Acres of farmland and ranchland protected in perpetuity through agricultural conservation easements.
Acres under reduced development pressure due to smart land-use planning and tax policies.
Catalyzed in federal and state funds to help farmers and ranchers adopt new conservation practices or protect their land.
Every acre of farmland protected, every farmer or rancher supported, and every partnership built contributes to a more resilient agricultural future. Across the country, we work alongside farmers, ranchers, and landowners to protect farmland, promote sound farming practices, and keep farmers on the land. These relationships keep us grounded in real-world challenges while allowing us to test and scale innovative solutions. The stories featured here highlight the tangible impact of this work, demonstrating how our programs are helping people and communities thrive while shaping a more sustainable future for agriculture.
Recognizing the sheep industry has minimal infrastructure for processing wool, Monica, a sheep and produce farmer, used a Brighter Future Fund grant to purchase a wool carder, wool picker, and washing machine.
Trefoil Gardens was awarded a Brighter Future Fund grant to invest in a propagation house fit to serve their growing business, which brings neighbors together around local foods grown in the yards of the neighborhood.
Hameed and Ayo Bello used a Brighter Future Fund grant to purchase four hoop houses to provide consistent, high-quality, healthy produce to their community.
Aloha Redland Farm is preparing for climate resiliency and nurturing the land they steward. With support from a Brighter Future Fund grant they will install irrigation, improve infrastructure, and purchase equipment needed to maintain and expand their operation.
Dayna Burtness and her partner, Nick Nguyen, used a Brighter Future Fund grant to install two stainless steel waterers for their heritage pig operation.
Meg Barton Galvin and her siblings used a Brighter Future Fund grant to purchase a rainwater harvesting and solar drip-irrigation system, investing in ag diversification, on-farm water development, and on-farm energy.
Green Street Academy's farm is run by its high school students as part of the urban agriculture and aquaculture programs during the academic year and as paid interns during the summer. They will use a Brighter Future Fund grant to buy supplies for another year of learning.
Robert Baldwin Jr., a beginning farmer, used a Brighter Future Fund grant to grow and diversify his 10-acre vegetable operation by purchasing a string bean picker.
Run cooperatively by four intergenerational, multi-racial, & LGBTQ+ women, Rise & Root Farm's mission is rooted in social justice and the healing power of food. They used a Brighter Future Fund grant to upgrade their greenhouse with water, electricity, and heat.
Angeles Crest Creamy used a Brighter Future Fund grant to protect a popular goat grazing area destroyed in the Bob Cat Fire.
Eloheh Farm and Seeds, specializing in perennial plants native to Oregon or the local Northern Kalapuya Indian tribal bands, used a Brighter Future Fund grant to build a farm stand and finish a greenhouse.
Elisa Fleming, a fourth-generation farmer, used a Brighter Future Fund grant to replace a hay rack lost when their 90-year-old barn burned down.
