How tax credits and social finance are building a healthy future for Nova Scotians

The Raíces Cooperative Farm in Hood River, Oregon provides Spanish-speaking community members "a place to grow food," learn from one another about farming practices and develop leadership skills. “Through Raíces, I began to learn better cultivation techniques. [We are shown] how to care for the soil, plants, and seeds, and the program provides economic support" one member explained. During the coronavirus pandemic, the cooperative has also been integral to supplying food for mobile markets.

A food hub in Spokane, Washington, is providing a marketplace where fresh, local food is accessible from multiple small farms in one convenient location and website. LINC gives farmers access to a market of consumers without the hassle of deliveries, cultivating business, or staffing booths at farmers' markets. The food hub is helping strengthen the small farm economy while promoting access to fresh foods.

After taking a year off, the Lafayette Farmers Market in Colorado is back in action and piloting a new type of incentive program that is based on guaranteed-minimum sales for participating farmers. A first of its kind, this program aims to act as a safety net for farmers during the market season by encouraging a community-supported agriculture system.

Aquaponics, a soilless method of farming that combines aquaculture and hydroponic techniques, has provided an affordable and adaptable method for growing traditional cultural Mvskoke foods, such as tobacco, pumpkins, corn, pinto beans, honeysuckle, and minara. Grant funding has enabled tribal members to use aquaponic systems to produce crops and fortify food systems against climate change.

The Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm, run by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, aims to make farming more affordable and accessible for those just starting out in the industry. People with less than 10 years of farming experience can rent a plot of land and equipment from the collaborative and access resources to help them create a business plan.

Babban Gona is an agriculture company that helps smallholder farmers in Nigeria produce bigger yields and increase their incomes. The company offers training, fertilizer, herbicides, and seeds in exchange for some of the farmer’s harvest. When the produce sells, the farmers get some of the profit and a bonus if it sells for more than expected.

An organic seed farm provides free education to Lebanese farmers on transitioning away from chemical pesticides and fertilizers into agroecology. The farm, called Buzuruna Juzuruna, is creating a network across the country and runs an heirloom seed cooperative with over 300 varieties of seeds to share for free.

In the U.S., a movement of Black farmers is trying to reclaim their legacy as agrarians. Only 1.7 percent of farms were run by Black farmers according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture. Black farmers are forming collectives, creating land trusts, creating conferences.

In Nigeria, shared solar refrigerators known as "ColdHubs" have allowed food producers and sellers to preserve their perishable goods and avoid throwing away many of their products. Throughout the region, 3,500 producers and retailers have used these containers with many doubling their monthly income.

By collaborating with other businesses, nonprofits, and institutions, food processing enterprises in Montana are expanding the local supply chain to keep food in the state. The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center packages food for a local grower's co-op, which distribute Montana products to individuals, grocery stores, and restaurants. The Livingston Food Resource Center created its own partnerships by buying its food from Montana farmers to give to people experiencing economic hardship. These collaborations are reducing the costs for local food processing, which also cuts down on costs for customers.