Dear Supporters and Partners,
More than any time in our 12 years as an organization, the ground is shifting under our feet. The Savanna Institute, like many in the farming community, has been affected by the changes in federal funding over the last month. We want to assure you that we are working to adapt to changes in our funding ecosystem so we can continue to do our important work to support farmers in the development of widespread agroforestry that benefits crops & livestock, soil & water, and our climate & communities.
To our generous donors, we want to start by saying thank you. Because of your financial support, we are fortunate to be in a position where we can adapt and continue to offer essential support to farmers. We couldn’t get through a federal funding freeze without your unrestricted financial support and donations to our Perennial Giving Fund.
The road ahead is uncertain and we don’t have all the answers. In this moment, we currently have $530,000 in unpaid invoices from federal grants. While expenses continue to add up by the day, we continue to do the work. Not only do our grant agreements obligate us to this work, but we believe our work is too important — to farmers and to the world — to put it on hold. We remain hopeful that federal programs will make good on their agreements with farmers and organizations like ours, yet we are also making contingency plans to pivot and adapt to new circumstances as needed, including if our frozen grants are ultimately cancelled.
To the farmers we work with, we know that for many of you, cancelled contracts and uncertain commitments from federal programs have added challenges to your work to feed our communities and care for the land. Going into planting season, we will continue to identify resources available for farmers that may be helpful:
- Farm Commons, a legal resource organization for farmers, offers a pdf and an upcoming webinar on “USDA Contract Freezes and Terminations: Legal Action Steps for Farmers with Signed EQIP and CSP Contracts”
- The SHOT Fund invites you to attend an Informational Webinar on Wednesday, March 12 at 11:00am CT where you can learn more about a 0% interest Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Bridge Loan Program.
- The Regenerative Farmer Assurance Fund (RFAF) of the Healing Soils Foundation allows farmers to access emergency grants to cover delayed or cancelled funding from government contracts.
- In Wisconsin, the Savanna Institute is working on an investment pilot using WI-PACE. Contact PJ Connolly to learn more about low-interest financing available in Wisconsin.
- The Agroforestry Coalition is convening meetings with stakeholders to help them exchange information and answer questions. There is no cost to join the Agroforestry Coalition, and all are welcome. Contact [email protected] to connect.
If acute mental health concerns arise for yourself, a family member, or partner you are interacting with, please use these Mental Health Resources for support or suggest them to others.
To our partners who collaborate with us to make agroforestry accessible to farmers, we know that interdependence is our strength. We want to stay in touch about the future of our work together, including with current and former federal employees. Here are some ways to stay connected:
- Contact Devon Brock-Montgomery, Partnerships Asst. Director, to learn more about collaborating with the Savanna Institute.
- Find a staff directory here to reconnect, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
- Follow our professional network on LinkedIn to stay in touch.
For all farmers currently practicing agroforestry, and for all who want improved opportunities to put trees to work on their farms, we know that now is the time to double down on our work to support the farming community. Thanks to the work of all of us — donors, nonprofits, agencies, farmers leaders, and many partners — agroforestry adoption on US farms is growing. In the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, the number of farm operations that reported practicing agroforestry increased by 1,864, to a total of 32,717 farms. For reference, that’s nearly twice as many farms as certified organic farms in the US. Yet for a whole world of reasons, we need many more farms to flourish with agroforestry.
To continue this momentum of agroforestry adoption, of transforming our food and farming systems, we need your continued support. Please consider making a gift to our Perennial Giving Fund. This unrestricted fund gives us the flexibility to adapt to the changing funding landscape and continue our vital programs – specifically our work directly with farmers and landholders to help them succeed with agroforestry.
If you have questions about the many ways you can support our work, please contact me or our Development Director, Sarah French.
