November 15-17 | St. Paul, MN

Finpack+ Training Opportunity

FINPACK+ is a commercial and agricultural credit analysis tool that generates the spreads and data you need to evaluate a borrower’s repayment capacity and risk factors.

Co-hosted by the Center for Farm Financial Management, the Native CDFI Network, and Mvskoke Loan Fund, this training will provide technical assistance for current FINPACK+ subscribers and introductory training for Native CDFIs looking to start or expand their ag lending portfolio. New participants and those that have joined previous trainings will benefit from this in-depth, three-day training.

All expenses, including transportation, lodging, meals, and registration, will be covered by NAAF. We will also pay for new FINPACK+ subscriptions and renewals for a limited time. 

Apply by Friday, October 14.

NAAF Commits More Than $100 Million to Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in Indian Country

This past week the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health held their conference in Washington, D.C. This conference announced the national strategy on increasing healthy food access. 

NAAF believes that healthy food access begins with thriving agricultural systems, and in order to achieve meaningful impacts in Indian Country, NAAF is committing more than $100 million over the next 12 years. Read More: https://bit.ly/3BWo1QJ

“NAAF is committed to providing access to capital so that Native producers can enhance their efforts in providing food that nourishes our people.”

-Dr. Joe Hiller (Oglala Lakota), Chairman of the NAAF Board of Trustees.

November 5, 2022 | 10 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Native Veteran Roundtable

The Native American Agriculture Fund has partnered with the Farmer Veteran Coalition to host a virtual roundtable for Native veterans. Any Native veteran interested in agriculture is welcome to join in a discussion about what Native veterans need to flourish in the agricultural industry.

This meeting will review the results of a nationwide Native veteran survey and dive into what the next steps are to increase veteran-led agriculture production.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuisqz4vH9NUM-fnDSvVbSD-9RMlbpmQ 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Native Farm Bill Coalition

Register for an upcoming webinar with the Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC) on "Breaking Down the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health Webinar" on October 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. eastern. The NFBC will cover highlights from the historic conference held on September 28, 2022, as well as dive into how the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health could impact Indian Country.

Native Farm Bill Coalition Releases Gaining Ground Report

Have you had a chance to read the Native Farm Bill Coalition new report: Gaining Ground: A Report on the 2018 Farm Bill Successes for Indian Country and Opportunities for 2023?

The report outlines the significant progress to be made in strengthening Tribal sovereignty, food security, and rural infrastructure and includes more than 150+ Indian Country priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill.

Here's What's Included in the Report:

• Title I: Commodities (p. 16)
• Title II: Conservation (p. 24)
• Title III: Trade (p. 36)
• Title IV: Nutrition (p. 42)
• Title V: Credit (p. 54)
• Title VI: Rural Development (p. 62)
• Title VII: Research (p.76)
• Title VIII: Forestry (p. 86)
• Title IX: Energy (p. 94)
• Title X: Horticulture (p.100)
• Title XI: Crop Insurance (p. 106)
• Title XII: Miscellaneous (p. 114)

The Native American Agriculture Fund is proud to be a sponsor of the Gaining Ground report alongside Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger. 

New Grant Opportunity & Training Webinars Available for U.S. Farmers and Producers Interested in the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP)

Under the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), USDA is making $500 million in grants available to increase American-made fertilizer production to spur competition and combat price hikes on U.S. farmers. Competitive grants of up to $100 million are available to support and expand independent, innovative and sustainable fertilizer and nutrient alternatives production in the U.S. and its territories to supply American farmers.

Applications are open now.

Program Application Period:

First application window closes November 14, 2022. (45 days from 9/30/2022)

Second application window closes December 29, 2022. (90 days from 9/30/2022)

FPEP webinars

Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP): Program Overview

October 4, at 2 PM Eastern Time,

Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dTRONOeRRVu2aTEvGjwx6A

Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP): Application Requirements

October 6, at 4 PM Eastern Time

Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dUsGJWFZQtGuh_BWcC7EZQ

Visit the USDA Rural Development website to learn more and apply.

Three weeks remaining to apply for USDA funding for underserved producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced funding to support projects that enable underserved producers to access land, capital, markets, student scholarships, paid internships, fellowships, and other job and training opportunities at eligible institutions, including Tribal Colleges and Alaska Native-serving institutions.

Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (Increasing Land Access) Program

Deadline: October 28, 2022

Apply Here: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/increasing-land-access/index

From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

Deadline: October 25, 2022

Apply here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343230

Fort Lewis College

Durango, CO

NAAF CEO, Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, at Fort Lewis College

The Fort Lewis College NAAF grant supports their Farmer in Training and regenerative food systems internship, which provides funding for young agricultural leaders to conduct internships and participate in their ag education programs

Featured in the photos are Farmer in Training Sage Walstrom, and Field Assistant Autumn Raasch.

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Takshanuk Watershed Council

Haines, AK

With the Takshanuk Watershed Council’s Gardening Education program, Native students in the towns of Haines, Klukwan, and Mosquito Lake will learn how to grow food in Alaska’s Chilkat Valley. They will develop their skills in food production and composting while learning how to generate income from local produce.

The Marvin Garden, pictured above, is maintained by the students at the Haines School. Lunch scraps are turned into compost that fertilizes the garden, and then the garden produces hundreds of pounds of produce that is cooked and served in the school cafeteria. 

In this update the 6th grade students helped haul 125 pounds of food scraps from the school to the compost and 30 pounds of potatoes were donated to Chilkoot Indian Association.

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Zuni Youth Enrichment Project

Zuni, NM

NAAF is proud to sponsor the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) as they work on their project 'Rooted in Healthy Traditions: After-school Food Sovereignty Program for Zuni Youth. This past week they held a Zuni Agriculture Showcase booth at their local fair to share historic Zuni ag photos and share their story.

This 12-month after-school program will provide 240 Zuni youth with increased opportunities to participate in Zuni’s traditional agriculture cycle of planting, maintaining, harvesting, and seed saving. Participating youth will increase their connection to Zuni culture and language as they practice Zuni food sovereignty.

To learn more about ZYEP visit their website below.

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Grantees in the News

Tanka Fund

Kyle, SD

NAAF would like to congratulate Tanka Fund on their new project with the USDA entitled

"The Grass is Greener on the Other Side: Developing Climate-Smart Beef and Bison Commodities." This proposal was created through South Dakota State University and partners, including the National Bison Association and Tanka Fund.

The USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion in selected projects under the first Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool, and Tanka Fund is 1 of 14 projects which were selected with approximate funding ceilings from $70M - $95M.⁣

Tanka Fund is a NAAF grantee working on long-term land sustainability and bison restoration. They have sustainability projects impacting Native youth and encouraging access to credit for bison producers.

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