Page 3 - NAAF 2019 Annual Report

a letter from our ceo

The state of Native 79,198
When I wake up in the morning and start the "to do list" for the day, I ask myself one question:
Is this going to help Native farmers and ranchers?
If the answer is yes, it goes on the "to do" list. If the answer is no, we don’t do it. I have asked myself this question in one way or agriculture Native producers
another every day since NAAF was founded in 2018.
across the country
Since those early days, I am proud of the foundation we have built. NAAF is on solid footing. But, as I often share with the
NAAF staff members, this isn’t about us. This is about the Native farmers and ranchers. They are the reason we are here.
Agriculture across Indian Country is as diverse as our Native
I want our current grantees, future grantees, trustees, valued partners and everyone in Indian Country to know what NAAF nations. Native farmers and ranchers are essential to the
stands for and who we serve.
success of Native food systems and diversification of our
Our mission is to make grants to eligible organizations to fund projects that serve Native farmers and ranchers and promote agricultural economies.
continued engagement in agriculture across Indian Country. To execute on this mission established by our trust agreement, we
needed to build an organization worthy of this investment and begin to plant seeds across Indian Country.
There is a lot to be optimistic about regarding the future of
NAAF needed to build a solid foundation. This started with creating good governance. We took steps to protect our investment Native agriculture. Every day, I see firsthand the critical areas
and set up auditing procedures. We hired very talented staff with a breadth of diverse experience in agriculture and created that NAAF grant recipients are addressing, such as credit
human resource protocols for our staff. We made sure that NAAF is a solid organization of the highest integrity because that is access, infrastructure development, agriculture education and
what the farmers and ranchers who made this organization possible deserve.
so much more. The 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture found 60,083
With that foundation set, we needed to do what we were directed to do: make grants. that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) farms make
up 3% of all farms in the U.S., spanning more than 58 million
In 2018 Fast Track grants were distributed to 34 tribes and organizations with $38 million in grants. These funds were the result
of a court order from the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class action lawsuit. While these funds were distributed before the creation of acres of farmland in our country. farms with Native
NAAF, we monitor, evaluate and keep close relations with these Fast Track grantees.
Native agriculture is also a major economic sector, annually producers
In August 2019, NAAF opened our first Request for Applications. We funded 80 organizations working on over 100 efforts that
will build lasting progress in Indian Country’s food and agriculture sector. With an initial first-year $10,000,000 investment in generating $3.53 billion in total sales with the market value of
Indian Country, we were able to start the critical work NAAF is here to do. We are currently working closely with our 2019 its crops ($1.43 billion) and livestock ($2.10 billion) increasing
grantees to evaluate the progress made by these projects that serve over 30,0000 producers. substantially each year. Native agriculture producers are
developing innovative ways to feed their people, and NAAF
By March of 2020, the world had changed. With the COVID-19 pandemic, our trustees asked us to provide supplemental
funding to our 2019 grantees to address the impacts of the pandemic in our communities. We swiftly distributed $2 million strives to support and cultivate this activity each day.
in funds to 74 grantees. These grants will serve an additional 84,000 producers and over 200,000 Native households. If the
pandemic has taught us anything, it is that food and people are essential. Our Native food people - our farmers, ranchers, fishers,
harvesters - who make sure all of us are fed are essential. They are essential to our lives and important to our future.
“Our very first round
I am truly amazed by the incredible work the NAAF grantees are doing. Please take the time to read all the project descriptions
for the Fast Track and 2019 grantees. I am sure you will feel just as inspired as I am when you read about the remarkable work 35%
they are doing. As this report emerges, we are in the midst of our second-year investment process with plans to provide an of applications gave us
additional $15,000,000 to support even more efforts to create thriving and sustainable food and agriculture systems within our
communities. a glimpse of the huge
of Native farms
When we look back on what we have accomplished since NAAF was potential there is to make a
founded, we can only think of how much more is left to do. These are strong raise cattle
first steps, but we have many more in front of us. NAAF is committed to
investing in Indian Country’s food system. With the help of the amazing significant impact in access
people doing incredible work in our tribal communities, my aim is for
NAAF to leave Indian Country’s food system so much better than we to credit for Native farmers
found it and in so doing, honor the work of those Native farmers and
ranchers whose courage inspired the creation of NAAF, as well as those and ranchers.”
who come after us whose work will continue to ensure our survival.
Chokma’shki (Thank you), – Elsie Meeks (Oglala Lakota),
36%
Chair, NAAF Board of Trustees

Janie Simms Hipp (Chickasaw) of Native producers are

CEO Data from 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture new & beginning farmers
Native American Agriculture Fund

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