Historic Braiding Seeds Fellowship applications close May 15th

Braiding Seeds Fellowship

Honor and respect to our ancestral grandmothers who braided seeds and promise into their hair before being forced onto transatlantic slave ships. They believed, against odds, that we their descendents would exist to inherit, plant, and pass on that seed.

The Braiding Seeds Fellowship, a project of Soul Fire Farm Institute in collaboration with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, carries on the legacy of the braided seeds by providing beginning farmers with resources, professional development, and mentorship to support their livelihood on land.

In the inaugural year, we will draw our cohort from the southeast and northeast, along certain corridors of the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration. We will work to bridge north-south and legacy-returning generations of farmers.

APPLY HERE

Applications are open April 15th-May 15th, 2021.

Note: To prepare your responses and review the application in advance, you can view a non-fillable version of all the questions here. You will not be able to fill in or submit this sample version.

Before beginning the application, we recommend gathering the required supporting materials, including two (2) letters of recommendation (saved in PDF format only) and one (1) photo of yourself, and saving your longer responses in a separate document where you can back them up, edit, and copy and paste into the application form.

What do fellows receive as part of the program?

Braiding Seeds fellows receive a $50,000 stipend; a menu of professional development opportunities including 1:1 mentorship, workshops, business plan support, and field experiences; quarterly cohort gatherings; marketing and promotion services; and individualized coaching.

What are the obligations of fellows as part of the program?

Farming will be the main work of fellows, who will dedicate a minimum average of 20+ hours per week on their farms during the growing season. Fellows will attend quarterly virtual cohort gatherings for networking and professional development. Fellows will also complete at least 50 hours of professional development over 18 months from the menu provided, such as 1:1 mentorship, workshops, business plan support and/or creation, and field experiences. As part of the pilot year, the first fellowship cohort will offer feedback and suggestions to inform future years of the program. Fellows will participate in brief monthly 1:1 check in meetings with fellowship staff.

What are the dates of the fellowship program?

The fellowship will begin on July 1, 2021 and end on December 31, 2022. It is an 18-month program.

Who qualifies as a farmer?

For the purpose of the fellowship, a farmer is a person whose livelihood entails collaboration with an ecosystem to produce food, forage, seeds, medicine, or other crops. The returns of their labor may afford the farmer wages, sales, and/or community-provisioning and they may be termed a peasant, urban grower, campesino, farmworker, row crop farmer, shepard, herb grower, schoolyard gardener, nonprofit farmer, ocean farmer, orchardist, fiber farmer, etc. They have in common tending to the earth as their means of ‘securing the necessities of life.’ The fellowship looks to support farmers who are producing at a scale that can support the wider community, and not just a single household.

Who is eligible to apply?

Beginning farmers, ages 18+, with 1-4 years of experience are welcome to apply. The fellowship is for Black, Indigenous, and people of color farmers* based in the northeast and southeast of the United States, including all states and territories that touch the Atlantic Ocean and its tidal arms (ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, DC, MS, AL, LA, PA, WV, VT.) The fellowship is for individuals, though fellows are welcome to share their resources with collaborators in their respective projects. Applicants should be passionate about the flourishing of Black agrarianism.*

Can I still apply if I am not based in one of those states and territories?

In the inaugural year of the fellowship, the cohort will be focused on farmers based in the northeast and southeast of the United States, including all states and territories that touch the Atlantic Ocean and its tidal arms (ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, DC, MS, AL, LA, PA, WV, VT.) Pending review of the pilot program, future cohorts may have a different geographic focus. We encourage you to stay tuned for updates in the future.

What is the timeline for decisions and implementation?

April 15 – Fellowship launch

April 29, 7 PM Eastern – Informational webinar: Recording http://bit.ly/BSFwebinar and Q&A transcript http://bit.ly/BSFquestions

May 15 – Applications due

June 15 – Decisions announced

July 1 – Fellowship start date

How are the fellows selected?

The selection committee is drawn from representatives of Black-centered farming organizations in the northeast and southeast, including Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Land Loss Prevention Project. Fresh Future Farm, National Black Food and Justice Alliance, NEFOC, New Communities Inc/SW GA Project., Black Church Food Security Network, Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network, Farms to Grow, Black Farmer Fund, and Farm School NYC. Applications will be scored based on the likelihood of the project to be sustainable and to have enduring positive impact on the community. We anticipate a high volume of applications, and will not be able to admit all eligible farmers.

Does the farming have to be organic?

Farmers in the fellowship are required to have operations that are regenerative, organic, sustainable, biological, agroecological, permaculture, Afro-ecological, natural, and/or transitioning. Organic certification is not required.

Is there a code of conduct for fellows?

Yes. Fellows agree to the standards of professionalism, respect, and mutual regard outlined in the employee handbooks of the Social Good Fund (fellowship fiscal sponsor) and Soul Fire Farm Institute (fellowship coordinator.) As respected ambassadors of the Black and BIPOC farming communities, fellows are expected to behave in ways that bring honor and esteem to our beloved community. Fellows will have the opportunity to co-create safe and brave space agreements to further define their mutual expectations of community care.

Do I need to have land already?

No, though you are welcome and encouraged to enter the program with land if possible. Farmers in the fellowship should be land-ready, with a clear and compelling plan for how to start their operation and, ideally, leads on which land to use. Optional land-finding services will be provided to support farmers to obtain a land lease, deed, or other form of tenure.

Do I need to start farming right away?

Recognizing that some fellows will not be able to start their farms right away, in the initial months the 20+ weekly hours of farming can be used for land finding, crop planning, supply sourcing, and other preparatory activities. In most cases, working for wages on someone else’s farm would not “count” toward the 20+ weekly hours, but please use the application to explain if you have a special circumstance.

Why is it limited to folks of certain heritage and geography?

In the pilot year of the program we have the resources to support 10 fellows. Rather than spread the program too thin, we hope to make a meaningful impact among Black, Indigenous, and people of color farmers along the north-south Atlantic corridor. In future years we will consider a shifting or expanded demographic.

Can I apply if I am a staff or Board member, friend or family of a staff or Board member, or otherwise closely affiliated with one of the partner organizations involved in the fellowship?

Yes, you are welcome to apply. We recognize that one of the strengths of our networks is that they are often interconnected. The application will ask you to disclose your affiliations with any of the partner organizations. Rest assured that these associations do not disqualify or otherwise impact your application. These details will be used to inform which reviewers may need to recuse themselves for review and/or decision making.

Will the program continue in future years?

Yes, we can commit to continuing the program for 5 unique cohorts, and will see what resources are available after that time period.

If I am not selected, will there be other opportunities?

Yes. We are planning to offer all applicants learning and networking opportunities through our “ecosystem” of Black, Indigenous, and people of color farming organizations.

What about Spanish speaking farmers?

In the inaugural year of the Braiding Seeds fellowship, the programming is offered in English. We fund a sibling program for Spanish-speaking farmers, coordinated by the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust. For more information contact gaby@nefoclandtrust.org.

What is the role of experienced farmers in the fellowship?

The fellowship will pay honoraria to experienced, legacy farmers to provide mentorship, informational lectures, and advice for our fellows. To nominate a legacy farmer as a mentor or guest teacher, please email braidingseeds@soulfirefarm.org

How do I apply?

Please complete the application linked here by May 15, 2021.

*We recognize that a fierce and beautiful commitment to the flourishing of Black agrarianism can and should stand alongside a commitment to Indigenous sovereignty and the liberation of all peoples impacted by racial capitalism and settler colonialism.

*As a Black-centered program, the cohort will be supermajority Black and will also prioritize Indigenous applicants.