About the Native American Agriculture Fund

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust serving Native farmers and ranchers created from the historic Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation settlement.

The Trust’s Mission shall be to make grants to Eligible Grant Recipients, described in section 8, to fund the provision of business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to Native American farmers and ranchers to support and promote their continued engagement in agriculture.

Reimagining Native Food Economies

The Native American food and agriculture sector is the single most underappreciated resource for sustainable, rural economic development in our Nation. This Vision provides an infrastructure framework to harness Indian Country’s economic and nutritional potential to recover from COVID-19.

USDA Debt Relief to Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers: Tax Implications and What to Prepare For

On October 18, 2022 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans recently received nearly $800 million in assistance. This funding was mainly derived from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with some additional resources coming from the COVID-19 Pandemic Relief. Through the IRA, USDA was directed to expedite services to distressed borrowers with either direct or guaranteed loans. Many Native American farmers, ranchers, and producers will receive debt relief before the end of 2022.

The Native American Agriculture Fund has partnered 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.

Reimagining Hunger Responses in Times of Crisis

Learn more about findings and recommendations from a survey which illuminates the challenges of food security in Indian Country during COVID-19 and the Tribally-driven solutions needed to address those challenges head on.

Stay Engaged with NAAF

Trust Agreement

Read the trust agreement to learn more about specific requirements of our operations and grants.

NAAF Grantees

NAAF provides grants to eligible entities in order to support Native farmers and ranchers. 

Educational Resources

NAAF is always working with our grantees to develop resources for Native agriculturalists.

News and Updates

Stay informed on news related to NAAF and Native American Agriculture.

Webinars

Video Resources

  • Building Native Agriculture Series
  • Quarterly Marketing Reports
  • Cooperative Virtual Conference
  • Access to Capital