The end of 2016 marks our most successful year to date! We have spent the year expanding the number of farmers we serve, collaborating with new partners, and continuing to build the local capacity of Filipino organic farmers. Below is a list of our accomplishments this year. Each of these was made possible because of the generosity of our supporters. We are so thankful for this support and excited for all that 2017 will bring!
Friends of ENCA 2016 Highlights
Launched Seed Savers program with 10 core members.
Local seed production saves each farmer over $100 annually.
Over 100 packets of seeds to farmers.
$1,000 worth of seed and organic farming education materials.
700+ hours of farmer education and training.
$6,500 in direct infrastructure support to five farmers helping them rebuild greenhouses and composting facilities.
Established partnership with Red Rocks Community College Engineering Students to design typhoon resilient greenhouses.
Major Trainings Conducted in 2016:
Culinary Herb Demo Course for over 32 participants.
Introduction to Permaculture Course for 50 farmers.
7 core Seed Savers participated in 7 weeks of online Seed School thanks to RMSA.
Seed School in a Day in Denver trained 23 participants in seed saving in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance (RMSA) and Denver Urban Gardens (DUG).
3-day Seed School and Farmer Capacity Building Seminar for 50 organic farmers from 6 regions of the Philippines in collaboration with RMSA and DUG.
The Friends of ENCA Farm family wishes
you a Happy New Year and continued success in 2017!
Pictured Above (L-R):
Karen Lee Hizola, Philippines Program Manager and Sherry Manning Founder and Executive Director during Seed School in the Philippines in November.
News From the Field:
Seed School and Farmer Capacity Building Seminar a Huge Success
We are thrilled to share that our 3-day Seed School and Farmer Capacity Building program, held in November in the Philippines, was a huge success! We spent the majority of the year preparing for this dynamic program in collaboration with our partners and guest facilitators from The Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance and Denver Urban Gardens. The program was primarily funded by The Posner Center for International Development International Collaboration Fund. With incredible expertise from our guest facilitator team, 50 participating farmers from 6 different Provinces around the Philippines, and the perfect seminar venue at Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary in Baguio City, we created a dynamic learning space.
Happy graduates of the Seed School Seminar.
Each participant left the seminar with hands-on knowledge of how to save seeds, a newfound connection to the global seed saving community, new and diverse seeds from the farmers' seed swap, and each participant left with a tangible plan of how they will implement their seed saving knowledge at their farms in the coming year.
We are incredibly excited to continue this work with all of the participants in the coming months.
Guest Speaker Dennis Apuan receiving the first Annual Seed to Service Award from our Executive Director during Nourish.
On Saturday, October 22nd over 125 people filled the Posner Center for our 6th Annual Nourish Event Brunch. With record attendance, a silent auction featuring a wide array of items, delicious food prepared by local Filipino food truck
The Organic Crunch and dynamic guest Speaker Dennis Apuan, it was a great morning supporting our food security programs in the Philippines!
Raising over $16,000, this year's Nourish Event success ensures that we can serve more organic farmers throughout the Philippines in the coming year.
Thank you for helping make this possible!
Welcome to Our New Board Member
Roger Michael Pimental
We are excited to welcome Roger Michael Pimental to our Board of Directors. He officially joined the team the end of October just in time to participate in our 6th Annual Nourish Event.
Roger is a first-generation Filipino-American. His parents are from the city of Vigan, the capital of the province of Ilocus Sur and a UNESCO World Heritage site. They immigrated to the United States where his mother attended graduate school at New York University. Ever since he could remember, his parents instilled in him the importance of education and the spirit of community of service. Roger holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He is currently a staff attorney for the Colorado Court of Appeals. Learn more about Roger here.
Our farmers thank you for your support!
Remember you can still make a year end tax-deductible contribution to Friends of ENCA Farm through December 31st and ensure that more Filipino Farmers can access the seeds to their future!!
Donate Here!
