Farmers Powering Communities
Mission Area: Promoting Sound Farming Practices
Farmers Powering Communities
Farmers Powering Communities will advance community solar scale projects of 25 to 50 acres to provide green energy to the two-thirds of Americans, including many low and moderate income families, who don’t have access to rooftop solar. The goal is to create 500MW of community solar capacity in five years.
Illinois Perennial Bioenergy Crop Diversification Project
In a collaboration between American Farmland Trust and Argonne National Laboratory, this project aims to help farmers transition marginal or unproductive areas of their land to grow perennial bioenergy crops. This effort seeks to repurpose marginal lands using perennial crops to provide additional economic opportunities while boosting farm resiliency.
Advancing Climate Resilience with Women Ranchers in Northeast Oregon
This project aims to bring American Farmland Trust’s innovative Women for the Land Learning Circle programming to women ranchers and ranchland owners in Northeast Oregon (particularly Union, Baker, and Wallowa Counties) to advance soil health an rancher resilience.
Protecting the Great Lakes Through a Farm Navigator Network
The project goal is to support the ecological health of the Great Lakes while sustaining a viable agricultural economy and communities.
Illinois Cover Crop Initiative
The Illinois Cover Crop Initiative is a new program available for farmers who intend to plant cover crops following their 2022 cash crop. Farmers can receive $10 per acre for cover crops planted by December 1, 2022, even if they have planted cover crops before!
Fall Covers for Spring Savings: Cover Crop Premium Discount Program by Illinois Dept. of Ag
Cover crops are a tremendously important practice for improving soil health and reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to waterways. Illinois has taken an important step toward meeting its nutrient loss reduction goals by funding the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program in the Illinois budget.
Wild Harmony Farm
Rachel Slattery and Ben Coerper are the owners of Wild Harmony Farm, a regenerative livestock farm in Rhode Island. They used the funds from their New England Farmer Microgrants Program award to install above-ground water lines throughout their newly leased fields.
Boneyard Farm
Hannah and John Doyle of Boneyard Farm specialize in pastured meat, eggs, and produce. They used the funds from their New England Farmer Microgrants Program award to build a mobile poultry processing unit, which allowed them to expand their poultry operation.
Winter Street Farm
Abby Clarke and Jonathan Hayden operate Winter Street Farm, where they are using regenerative agriculture practices to grow sustainably. They used the funds from their New England Farmer Microgrants Program award to purchase a flail mower to continue expanding their no-till operation.
Sawyer Farm
Lincoln Fishman and his partner, Hilary Costa, operate Sawyer Farm as an organic, horse-powered, no-till farm. They were awarded a 2020 New England Farmer Microgrant, which they used to purchase equipment to expand their on-farm production.