Board of Trustee Positions Open | |
|
NAAF proudly supports Native producers throughout the United States. If you believe you can help make a difference in the lives of Native American/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian citizens and communities, please apply to serve as a Board of Trustee. Special emphasis is provided to applicants with a direct connection to the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class action that NAAF was derived from.
NAAF will be accepting applications through January 20, 2023. If selected for an interview, interviews will take place Feb. 10 - Feb. 17, 2023 via Zoom.
| |
2023 National Agriculture in the Classroom NAAF Scholarship | |
|
Deadline: February 15, 2023 by 11:59 pm EST
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is pleased to partner with the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) to help sponsor teachers to attend the upcoming NAITCO "Beyond the Beachers" conference in Orlando, FL from June 26, 2023 - July 29, 2023.
In order to be eligible for the scholarship, you need to either: teach at a Tribal government operated school, a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school, or a BIE-supported school, a school on a reservation teaching Native students; teach at a non-reservation school that has a high percentage of Native American students; or be a teacher with Tribal affiliation.
Scholarships Include:
📍 - conference registration
✈️ - flight costs
🏨 - hotel costs
We strongly believe in the future of agriculture and we also strongly believe that teachers are a critical link to helping Native students become more familiar with food and agriculture concepts and information. We look forward to receiving your application and connecting with you both during and after the conference.
| |
|
This spring, the Native Farm Bill Coalition is organizing a series of “fly-ins” for Tribal leaders and Native producers across the country to talk directly with members of Congress, their staff, and the Biden Administration. By participating in these fly-ins, Coalition members will have the opportunity to advocate for policy changes that would positively impact Indian Country, such as strengthening tribal self-governance, allowing Tribes to manage nutrition programs, investing in economic development opportunities in rural communities, and much more.
To learn more about the tentative schedule and fly in details visit the NFBC website.
| |
The Importance of the Upcoming Census of Agriculture | |
The Census of Agriculture helps inform programming and support, such as increasing access to capital and investments in infrastructure at all levels of national, state, and tribal policies. The data gathered from the census is used by many entities, including NAAF, to help conduct outreach efforts to areas with high populations of Native producers to help support them through grantmaking opportunities. Native producers have been underrepresented in agricultural policies due to a lack of accurate data representation.
Filling out the Agriculture Census will provide the foundation for future advocacy initiatives and will be a step towards providing equitable policies which uplift Native agriculture. Learn more about how the Ag Census helps show the impact of diversity of agriculture in Indian Country.
Join us as we show the diversity and strength within Indian Country.
Deadline February 2023
| |
Public Meeting Announcement
Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers
| |
January 18-20, 2022, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)
The Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers (ACMF) will host a public meeting on strategies for maximizing the participation of minority farmers by leveraging programs that ensure a food-secure nation and effectively steward our natural resources. Time will be allotted at the end of each morning and afternoon for comments from those attending.
Public participants may also view the committee proceedings and presentations via Zoom: https://ems8.intellor.com/login/846392.
General information about the committee can also be found at https://www.usda.gov/partnerships/advisory-committee-on-minority-farmers.
Any member of the public wishing to obtain information concerning this public meeting may contact Mr. Eston Williams, Designated Federal Officer (DFO) via email Eston.Williams@usda.gov or call (202) 596-0226.
| |
|
TAF Scholarship Open
Tribal Agriculture Fellowship is looking to fill their second cohort with the next generation of agricultural professionals and will be accepting applications through February 10th, 2023.. The mission of the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship is to create opportunities for Indigenous students to advance their education in agriculture, increase specialized knowledge and preserve the legacy of agriculture in Tribal communities.
Who should apply:
- College students who are Native American, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian
- Member or descendant of a Tribe or Indigenous community.
- Rising and current technical, undergraduate, and graduate student
Tribal Agriculture Fellowship resources can be utilized for:
- tuition & fees,
- housing,
- meal plans,
- equipment fees and testing costs
For more information visit: www.taffellows.org or email info@taffellows.org
| |
Technical Assistant Specialists with Intertribal Agriculture Council | |
|
IAC is hiring two Technical Assistance (TA) Specialists to provide direct assistance in the Alaska and Midwest Regions with USDA program access to Tribal producers, Tribal entities, and Tribal governments - outreach, eligibility, and program application support.
Other forms of assistance provided include agriculture and natural resource management planning, project development support, partnership leveraging, government-to-government relations, general food systems project planning, and supplemental resources identification. TA Specialists need to have a background in agriculture, Tribal food systems, natural resources management, community development, education, outreach, Tribal relations, and/or other applicable areas.
Positions are open until filled.
To learn more visit indianag.org/careers
| |
USDA Debt Relief to Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers: Tax Implications and What to Prepare For
The Native American Agriculture Fund hosted a webinar with Rob Holcomb, a tax expert at the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota, as a resource to Native farmers, ranchers, and producers to provide financial education as these payments are released.
This presentation and Q & A was created to learn more about the tax implications and other important information prior to the 2023 tax season as it relates to the debt relief payments to distressed farm loan borrowers.
| |
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!
| |
|
Walker River Pauite
Schurz, Nevada
| |
|
The Walker River Paiute Tribe is located on a high desert land base and is critically aware of the importance of water. With NAAF funding they are upgrading irrigation canals on the reservation that will allow for water savings during extreme drought, as well as conduct educational workshops for tribal producers.
Pictured above is the progress on their ag infrastructure grant program. They were able to fix a break in their cement ditch as well as prepare other areas to increase access to water.
| |
|
University of Colorado
Boulder, Co
| |
|
From 2021-2022, First Peoples Worldwide engaged Native farmers, ranchers, harvesters, fishers, chefs, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. – over 85 participants in total – to research the current state of Native food supply chains. These encompass any situation where a Native American-owned food business is sourcing from Native food suppliers, buying from or selling to other Native-owned food businesses, selling to Native customers, or working with Native-owned businesses for transportation, processing, or other aspects of the food supply chain.
The culminating report, Supply Chains and Sovereignty: Native-led Food Systems Solutions shows that Native food supply chains are a vital approach to enacting food sovereignty. Research examines overarching trends within Native food chains across industries and collates recommendations towards strengthening these chains from the perspectives of Native food producers. The report spotlights Indigenous values such as sustainability, community health, and generational approaches in Native food businesses; innovation and economic resilience after COVID-19 pandemic impacts; and an array of Native visions for food supply chains from Native food producers working today.
Overarching themes in the report include:
- Native food businesses are creating food systems that care for both Native and non-Native people, guided by Indigenous values and self-determination.
- Systemic racism and inequitable access to capital continue to have profound and far-reaching impacts on Native food systems, from lack of infrastructure to limited personnel bandwidth.
- Many of the barriers limiting the current supply of Native-produced foods can be addressed through creating sustained and equitable access to capital.
- At the broadest level, Native food producers are creating immense social value through their work, guided by Indigenous values that see the interconnections between Native food systems and individual, social, and environmental wellbeing.
| | | | |
