Congratulations to our 2013 Grant Recipients!

'Tis the season for giving, as they say, and in that spirit, Farm Aid is proud to report on our 2013 grant program!

This time of year is special to us. Our grant program is part of the year-round work we do at Farm Aid to bolster family farm agriculture in America. This year, we gave a total of $573,514 in grants to 73 farm and food organizations across the country, as well as emergency and disaster assistance funds to farmers facing hard times, including this year’s historic flooding in Colorado and blizzard in South Dakota.

We support a wide variety of programs and projects across the country. Many of our grantees are crucial members of our Farmer Resource Network and referrals on our 1-800-FARM-AID hotline. They offer services like financial counseling to farmers in dire straits or hands-on technical advice and training for beginning farmers. Others organizations are leaders in grassroots organizing and advocacy, addressing corporate power in agriculture and advancing fair farm policies that promote a diverse and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Still others are building new local and regional food systems, investing in farmers close to home by creating new markets and models that shorten the distance between the farm field and your table.

Each year, we give special attention to farm organizations in the region that hosts our annual benefit concert. This year, Farm Aid 2013 was held in Saratoga Springs, NY. We granted $60,500 to New York organizations, including the Agricultural Stewardship Association, National Young Farmers Coalition, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), GrowNYC, Just Food, Regional Farm & Food Project, Amagansett Food Institute, and The Greenhorns. The total amount distributed in the Northeast region (New England + New York State) was $115,320.

Farm Aid President Willie Nelson takes great pride in this part of Farm Aid’s work, approving every award and signing each check. For all of us on staff who read the many grant proposals submitted, seeing Willie sign the checks always brings a great sense of completion to the grant season.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all who applied.

For a full list of 2013 grantees, click here.

Willie signs the checks...

...and I check them twice!