Native American Agriculture Fund Announces
2022 Native Youth Grants
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The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) awarded more than $900,000 dollars to 23 grantees serving Native youth across 81 Tribal Nations. The diverse range of grants for youth programming will serve more than 8,000 Native youth in reservation, rural, suburban, and urban areas throughout Indian Country. The funded projects vary in focus areas such as agricultural education, training, and career pathways. All grants awarded go to support increased access to capital for the success of beginning Native farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food champions by providing business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services.
NAAF opened their Request for Applications for Native youth funding from April 1, 2022, through May 18, 2022. NAAF awards grants to four eligible grant recipients, including: 501(c)(3) organizations, educational organizations, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and Tribal governments and their instrumentalities.
“Many of our Tribal creation stories, although all unique, have a connection to the cultivation of traditional food practices and protection of ecosystems. That knowledge is passed through new generations of agricultural leaders and food stewards. That is why at NAAF we are committed to investing in programming that serves Native youth and expands opportunities to grow their expertise and increase access to capital. Our communities will thrive because of the knowledge and passion that Native youth contribute to the work of feeding our people,” says Toni Stanger-McLaughlin (Colville), CEO of the Native American Agriculture Fund.
With today’s investment:
- More than 11% of the $912,086.14 awarded will go directly to Native youth as loans, re-grants, or scholarships
- Projects will impact Native youth across 15 states and 81 Tribal Nations
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Food Systems Financing and Market Updates |
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NAAF is hosting a Livestream webinar on current market reports and how to finance food systems. Learn more about selling to USDA and organic and other claims-based marketing.
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Founder & Principal Director of Crystal Springs Consulting, Inc.
303-594-4420
Works extensively on issues relating to natural food, regional food systems, and regenerative agriculture. Currently working with tribal organizations and NAAF to assess the feasibility for Tribally-owned marketing and processing enterprises.
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Indigenous Agriculture LLC
croper@chrisroperservices.com
(573) 247-8181
Chris works as an independent consultant with tribes and tribal organizations throughout the nation on various economic development projects, agricultural endeavors, and Food Sovereignty projects.
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Indigenous Agriculture LLC
shelbycrum192@gmail.com
(765) 918-7387
Has experience in various types of agriculture projects, farmers markets, food sovereignty analysis, surveys and reports, project and grant management.
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Submit Written Comments by July 8 |
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- Improve Food Access and Affordability
- Integrate Nutrition and Health
- Empower all consumers to make and have access to healthy choices
- Support physical activity for all
- Enhance nutrition and food security research
Please use the following questions as a guiding reference, but comments are not limited to the following.
- How has hunger or diet-related disease impacted you, your family, or your community?
- What specific actions should the U.S. Federal government, including the Executive Branch and Congress, take to achieve each pillar? What are the opportunities and barriers to achieving the actions? Actions should include specific policy and/or programmatic ideas and changes as well as funding needs.
- What specific actions should local, state, territory and Tribal governments; private companies; nonprofit and community groups; and others take to achieve each pillar?
- What are opportunities for public- and private-sector partners to work together to achieve each pillar?
- What are innovative, successful activities already happening at the local, state, territory, and Tribal levels that could inform actions at the Federal level?
- How can the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) support Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in Indian Country?
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Native American Agriculture Fund Sponsors 14 Teachers to attend National Ag in the Classroom Conference |
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The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) partnered with the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) to encourage teachers of Native American students to attend the 2022 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY. The teachers at the conference had access to learning about multiple areas of agriculture including hydroponics, soil and land health, new agricultural technology, as well as specialized topics such as dairy production and climate change impacting agriculture producers.
"I was impressed by the dairy industry", says Yolanda Munoz of the Sierra Madre Elementary School in Pasadena CA. "We went to a dairy farm, and I was surprised by how much technology is used in it today. Looking at the STEM courses in my district and across the state of California; it was amazing to see the technology in the milking barn, how the cows were moved around, how they were recycling and re-using everything they had there, and even looking at the methane ponds and what they did to turn that gas into a solid. This conference made me think about how we bring this back to our students and how we become advocates.”
The teachers selected for this sponsorship were those who teach pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students at a Tribal government-operated school, a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school, a BIE-supported school, a school on a reservation teaching Native American students, a non-reservation school that has a high percentage of Native American students, or a teacher with a Tribal affiliation.
Teaching agriculture in the classroom provides Native youth new opportunities to expand perspectives about a field of study that is connected to our environment, food, health, economies, science and technology, and culture. NAAF is proud to sponsor this agriculture learning opportunity for teachers who are committed to empowering young Native students with the knowledge to lead this work for future generations. Learn more about the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization.
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Toni Stanger-McLaughlin Elected to Feeding America National Board of Directors
“Native communities, like many communities of color, endure adverse disparities in food security. In addition to urban areas, Indian Country also extends to some of the most rural and remote areas of the country, making safe access to nutritional and affordable foods more challenging. I applaud Feeding America in their commitment to increase Native representation and look forward to serving as a newly appointed member of their National Board of Directors to amplify tribally-driven solutions to eradicate food insecurity for Tribal communities and work toward ending hunger for all Americans.”
Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, J.D. (Colville), CEO of Native American Agriculture Fund
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What are the needs of Native Veterans involved in food and agriculture production? |
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American Indian and Alaska Native people serve in the US Armed Services at a higher rate than any other group. According to the 2010 Census, it is estimated that over 150,000 veterans identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone. In recognition of this fact, NAAF aims to uplift more Native veterans in agriculture, and we need your input on the current needs of beginning and experienced Indigenous veteran farmers and ranchers.
This Native Veterans survey will foster roundtable discussions to evaluate and address the needs of Native veterans working in agriculture so that they can be involved in every aspect of developing agricultural infrastructure and thriving food economies in Native communities.
“When our Native veterans return, we want them to find healing and opportunity in the land. That is why the Native American Agriculture Fund is committed to assisting Native American Veterans, our first step in assistance is this survey.” -Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, J.D, (Colville), CEO of NAAF
The first 200 respondents will be eligible to receive a veteran challenge coin which will be sent to them by the Farmer Veteran Coalition.
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Other Agriculture Opportunities |
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Native Farm Bill Coalition Roundtables
Friday July 15, 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Don’t miss out on the Native Farm Bill Coalition’s bi-weekly webinar series. Our twelfth webinar in the series is about Title XII of the Farm Bill: Misc.
The webinar will be live-streamed across our social media platforms; there is no Zoom link. Just log onto Facebook or Twitter, find their page, and join them!
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Do you want to be featured like the grantee's below? |
Tag us, @nativeagfund, in your social media posts and we'll reach out to you to highlight in our next newsletter!
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Akiptan
Eagle Butte, SD
Deadline to submit survey is July 31, 2022.
The results of this survey will contribute to a national Native Agriculture market study to determine what the unmet financing need is for Native producers amongst other barriers that, if addressed, would lead to greater prosperity and sustainability for Native Agriculture. Akiptan is collecting responses from all over Indian Country in hopes to understand the unique opportunities, challenges, and goals for producers in each region and state.
These results will influence the creation and/or expansion of services, loan and grant products, and policy efforts to meet these needs. Your responses are completely anonymous and will not be connected to your name or your business.
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Located: 504 Chartin Road, Blue Lake CA
They will have all kinds of fresh produce, including zucchini, artichokes, sugar snap peas, beets, and chard. It's picked weekly by staff on demand to ensure freshness and reduce waste.
Additionally, fresh quail eggs from the tribe’s flock of quail will be available, as well as chicken eggs from local farmer Julie Crowell, homemade jam made by Wilder Witch Farms, and plant starts for gardening.
If you're interested in this project, community members can join the garden staff as they harvest to learn about different growing methods being practiced in the high tunnels, such as lower and lean trellising, which offers support for climbing plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
The farm stand is part of the tribe’s food sovereignty educational programming, where community members will be able to sell their produce and learn about agricultural marketing, distribution, and sales, after the tribe secured a $50,000 grant from the Native American Agriculture Fund.
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Three Sisters Gardens
West Sacramento, California
Located: 700 Cummins Way, West Sacramento CA
The Three Sisters Farmstand is open every Tuesday from
June 21 - October 15, 2022.
Three Sisters Gardens will be starting their Free Farm Stand between 10 - 2 pm every Tuesday for the next four months.
This program is intended to serve food insecure homes in Broderick & Bryte in West Sacramento, California.
For more information contact Info@3sistersgardens.com or to donate to their community giving programs, https://3sistersgardens.com/donate/
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