Building New, Accessible, and Equitable Market Opportunities for Climate-Smart Cotton and Wool Farmers.
Our USDA Award the Basics and Key Details of the Project: This is a Collaborative Project That Includes a Total of 6 Organizations: National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), FiberShed, Seed2Shirt, Colorado State University, Carbon Cycle Institute, and New York Textile Lab, our NCAT partner is the lead organization. The Project Focuses on Farmers in the: Wool and Cotton Sector. Our Work Covers the Following Primary States: CA, GA, AL, NC, TN, IN, MT, SD, WY, and NY, these are our primary states Seed2Shirt work will extend across the Southeast/Midwest region covering 5-states in the project: GA, AL, NC, TN and IN. The project will take place over a 5-year period and include the Justice 40 Initiative, focusing on the inclusion of the BIPOC farming community. The primary project objectives are to:
- Implement Climate Beneficial ™ Agriculture Practices That Reduce Green House Gas Emissions (GHGE)
- Provide Technical Assistance (TA) to Farmer Participants for Implementation of the Practices
- Provide Stipend & Offset Support to Farmer Participants for Implementing the Practices
- Provide a Peer-to-Peer Support Framework for all Farmer Participants
- Make our TA Training Available in an Online & In-person Format
- Develop a Comprehensive Carbon Farm Plan for All Farmer Participants
- Track the Reduction of GHGE Throughout the Program & Full Cycle of Production
- Develop Market Access for the Cotton & Wool Producing Participants
In Seed2Shirt work in this space, we’ve found that underserved BlPOC farmers are traditionally not included in long-term “carbon reduction” and climate improvement programs due to many factors, namely the devaluing of our long history in these practices, coupled with “land size” concerns. We eliminate these biases from our program implementation plan. All collaborators on this project prioritize countering this norm. Black and indigenous farmers who produce cotton/wool or who are transitioning to these crops are welcome in our program. Because our vision is to value and include all land stewards in implementing these practices; for this project, the Seed2Shirt team is focused explicitly on BIPOC farmers in the Southeast.
The Climate Beneficial™ Agriculture (CBA) model incorporates Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) conservation practices proven to increase carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build soil health in a way that enhances productivity and strengthens on-farm resilience to climate change. These conservation practices increase soil organic matter, forage quality, and soil’s water-holding capacity and regenerate soil health and resilience.
Meet our teammates behind this project
Tameka Peoples
National Program Director
Deandra Eubanks
Director Operations & TA Implementation Coordinator
Rosalinda Cruz
National Director of Market Access
Kyle Bridgeforth
Senior Cotton Director
MeKayla Smith
Coordinating Director
Thomas Leonard
TA Planner
Greg Baker
TA Planner
