Farm Management Partnership

Southern Oregon University (SOU) invites competitive proposals from qualified non-profit partners, external agricultural organizations, and farm management entities to assume operational management and agricultural leadership of The Farm at SOU. Located in Ashland, Oregon, The Farm at SOU serves as an essential agricultural, educational, and community resource.

SOU seeks an external partner capable of supporting SOU’s academic mission through hands-on educational programming, student labor/internship/project integration and collaborative course offerings, day-to-day farming operations management, enhancing agricultural productivity, and maintenance of existing perennial and annual crops.

Property and Facilities

The Farm at SOU is a dedicated educational and agricultural site owned by Southern Oregon University. Under the proposed partnership, the external partner will receive full operational access to the physical property, structures, and specialized farming equipment on site.

• Fenced Property Structures: Full operational access to the Farmhouse, Pavilion, Barns, and all active cultivation fields.
• Agricultural Equipment: Access and use of all farming equipment, machinery, and tools currently in SOU’s inventory located on site for agricultural and educational purposes (on site only).
• Farm Stand Sales Venue: Inclusion of the dedicated Farm Stand location at the Garden for direct-to-consumer agricultural sales and community outreach.

Scope of Work-Commercial Operations

The selected partner will assume full operational leadership over the agricultural productivity, sales and distribution channels, and personnel management of The Farm at SOU.

• Crop Stewardship: Partner must maintain all perennial crops on site, including the established orchard, vineyard, and berry crops.
• Personnel Employment: Partner pays all staff salaries and material costs.
• Student Labor Commitment: Partner is expected to commit to hiring SOU student labor for a specified allocation of work hours to support farm operations and professional growth.

Scope of Work-Academic Integration & Community Engagement

A core objective of this partnership is sustaining and expanding farm-based academic learning for SOU students and collaborative engagement with SOU faculty.

• Course Delivery Requirements: Partner will collaborate with SOU to deliver between 4 and 16 academic credits of farm-based instruction annually.
• Internships, Student Projects: Partner may host SOU interns and/or collaborate with students on student research, projects, or capstones.
• Event Size Limit: Attendance is capped at fifty (50) or fewer participants for any single Partner event.

Submission

Complete proposals (including all attachments) may be submitted online at https://sou.bonfirehub.com/portal (preferred method). The proposals must be electronically received by the Closing Date and Time indicated by the Schedule of Events. An original and electronic copy of the complete proposal may alternatively be mailed or hand-delivered to the SOU Service Center. The envelope/package containing the response must be clearly marked “Response to RFP #2027-02.”

NO ORAL OR FACSIMILE PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED.** **NO LATE PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Term

The selected partner will enter into a Facilities Use Agreement commencing on 15 January 2027, beginning with an initial trial lease of 9 to 15 months, with options for long-term multi-year renewals.

Insurance

Minimum **$2,000,000** per claim/occurrence and **$4,000,000** annual aggregate for Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

Evaluation

Points: Academic & Educational Integration 30; Agricultural & Operational Capability 25; Financial Sustainability & Model 20; Community & Partner Alignment 15; Compliance & Risk Management 10. Total 100.