The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF) has granted $50,000 to the Providence Farm Collective (PFC) to help it implement an on-farm compost generation system and improve post-harvest efficiency and food safety. PFC is a non-profit that supports under-resourced and refugee farmers in Western New York who cannot access farmland. PFC began in 2017 as a Somali Bantu community effort to return to their agricultural roots and grow fresh, culturally relevant produce. PFC has since expanded to include refugees and immigrants from multiple nations and members of the Black community. PFC will use the grant to improve sustainable agricultural practices and soil fertility via on-site generation of well-balanced compost and support farmers on post-harvest and food safety practices.
The grant from AAF will facilitate the capacity-building efforts of PFC by providing the necessary equipment to generate on-site compost, including a flail harvester, dump trailer, litter and compost spreader, and cover crop seed, plus investing in compost analysis testing. PFC will manage a compost operation, including a stand of nitrogen-rich cover crops, and provide one-on-one technical assistance and hands-on demonstration. The non-profit will also develop visual aids and signage for its farmers to enhance their knowledge of best practices and standard operating procedures for efficient and food-safe post-harvest handling. Applying compost will increase soil organic matter and improve soil moisture retention, sustaining farmer yields and soil health.
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