Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** agroforestry offers one of the most…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** agroforestry offers one of the most climate-smart responses to our global crises of climate, biodiversity and water, yet IT accounts for less than 2% of farm production. The goal of the agroforestry accelerator pilot program is to train beginning farmers to establish tree crop and agroforestry operations that transform annual monocultures into perennial polycultures, increasing healthy food access for communities in densely populated eastern united states. The main objective is to develop and pilot a training program with a first year cohort of 12 beginning farmers convening on-line and at a network of land trust training sites in the hudson valley of new york (northeast), central new jersey (mid-atlantic), and the triangle of north carolina (southeast). Each will receive training and mentorship from an experienced team to gain a working knowledge of: 1) propagating native fruit and nut trees and shrubs with nursery production, alley cropping, silvopasture, and productive riparian buffers; 2) regional value chains for native fruits/nuts/fungi/ roots; seeds and nursery stock; and value-added processing; and 3) equitable land access and cooperative business models. The core focus for trainees is to instill a deep appreciation for ancient ecological wisdom about wild foods and medicines, and the skills to adapt agriculture to sequester carbon, restore biodiverse habitat, build living soils, promote water quality and quantity, and feed local communities. Upon completion, each year's trainees will join the agroforestry accelerator network for ongoing peer and mentor support between regions as they develop agroforestry operations in the communities they serve.