Alex Van Grunsven

Email: rare@coastfork.org
Title: Working Lands Program Developer
Organization: Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council
Community: Cottage Grove, OR
Population: 10,302
County Served: Rural communities of Lane County and the Upper Willamette Watershed Basin (Cottage Grove, Creswell, Junction City, Coburg, Veneta, Elmira, and Pleasant Hill, etc.)

Meet Alex Van Grunsven (she/her):

Originally from the dairy capital of the United States, Wisconsin, Alex made the trek to the Pacific Northwest in 2017 to attend school at the University of Oregon (UO). She pursued a degree in Environmental Science and Food Studies while working with UO affiliated programs such as the First Year Interest Group program, the Urban Farm on campus and Environmental Leadership Program. Her passions lie in creating and maintaining sustainable, accessible and local food systems and agricultural operations across regional communities. Looking at the year ahead, Alex hopes to connect with as many local farmers, ranchers and landowners of the Upper Willamette Valley as possible and is eagerly awaiting any and every opportunity to grow food and spend time in the soil. She also enjoys trying foods from different cultures and exploring the hidden lands of Oregon and beyond.

Community and Organization:

The city of Cottage Grove is an up and coming community bustling with regional partnerships and increasing tourism. As a local player in the movement toward community building, the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council (CFWWC) is a prominent source of resources and connections to the Upper Willamette watershed basin. The mission of the CFWWC is to foster lasting and positive change in aquatic, terrestrial and watershed habitats through restorative practices and education for all groups.

Project:

The scope of the CFWWC has recently expanded to include the newly created Working Lands Program (WLP). The WLP aims to connect local ranchers, farmers and landowners to usable resources for breaking down operational barriers and gain support in transitioning to or bolstering their regenerative land use practices. Alex’s position as Working Lands Program Developer is to conduct research, create relationships and develop a working plan for actionable implementation of the program within the foreseeable future. Many of her projects rely on listening to voices of community members regarding ongoing systematic barriers, and collate viable resources to relay an individualized Working Lands Program tailored to community needs from their feedback. Such platforms of conversation take place in monthly focus group meetings with local landowners, community outreach events and interviews with regional related organizational representatives.