, wheel hoes, row markers, trowels, bed preparation rakes, seed bed roller, garden carts, row seeder, soil test kit, trapezoid hoes, soil thermometer, narrow collinear hoes, compost thermometer, high/low tunnels, harvest buckets, greenhouses, row cover, harvest knives, irrigation material, tine weeding rake

In summary, there isn't one way to grow your farm projects. There are so many paths you can take that can get you to your goals. It's important to know what is at the heart of your projects because farming is hard work, time consuming and can take a toll on your mind and body. But, we believe if done with intention, you will find yourself consumed by the beauty of the bees, the stillness of the morning harvests, the contemplative hours under the trees and the joy on people faces as they are reminded of that which is familiar.

Remember that you will gain insights from the changing seasons and with each farming cycle. Each year brings new challenges, new joys, new losses and an opportunity to grow as a farmer or as an organization.

We strive to bring the essence of connection in all farming projects we work on.