EMEF 2024 Agroforestry Program Grants
Appalachian Sustainable Development – $425,394
To improve agroforestry technical assistance for forest farming, alley cropping, and silvopasture to meet the growing support needs of farmers seeking adoption. Evaluative feedback will be used to improve the online courses and in-person workshops. An Ask an Agroforester series will be held with 10 annual webinars designed for farmers and natural resource professionals (NRPs). Webinars will feature an agroforestry deep dive into frequently asked questions, and recordings will be incorporated into the online courses to further build out content. The online Social Competency curriculum will be enhanced with farmer perspective videos. Mastermind Cohort discussions will take place with two cohorts, including bi-weekly presentations and small group discussions to foster enhanced learning and networking among NRPs. In addition to online learning, a total of 24 improved workshops will be expanded to reach a greater audience. This hands-on experiential learning will utilize agroforestry demonstration sites throughout the SE, NE, and MW. Workshops will include a mix of 1-day, 101 Fundamentals and 3-day, 201 Design Intensives for deeper learning. 24 farm tours will also be held with farmers who have adopted agroforestry practices, to share knowledge with other farmers and NRPs. Partners will develop the framework for an Agroforestry NRP peer network to continue support for ATFNRP participants post training. Intentional Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) work will also expand, including focused partnerships with two or more QTBIPOC farms and organizations to deepen understanding of challenges and barriers and increase diverse participation. As NRPs master their agroforestry training, they will begin to lead technical assistance with farmers independently. A trained and experienced network of NRPs will catalyze increased agroforestry adoption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County – $400,000
To continue development of a supporting environment for the adoption of agroforestry-based chestnut and hazelnut cultivation in New York State. Outreach and education programming will be led by the Agroforestry Educator at CCE Tompkins in close collaboration with Khuba International. Approaches will include farmer fields days; farmer-to-farmer workshare meetups; webinars and class sessions on silvopasture and alley cropping; creation and curation of resources identifying local and regional sources of supplies and agroforestry contractors, and information about site establishment and management; ad hoc farm visits to interested landowners as well as more dedicated support and technical assistance to an estimated 12 beginning and aspiring agroforestry farms; and dedicated support to payment for ecosystem services (PES) pilot farmers interested in adopting or expanding agroforestry operations.The Agroforestry Educator will also organize training sessions at Cornell’s system-wide extension in-service in November.
The NYTCA cooperative will continue purchasing equipment and developing a full service (harvest to packaged product) processing facility, along with building capacity to support new chestnut and hazelnut growers with shared equipment for establishing agroforestry operations. The processing facility will be a demonstration site for other groups, showcasing equipment and food-safe practices. This space will produce the six value-added products developed in collaboration with Cornell AgriTech. Funding in 2024 will expand packaging capabilities at the facility, removing the need for a co-packer and increasing the profitability of the regional processing facility, and translating to better financial projections for agroforestry adopters. Two other nut crop processing groups – the Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative (KTCC) in Pennsylvania and Northern Forest Foods (NFF) based in Vermont and also serving farmers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts – will purchase processing equipment to build out their own capacity. A part-time position at NYTCA will be expanded to full-time to allow for better support to KTCC, NFF, and other processors and growers.
The PES pilot program will expand to include six more farmers per year in 2024, for a total of 12 pilot farmers engaged in co-creating a system of farmer compensation for ecosystem service provision. The PES program lead will work with NYTCA and the Agroforestry Educator to ensure at least four new farms are current or potential agroforestry operations. The program lead will also continue to collaborate with stakeholders to evaluate long-term program elements, clarify the payment system, and refine the field sampling process. In 2024 we will trial ecosystem service payments to the six original pilot farmers through a framework developed to include measurements of soil health, carbon in aboveground woody biomass, and modeled watershed outcomes.
Rodale Institute (Propagate Ventures Project) – $400,000
Catalyzing Agroforestry in the US by Addressing Bottlenecks in the Nursery Supply Chain will continue Propagate’s agroforestry project work by focusing on three primary objectives: 1) Improving access to superior genetic stock of key agroforestry species; 2) Increasing supply of tree seedlings through forward contracting with nursery partners across the US; and 3) Establishing catalyst farms through a network of demonstration and research sites, in partnership with the Rodale Institute. Objective 1 will focus on sourcing genetic material of key agroforestry species, including (but not limited to): improved black locust, curly poplar, Chinese chestnut, European hazelnut, and fodder mulberry. Planned activities for objective 1 include procurement of genetics in the form of seed, root, softwood and hardwood cuttings, and tissue culture from the following genetic material partners: Sylvanus Forestry (improved black locust); Purdue Research Foundation & Advanced Tree Technology (curly poplar); Ron Revord & University of Missouri (Chinese chestnut); and Rutgers University (hybrid hazelnuts). Objective 2 will leverage Propagate’s established procurement strategy of forward contracting with labs & nurseries to lay the foundation for commercial scale nursery production of tree species from Objective 1. Funding from EMEF will be matched by Propagate to contract with nursery partners to test diverse methods of propagation, including tissue culture plantlets, softwood and hardwood cuttings, seed & nut propagation, and root cuttings. Forward contracting benefits nursery operators by de-risking the learning cycle required for working with new tree species and propagation techniques, which are a known blocker to commercial, widespread availability of key genetics such as the Rutgers hazelnut varieties. Contracts for future supply are signed at the start of a relationship on the basis of future partnership, thereby providing nurseries with the up-front revenue to prove out propagation techniques that are repeatable on a commercial scale. Nursery propagation partners for Objective 2 include Native Forest Nursery, Pacific Crest Ornamentals, Mountain Shadow Nursery, Empire Chestnuts, and Missouri HARC. Objective 3 will focus on planting catalyst farms with key agroforestry species in partnership with the Rodale Institute. Propagate will leverage funding from The Nature Conservancy’s Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities (PCSC) grant to plant representative examples of alley cropping, silvopasture, and windbreak projects with the key species from Objective 1 and 2. The Rodale Institute will function as an operational partner for this objective by contributing catalyst sites and research capability. In partnering with Propagate on this project, Rodale will help to identify 3-6 catalyst sites, or at least 24 acres, suitable for transition to agroforestry at Rodale’s resource centers in the Mid-Atlantic or Southeast US, or at other partner farms and organizations.
Virginia Tech – $397,295
Catalyzing the Next Phase of Agroforestry program (CAGP) awardees in year four to grow the EMEF-supported agroforestry producer base and intensify ARK Exchange participation and potential. Wait-listed applicants total more than 100 and many are currently working with CAGP partners to refine projects for future consideration. The geographic range of wait-listed applicants extends beyond original CAGP bounds, representing a new granting and knowledge exchange and collaboration frontier with adjacent EMEF funding beneficiaries in terms of direct producer support (e.g., Tompkins County CCE in NY, New England) and producer-Technical Service Provider (TSP) matchmaking (e.g., ASD TSP training). CAGP intends to expand the suite of fundable agroforestry practices and encompass all facets of design, from alley cropping systems to windbreaks. Greater funding emphasis in year four includes field plantings with forest-based practices envisioned as a lower funding priority (≤%15). Concomitant with CAGP’s formation are several large USDA producer-support climate smart grants involving Virginia Tech and project partners (example: recently selected USDA NRCS National CIG $2.5 MM). Producer funding mechanisms in these programs are in development, but the impact of CAGP is clear as early growth, administration, successes and lessons-learned serve as important touch-points for design deliberations, particularly vetting and selection as well as equity.
EMEF 2024 Pacific Northwest Agroforestry Grants
Agroforestry Northwest – $50,000
To accelerate agroforestry in the Pacific Northwest for resilient communities
Agroforestry offers a powerful solution to many resource and regulatory conflicts in our forest lands and on our farmlands. While agroforestry is dramatically increasing in its potential and its interest in our region, there has been very little investment for this important land use in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).
Agroforestry Northwest (AFNW) has initiatives aimed at accelerating agroforestry practice adoption in the region to build multifunctional working lands, resilient communities, and a more sustainable future. This funding will complement initiatives that merge agroforestry with ecological restoration and community development through a bioregional approach fostering holistic solutions to complex land use issues that benefit the environment, society, and local economies.
We acknowledge that many agroforestry practices are rooted in Indigenous knowledge and land stewardship strategies. Incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems within our work is crucial to the success of agroforestry in the PNW. These communities possess deep understanding of the local ecology and have developed sophisticated methods over long time horizons for the cultivation of food, fiber, and medicines in harmony with the natural world.
Philanthropic funding is critical in providing non-federal match for small nonprofits like AFNW and provides key support for filling funding gaps to include awareness building around Agroforestry Northwest’s multi-pronged approach to accelerate PNW agroforestry.
Ecotrust – $50,000
Scaling the Indigenous agroforestry network
To include inter-regional and nation-wide convenings with Indigenous Agroforestry Network participants and “cross-pollination” convenings with Black, Indigenous and People of Color agroforestry leaders across the United States for knowledge exchange and collaborative project ideation. While the network will continue to center and uplift Indigenous agroforestry practitioners, we also recognize the importance of diverse partnerships and knowledge systems that can inform and enhance our network’s offerings, as well as the demonstrated region- and nation-wide interest from Indigenous communities in learning more about and implementing agroforestry practices.
Our project aims to focus on the following impact levers:
- Capacity and coalition building: we will host 2-3 networked convenings to deepen relationships and capacity across network participants.
- Education, demonstration, and training: we will engage experts in the field to introduce Indigenous agroforestry concepts and systems such as forest farming, fire-use, and riparian buffers.
Through our network experience, we recognize there are many entities that support Indigenous-led agroforestry including tribal governments, private companies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and higher education institutions. With additional funding we will increase the scale of our project’s access to and trust-building among existing and new partners, to build authentic and reciprocal relationships that support Indigenous-led agroforestry. To this end, we will leverage our investment to increase access to and improve engagement in financial opportunities such as USDA agroforestry programs and services.
Rodale Institute – $50,323
Catalyzing agroforestry adoption
Rodale Institute has expanded the regenerative organic movement in western Washington through our Pacific Northwest Organic Center. Our vision is to develop and implement integrated research, education, and outreach programs that provide viable solutions to farmer needs, transition farms to regenerative organic agriculture, and address critical environmental issues within the region as they relate to soil health, water quality, and climate change.
Perennial cropping systems can provide numerous environmental benefits including maintenance of soil cover to reduce erosion and runoff through less frequent tillage, increased diversity and wildlife habitat, and sequestration of carbon. As climate change pushes some crops traditionally grown in California and Oregon northward, we are looking to position ourselves on the leading edge of research in next-generation crops for the Pacific Northwest. The region has a rich history of forest and subsistence farming by people who rely on gardens, orchards, and native crops to supplement their diet and reduce their dependence on store-bought fruits and vegetables. Establishment of a forward-thinking hazelnut agroforestry system will create decades of future research opportunities, educational programming, and information for landowners on increasing food security. This project will integrate hazelnut agroforestry systems that has been designed to incorporate research on silvopasture (using livestock to ameliorate soil quality) and intercropping in established forestlands.