Fibers Fund Announces First 5 Grants
The Fibers Fund reached another milestone this month, awarding its first five business technical assistance grants to U.S. fiber, textile, and dye businesses. These grants will play a key catalytic role for both the Fibers Fund, a project of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) and Fibershed with Mission Driven Finance, and for the business recipients. Grants from the Fibers Fund are specifically designed to help fiber businesses unlock other sources of capital. Two grants were awarded to businesses profiled in the SAFSF Fibers Roadmap Case Studies. First, Seattle-based Botanical Colors received support to set up data management systems…
July 2023 Policy Connection
Congressional News Ag Committee Leaders Acknowledge Likelihood of Farm Bill Extension The current farm bill expires on September 30, but it appears increasingly likely that lawmakers will need to pass a short-term extension to ensure farm bill programs remain authorized. Covid-19, debt ceiling negotiations, and a busy summer appropriations calendar have combined to delay the drafting process of the new bill. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said at an event in late June hosted by Bloomberg Government, “It would not surprise me” if lawmakers passed a short-term extension of the current farm bill.” Senate Majority Leader…
July Picks of the Month
EPA Announces $278 Million Funding to Improve Drinking Water for Tribes (Native News Online). “The funding will help Tribes and Alaska Native Villages make significant investments in water infrastructure improvements to advance public health protections by improving compliance with existing water regulations, identifying, and replacing lead service lines, and addressing harmful emerging contaminants in drinking water and wastewater, such as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS).”Philanthropic Joint Statement in Response to the Supreme Court’s Decision in ‘Students for Fair Admissions’ Cases (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Some of our members and partners have teamed up to put forward a joint statement about the recent…
2023 SAFSF Forum Recap
Over 200 attendees gathered for three days in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. for the 2023 SAFSF Forum. During our time together, we dug into deep conversations about promising solutions and strategies for agriculture and food systems that address the roots and consequences of racial inequities, socio-economic and geographic divides, and community disenfranchisement and disinvestment. This Forum was unlike any other! The energy from attendees, the chatter of new and old connections being ignited, and the eagerness to learn filled the rooms. The agenda was packed with engaging plenaries, incredible site visits, and funder-led sessions featuring amazing speakers including many…
Land Acknowledgement: Washington, D.C.
Renee Catacalos, SAFSF Vice President of Strategy and Impact, shared this Indigenous Land Acknowledgement as part of the 2023 SAFSF Forum. As funders and advocates working to create a more equitable U.S. agriculture and food system, it is imperative for us to acknowledge that the roots of today’s inequities lie deep in the history of land theft and dispossession from Indigenous peoples dating from the European colonization of this continent. We in this room are aware that Indigenous people were forced to move, dispossessed of their land, detached from their cultural traditions, and murdered to cover this up and to…
June 2023 Policy Connection
The Policy Connection is a regular digital publication for SAFSF members, providing insights into key policy issues for sustainable agriculture and food systems. Blog post will now be embedded within the recurring publication to provide space for deeper sharing of news and resources. Congressional News House and Senate Committees Advance Food and Ag Appropriations Bills From public health to environmental protection, to food assistance, to the military, the annual appropriations process influences the entire economy and funds government services essential to our collective well-being. On the agriculture and food side of the equation, the House Appropriations Committee advanced a Republican-led bill to…
Job Announcement: Executive Director
At a critical moment of continued and sustained transformation, SAFSF seeks a dynamic, visionary, and equity-driven leader as its next Executive Director. The ideal candidate will be a strategic and tactical leader and expert relationship builder with a strong equity lens. They will bring 7+ years of philanthropic or nonprofit leadership experience in sustainable food and agriculture systems. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work closely with board and staff to articulate and implement the next strategic direction for SAFSF’s work. The position requires a strong vision for the role of networks as agents of purposefully…
Board of Directors Transitions
SAFSF Board Elects 2023 Officers The SAFSF Board has elected the following directors to serve one-year terms as officers from June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024. Chair – Esperanza Pallana, executive director of Food and Farm Communications FundVice Chair – Leslie Hatfield, senior partnership and outreach advisor at GRACE Communications FoundationTreasurer – Olivia Watkins, co-executive director, internal resilience at Black Farmer FundSecretary – Ila Duncan, trustee, Lumpkin Family Foundation Dear Friends, I’m delighted to say hello to you today as board chair and, on behalf of the full board, I’m delighted to introduce the four exceptional individuals joining our esteemed board as new directors…
Premiere Screening of “Digging In” Documentary
Check out the trailer and get set for the premiere screening of SAFSF’s documentary “Digging In” on June 11 in Washington, D.C. The film explores the interconnected issues of concentration and consolidation, land access, and climate change. Funders will find a jumping-off point to take more concrete action in these areas, with further resources coming through the companion website. “Digging In” is underwritten by the Vatheuer Family Foundation and produced by Nathan.Works, a Kansas City-based documentary film and digital communications firm. Hear more at a panel discussion with the filmmakers and series narrator Masika Henson after the film. The event precedes the kick-off…
Important SAFSF Forum News
Registration for the upcoming 2023 SAFSF Forum will be open for a few more weeks. If you are still on the fence about attending, read on for some important tidbits that I hope will convince you that now is the time to commit! The Last SAFSF Forum Until 2025 That’s right, the SAFSF board and staff have decided to take 2024 off from holding the SAFSF Forum, to give ourselves the space to fully welcome a new executive director next year. Rather, we’ll focus our energy on multiple in-person events around the country that will enable everyone—including our new leader—to connect and deepen…
