<div dir="ltr"><p style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><font size="4"></font></p><div><font size="4"><img src="cid:ii_jjerjlfd2_16480e3e614126fa" width="544" height="122"><br></font></div><font size="4"><br></font><p></p><p style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><font size="4">New Tool Freelance Farmhands Connects Farmers and Experienced Farm Workers in Western Montana</font></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt;display:inline"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition (CFAC) and Farm Link Montana are excited to announce <a href="https://www.farmlinkmontana.org/work-program/freelance-farmhands/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">Freelance Farmhands</a>, a farmer-driven directory that connects farmers with experienced farm workers for short-term employment. This pilot tool</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> addresses the challenge of obtaining sufficient skilled, reliable, agricultural labor in Western Montana.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Farmers can use the list to find skilled farmhands, read about their work experience, and contact a farmer reference if they want more information. Farm workers with limited, or part-time availability can find opportunities for short term work and keep their farm skills sharp.</span></p><br style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Freelance Farmhands is a resource list of experienced farm workers who are recommended by Western Montana farmers and ranchers and are available for short-term work opportunities. By sharing references for former employees to create this collaborative resource list, farmers can easily locate experienced short-term workers when they need them. In turn, increased work opportunities can increase the stability of the workforce.</span></p><br style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:4pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Freelance Farmhands will only operate in Western Montana in 2018. If you are interested in a similar resource in your area, look for the Freelance Farmhands Season Report and Management Guide to be released in 2019.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-weight:normal;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;font-size:small;line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Interested in being a part of Freelance Farmhands in Western Montana this season?</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Learn more, apply for access to the list, and submit workers on the</span><a href="https://www.farmlinkmontana.org/work-program/freelance-farmhands/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Freelance Farmhands Page</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> at Farm Link Montana.</span></p><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div style="font-size:small"><div>Dave Renn</div><div><br></div><div><div><div><img src="cid:ii_jjerish81_16480e34c899504d" width="149" height="52" style="margin-right: 0px;"><br></div></div><br></div>Beginning Farmer & Rancher Program Manager</div><span style="font-size:small">Community Food & Agriculture Coalition</span><br style="font-size:small"><a href="http://www.farmlinkmontana.org/" style="font-size:small;color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.farmlinkmontana.org</a><br style="font-size:small"><span style="font-size:small">406-926-1004</span><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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