Now Accepting Applications for The Expanding Agroforestry Project
$36 million to be paid in direct incentives
Eligible producers in the United States are invited to apply to an incentive payment program beginning November 15, 2023. Over the course of five years, $36 million will be paid out to producers in direct incentive payments to transform 30,000 acres spanning 30 states into agroforestry systems, thus building a foundation for expanding agroforestry practices nationally.
Learn more about how to apply here.
The Expanding Agroforestry Project is one of 141 projects funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative. The Nature Conservancy, the project lead, is working with Propagate and other regional leads—Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative, Savanna Institute, Tuskegee University, University of Missouri - The Center for Agroforestry, and Virginia Tech University—to manage the project, including coordinating with national partners to expand financing and develop markets for agroforestry commodities.
“Agroforestry is an underutilized tool in our collective efforts to support rural economies while mitigating climate change,” said Audrey Epp Schmidt, agroforestry program manager for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Regenerative Agriculture program. “Putting more trees on agricultural lands creates more resilient agricultural systems, and expanding the production of commodities grown in agroforestry systems can help drive new market opportunities to build an increasingly climate-smart food system.”
A natural climate solution, agroforestry is used by less than 2% of farm operations in the U.S., yet it can sequester 2 to 4 tons of carbon per acre per year in plant biomass. Adding trees to agricultural landscapes can also increase carbon stored in soils and decrease the use of fertilizers, reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on water quality. This project, which includes targeted efforts to increase accessibility and engagement with underserved producers, could eventually spur the adoption of agroforestry practices on tens of millions of acres of U.S. farmlands.
“Agroforestry is encouraging because it offers a profitable business case for farms alongside valuable ecological benefits,” said Ethan Steinberg, CEO & Co-Founder of Propagate. “Since founding Propagate in 2017, we’ve learned that access to capital and education are the two keys to making this work for farmers. This program is a great example of how to address both so that agroforestry adoption in the US can scale in a meaningful way.”
Who is eligible to apply?
Applications for the first enrollment cycle are currently being accepted for producers with crop and grazing operations in the Upper Midwest, Lower Midwest, Hawai’i, Mid-Atlantic/Central Appalachia, and Northeast regions. The Southeast region will open applications in early summer 2024. Deadlines for future enrollment cycles will be announced. For the current application cycle the deadlines are:
Upper Midwest: December, 15, 2023
Lower Midwest: December, 15, 2023
Hawai'i: December 31, 2023
Mid-Atlantic/Central Appalachia: January 1, 2024
Northeast: January 16, 2024
Each region will have two to three enrollment cycles annually. Typically, applicants will receive a notification about the status of their application within three to four months from the submission deadline for that enrollment cycle.
The project is focused on the use of three agroforestry practices: alley cropping, silvopasture, and windbreaks.
Producers selected into the program will be paired with technical assistance providers who will work with them to develop an agroforestry plan for their operation. The incentive payments substantially subsidize the installation costs of new agroforestry plantings, estimated at 75% of installation costs and/or $450 per acre transition incentive.
Find more information on the project, visit this page.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G005. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.
Propagate
is a software, development and financing ecosystem that makes it easy for farms to transition acreage to agroforestry. They provide access to agronomic insights, technical assistance, and financing so that farms can reduce risk while integrating fruit, nut and timber trees with animal or crop farming systems. Propagate currently advises 55,000+ acres of agroforestry, supporting over 3,000,000 trees & shrubs. Propagate also actively manages over 2,400 commercial acres, and growing, through its regional agroforestry hubs in NY and KY.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
Media Contacts:
Kyle DeWeerdt, Propagate
kyle@propagateag.com
Christine Griffiths, The Nature Conservancy
cgriffiths@tnc.org
