OCPA expanding Orcas community-grown food network

||| FROM SUE BAUER for ORCAS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY AGRICULTURE |||

Since 2014 Orcas Community Participatory Agriculture (“OCPA”) has empowered islanders to be the creators of their own good food no matter what their circumstance. OCPA works to educate islanders in sustainable and community-centric agricultural practices. We seek to deepen community connections and contribute to our island’s resiliency by growing nutrient-dense food and building healthy soil together as a team.

OCPA creatively marries unused or under-used Orcas farmland with islanders that have a desire to know how to grow their own food and want control over those growing methods. Today we are an island-wide network of 4 different farm sites. More than 120 participants, 4 Site
Managers and 3 Anchor Farmers come together each week on each of our farms to learn and practice regenerative agriculture skills. We are always looking for new participants. (Contact us at: www.orcascommunityag.org/contact). Anyone can join! Everyone is welcome!

This year we are honored, along with 26 other incredible grantees, to be part of the GiveOrcas Campaign. The campaign runs from May 8th to May 17th. During these 10 days of giving, OCPA is aiming to raise $15,000 in order to purchase used farm equipment and to formalize our farming model so it can be replicated by anyone, at any time, in just about any geographic region.

The best ways to support OCPA in this campaign are to both donate funds but also to spread the word to your own network of friends and family! And please consider the many other worthy grantees in this year’s campaign which keep our Orcas community strong, vibrant and diverse.

To donate funds:

• On any day, May 8-17, donate directly on the Orcas Island Community Foundation (“OICF”) site, or via our OCPA website
• May 10 – Unique Donor Day: The grantees with the most unique online donors on Tuesday, May 10, (from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.) will receive bonuses of up to $1,000 from OICF.
• May 14 – Ben Franklin Day: The grantees with the most donations of $100 on this date will receive also receive bonuses from OICF.

To amplify the message:

• Share out our website with your networks.
• Social: Like and share our Instagram posts and invite your friends to do the same

To spread the Love:

Please consider supporting other programs in this year’s GiveOrcas catalog. Your donation will have a real and sustainable impact on our entire island.