The Experimental Farm Network Cooperative

FROM OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION: "TO COORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF ITS STAFF, MEMBERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO FACILITATE THE CREATION OF NEW CROPS AND GROWING SYSTEMS, AND WORK TOWARD A PERMACULTURE-BASED, ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE, CLIMATE CHANGE-MITIGATING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM. EFN'S MISSION INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, ENCOURAGING THE ADOPTION AND WIDER USE OF THE FOLLOWING: ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICES; SOIL CONSERVATION; COMPOSTING; SEED-SAVING; PERENNIAL CROP PLANTS; AGROFORESTRY; RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES; SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES; BICYCLE-POWERED HUMAN TRANSPORTATION, TRADE, AND WASTE-DISPOSAL SYSTEMS; RECYCLING; OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY AND OPEN NETWORK PHILOSOPHY; COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES AND SOCIETIES; AND LAND BANKS AND OTHER MEANS OF CONNECTING WOULD-BE FARMERS WITH LAND."

THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM NETWORK COOPERATIVE PRODUCED OR COLLECTED OVER 500 VARIETIES OF HEIRLOOM AND OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS, INTENDED FOR SALE OR FREE DISTRIBUTION. WE MANAGED A COLLECTION OF OVER 2,000 RARE HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE, GRAIN, AND HERB VARIETIES. WE CONDUCTED VARIETY TRIALS AND PLANT BREEDING RESEARCH ON OVER 100 DIFFERENT SPECIES. WE PERFORMED RESEARCH IN AGROECOLOGICAL FARMING METHODS AND EDUCATED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON OUR WORK. WE IMPROVED OUR WEBSITE USED FOR FACILITATING COLLABORATION ON PLANT BREEDING AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROJECTS, WHICH NOW LISTS 28 PROJECTS. OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE CONTINUED MAKING ADVANCEMENTS ON VARIOUS IN-HOUSE RESEARCH PROJECTS, INCLUDING PERENNIAL GRAIN SORGHUM, PERENNIAL LEAF BEETS, CHILEAN PINE NUTS, STRAWBERRIES, CHINQUAPIN CHESTNUTS, HAZELNUTS, PERENNIAL WHEAT, PERENNIAL RYE, AND OTHER PERENNIAL CROPS. CUSTOMERS MADE 4,633 PURCHASES THROUGH OUR ONLINE STORE (WHICH HAS BECOME OUR PRIMARY MEANS OF DISSEMINATING SEEDS FOR BREEDING PROJECTS, RESEARCH, AND TO INSPIRE GROWERS TO BECOME BREEDERS AND RESEARCHERS THEMSELVES), AND WE ALSO SHARED FREE SEEDS WITH AN ESTIMATED 12,000 PEOPLE THROUGH MORE THAN 300 LOCAL SEED HUBS (ORGANIZED THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE GARDENS COMMISSION PROJECT WHICH WE STARTED IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC). WE ATTENDED VARIOUS FARMING CONFERENCES (MOSTLY VIRTUAL THIS YEAR) AND OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS, SPEAKING TO AUDIENCES ABOUT OUR WORK. WE TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER FARMERS, PLANT BREEDERS, AND SEED GROWERS. FOR EACH OF THESE ACTIVITIES, OUR OVERARCHING LONG-TERM GOAL IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CROPS AND GROWING METHODS FOR CARBON-SEQUESTRATION, IMPROVED SOIL HEALTH, AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. WE ALSO CONTINUED AND EXPANDED OUR WORK OF SEED "REMATRIATION" (DEFINED SIMILARLY TO "REPATRIATION", BUT USING A WORD THAT RECOGNIZES AND HONORS THE ROLE OF WOMEN AS SEED-KEEPERS IN MOST TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES), RETURNING HEIRLOOM SEEDS TO THE COMMUNITIES FROM WHICH THEY ORIGINALLY CAME, AND DEVELOPING LONG-TERM MUTUALLY-BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING THROUGH OFFERING PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT WHEREVER POSSIBLE. REVENUE RELATED TO THESE FUNDAMENTAL PROGRAMS CAME FROM ONLINE SALES AND DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS, WHICH NOT ONLY SERVE TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR CHARITABLE WORK, BUT ARE ALSO FULLY PART OF THAT WORK (SINCE GETTING A WIDE RANGE OF SEED VARIETIES, LANDRACES, AND BREEDING POPULATIONS INTO THE HANDS OF GARDENERS AND FARMERS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR WORK OF FACILITATING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND PLANT BREEDING, AND INSPIRING GROWERS OF ALL STRIPES TO BECOME AGRICULTURAL RESEARCHERS AND PLANT BREEDERS).

THROUGH OUR PALESTINE HEIRLOOM SEED LIBRARY PROJECT, WE ACCOMPLISHED A GREAT DEAL: 1) MANAGED THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE PALESTINE HEIRLOOM SEED LIBRARY IN BETHLEHEM, INCLUDING OPENING IT FOR VISITORS, KEEPING IT CLEAN AND KEEPING THE SEEDS SAFE AND SECURE. 2) CONSTRUCTED A GREENHOUSE IN BATTIR FOR STARTING SEEDS AND GROWING CERTAIN CROPS. 3) INSTALLED A NEW FARM SYSTEM AT EL BEIR FARM, INCLUDING RAINWATER COLLECTION, IRRIGATION, BEEHIVES, TERRACING, SOIL AMENDMENTS, AND PLANTING MATURE CITRUS TREES. 4) CONSTRUCTED A NEW WATER CISTERN IN BETHLEHEM, INCLUDING DIGGING, POURING CONCRETE, PURCHASING AND INSTALLING METAL DOOR, ETC. 5) RENTED LAND AND FUNDED PLANTING OF RARE ABU SAMRA WHEAT VARIETY AT EL RASHAYDAH FARM. 6) PURCHASED SEED COLLECTION FROM RETIRING FARMER ABU GHATTAS. 7) PURCHASED AND DISTRIBUTED 1,100 TREES (MOSTLY APPLE, APRICOT, AND ALMOND) TO FARMERS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. 8) PAID ON-THE-GROUND STAFF IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES TO MANAGE LOCAL OPERATIONS (NAMELY OFFICE MANAGER CHARIN SINGH, SEED LIBRARY COORDINATOR FATMEH ABU HASSAN, CONSULTANT RUA BADIR, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER HAMZEH OWENEH, AND CONTRACTORS SAMEH TAYSEER AND HASSAN MUAMMAR. 9) PARTICIPATED IN A VARIETY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND DOCUMENTATION PROJECTS TO SHARE THIS WORK WITH THE PUBLIC. ALL OF THIS WAS CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COLLEAGUE VIVIEN SANSOUR, THE FOUNDER OF THE PALESTINE HEIRLOOM SEED LIBRARY PROJECT. ALL REVENUE CAME FROM DONATIONS EXPLICITLY DIRECTED AT THIS PROJECT.

THROUGH OUR SUPPORT OF THE CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES OF THE MUNSEE THREE SISTERS MEDICINAL FARM IN NEWTON, NEW JERSEY, AN ENTERPRISE DEVELOPED BY THE TURTLE CLAN CHIEF OF THE RAMAPOUGH LENAPE, VINCENT MANN, AND CLAN MOTHER MICHAELINE PICARO, WE CONSTRUCTED A GREENHOUSE USED FOR STARTING SEEDS INTENDED FOR SEED PRESERVATION AND/OR FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION.