VABF is seeking member farms to participate in the initial development and rollout. If you are interested, fill out this form. Join the campaign!
The Real Food Campaign Grower Partner Program
The Real Food Campaign (RFC) is a global collaboration focused on connecting soil, plant, and human health to improve the nutritional quality of the planet’s food supply. The RFC Farm Partner Program presents an exciting opportunity for farmers to acquire comprehensive data on their crop and soil health for free.
What are the benefits of becoming a Grower Partner?
In return for submitting 8 – 10 crop samples and 16 – 20 associated soil samples to the RFC lab, farmers receive data on the levels of polyphenols, minerals, and antioxidants in their crops and total carbon, respiration, pH, and mineral content of their soil. This data can be compared to USDA nutritional averages and shared with consumers for a market advantage. Farmers are asked to submit 3 forms that capture management-level data for each crop submission. All shipping packages for samples are pre-labelled and pre-paid at no cost to the farmer.
Grower Partners are encouraged to submit samples of at least two of the crops from the list below.
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Kale
• Head Lettuce
• Grapes
• Swiss Chard
• Asian Greens
• Beets
• Potatoes
• Leeks
• Sweet Peppers
• Summer Squash
Program Requirements
1. Create a custom sampling plan during a 15 – 20 minute phone call
2. Fill out the Planting Form, Management Form, and Harvest form (which take a total of 35 minutes per crop)
3. Receive detailed report on crop nutrition and soil respiration
What Farmers Receive
Free annual FarmOS farm management software subscription (valued at $75)
Free crop and soil testing for up to 10 different crops (valued at up to $900 total)
Future access to the RFC Farm Partner Social Network and digital crop consultation services
Joining the RFC Grower Network
As a Grower Partner, you also have the option of joining the RFC Grower Network. The RFC Grower Network offers farmers an enhanced user experience by giving you access to several additional enriching tools and resources through FarmOS.
FarmOS is an open-source farm management platform that gives farmers the capacity to control their own data. Members of FarmOS own their data and decide who they share it with. Grower Partner Plus participants will have full access to this management software and all of its features and be able to view their management data in a format that is intuitive and custom-designed for farmers.
Farmers in the RFC Grower Network will have access to specialized dashboards that permit them to share and compare their data anonymously with other participants in the network, making farmer-to-farmer learning possible.
