Regenerative Agriculture Foundation (RAF) believes that paths to climate resilience come from farmers and land stewards within communities on the frontlines of climate change. That’s why we’re excited to launch our new report This is Climate Resilience: Frontline Organizations Creating Climate-Resilient Futures for Food Production. RAF invites the philanthropic community to join us in directing resources to frontline organizations working towards a climate resilient future for their communities, which ultimately supports the health of everyone. We hope the visions offered in this report will i ..read more

As light returns with the winter solstice, we are excited to present the recipients of the 2023 Restorying Regenerative Agriculture awards! Through work ranging from buffalo reintroduction, land and seed rematriation, and traditional farming through collective governance, the Restorying Awardees represent a broad range of approaches that organizations are utilizing to heal their lands, soils, and foodways—all through practices grounded in ancestral ethics and values of their communities.   View the full announcement and organizational profiles here   2023 Restorying Regenerative Agr ..read more

The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation awarded a handful of small organizations a $12,000 grant each in 2022 to support them in putting together a grant application for USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding. Four of those organizations were successful and will receive up to $48 million in USDA funds! The grant funding is now being distributed and these organizations are gearing up to begin their regenerative agriculture projects. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity had high demand from across agriculture and forestry. Between two funding ..read more

RAF Associate Director Ahna Kruzic traveled to Washington DC in early March to join hundreds of farmers and ranchers from across the United States to advocate for more resiliency in our food system. As climate change induces more severe weather events like floods and droughts, farms that can withstand these shocks will be more important than ever. Healthy soils increase the water-holding capacity of farm fields and can serve as a buffer to extreme weather events. Regenerative farming practices tend to build soils and provide greater resiliency.  The Agricultural Resilience Act, introduced ..read more

U.S. Senator Tina Smith hosted a kitchen table discussion / listening session with Minnesota Black, Indigenous, and Farmers of Color on April 5 at The Good Acre, a local nonprofit that supports sustainable food production.  The topic was the upcoming farm bill, in particular access to land, capital, and resources. Farming is a capital-intensive business and many farmers cannot get into operation without access to family land. Aspiring farmers that do not have access to land or capital have a far more difficult time starting a farm operation, and aspiring farmers of color are overwhelmingl ..read more

The relationship between agriculture and water – and the role of government in facilitating that relationship – has been a longstanding issue of contention, particularly in the agricultural Midwest. Need examples? In past couple of weeks alone, we’ve seen the following: A phenomenon known as flash droughts are presenting a risk to Midwest crops; A study found tougher nitrogen fertilizer use policies could result in benefit to both farmers’ profits and environmental outcomes; And a drinking water utility in Iowa that had previously sued an agricultural watershed district is now exploring coope ..read more

Dear Friends and Colleagues, We are delighted to announce that Ahna Kruzic is joining the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation as Associate Director. Ahna has a tremendous diversity of experience in nonprofit management, regenerative agriculture, and supporting farm and racial justice. She has been providing consultive support to RAF for the past year and has agreed to join us as full-time staff. Originally from southern Iowa, Ahna currently lives in Oakland and has been serving as Pesticide Action Network’s Communications and Media Director.  She holds a Master of Science in sustainable ..read more

RAF Launches Project to Connect, Support, and Learn from Black, Indigenous and People of Color Regenerative agriculture is an important tool for advancing healthy soils, clean water, and climate change mitigation. Yet that’s only part of the story. It is a pathway to a more sustainable and resilient future that addresses the inextricable link between ecological and human systems. For the sake of our future, long-term soil and water benefits must coincide with progress toward a more just, equitable, and thriving agricultural economy, in which many people can participate, lead, and prosper.  ..read more

  Sunday 8/1/21 Des Moines Register featuring Regi A recent story published in the Des Moines Register delves into the life and upcoming work of Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, a longtime friend and partner of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation. Regi is the president of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, a Minnesota-based organization that creates partnerships throughout agricultural supply chains, with a focus on regenerative practices and ecosystem management.    The article, authored by Register reporter Tyler Jett, recounts Regi’s upbringing as the son of farmers in ..read more

Agricultural Landscapes Face a Climate Crisis: Innovative Farmers and Land Stewards Have Solutions Diversity strengthens systems. A diversity of species creates a more resilient ecosystem, a diversity of crops provides a farmer with better soil health, and a diversity of employee lived experiences creates a stronger organization. Without that diversity, systems become increasing vulnerable to disaster. When it comes to federal agricultural policy, diverse and creative thinking rarely makes it into the decision-making process. A few program crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton domina ..read more