Lee’s business specializes in growing nutritious microgreens. She plans to use these funds for a climate control system that will improve the quality of her crops and produce a higher yield.
This award is part of a nationwide campaign where, in honor of the company’s 85th anniversary, Tractor Supply donated $850,000 to AFT’s Brighter Future Fund, which was created in 2020 to help farmers across the country start, grow, and sustain farms in the face of myriad challenges, including COVID-19, severe weather and shifting markets. Launched with initial underwriting from Tillamook County Creamery Association, the program seeks to uplift, support, and amplify the work of a wide range of farmers. This year, 85 of the 110 Brighter Future Fund grants were made possible through Tractor Supply’s contribution.
AFT received 1,522 applicants from 48 states during the application period, an all-time high and nearly double the prior year’s applications. Priority was given to applicants who are starting their agricultural pursuits, veterans, socially disadvantaged, women, or have limited resources. Funding was allocated for both professional services and equipment or infrastructure costs, with focus areas including improving farm viability, accessing farmland, and adopting regenerative agricultural practices.
“Tractor Supply’s 85th-anniversary donation to AFT is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to agriculture across the nation,” said Mary Winn Pilkington, president of the Tractor Supply Company Foundation. “Farmers and farm families are the backbone of our country and the communities we serve. These 85 grant recipients fill us with tremendous optimism about the future of Life Out Here, and we are excited to see how these grants move their farms forward.”
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