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, NC, TN, IN, MT, SD, WY, and NY, these are our primary states Seed2Shirt work will extend across the Southeast region and include AL and key southeast states. The project will take place over a 5-year period and include Justice 40 Initiative focus an 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 Assitance (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
Per the USDA project proposal, the purpose of all projects in this program is to encourage widespread adoption by the agriculture community, of Climate Smart practices, by lessening the burden on the farmer, and growing market access pathways. All wool/cotton producers in the focus states are welcome in the program.
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 the implementation of these practices; for this project, the Seed2Shirt team is specifically focused 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, soil’s water holding capacity, and regenerating soil health and resilience.
We’ve described some of the benefits of this work for the farmer participants, your land, and the planet. A quick overview of how to participate in the project:
Be a wool/cotton farmer in our areas of focus: CA, GA, NC, TN, IN, MT, SD, TN, WY, and NY
Be willing to participate in the 5yr program
Be a farmer in the focus states and willing to add cotton as a rotation crop
Be willing to participate in all the program parameters
Are you a farmer – or BIPOC underserved farm currently growing cotton or interested in converting to growing (small or large scale) cotton, INTERESTED in participating in this project to: Grow Climate Beneficial™ Cotton as a rotational crop? If so, complete this form, and we will be in touch!
