Slow Foods new grant already paying dividends

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Slow Food in the Tetons announced recipients of its annual grant: the Teton Farmer Fund.

The annual grant program supporting local and regional agriculture this year went to Canewater Farm, Lark’s Meadow Farms, and Winter Winds Farm. Collectively, they received $27,500 to help fund their farm projects.

Slow Food in the Tetons created the Teton Farmer Fund to support local and regional farmers and ranchers working towards the goal of a resilient and sustainable food system.

“I’m overjoyed that our organization is now in a position to provide direct financial support to farmers and ranchers,” said executive director Scott Steen. “We’ve been dreaming about starting a program like this for years. Local food producers provide enormous community value and we all benefit by supporting them.”

The Teton Farmer Fund is made possible by the Teton Conservation District and through private donations.

“Teton Conservation District is thrilled to support meaningful projects that expand local food production through the Teton Farmer Fund,” said Robb Sgroi, Teton Conservation District land resource specialist. “We thank Slow Food in the Tetons for supporting our community food system that in turn supports the people and natural resources of our community in many ways. Congratulations to this year’s recipients.”

Additional funding for the 2022 grant is from the Youth Philanthropy Program Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.

Canewater Farm will use the funds to build a hoophouse on their farm, located in Victor, Idaho.

“We break ground soon on a new high tunnel that will allow us to grow warm season crops in our short summers,” stated Rafe Rivers, owner of Canewater Farm. “We will also be able to grow more greens in the shoulder season. Canewater Farm is extremely thankful for our Teton Farmer Fund grant. We would not have been able to fund this project otherwise.”

Winter Winds Farm, located in Victor, Idaho, will be implementing a rotational grazing project for their dairy goats. They will use the grant funds to install fencing around new pasture.

Jessica Konrath and Mark Farmer, owners of Winter Winds, said, “[This grant] will help us implement a holistic, rotational grazing program that will put us in control of our goats’ nutrition, reduce our feed costs, and improve the overall health of the herd and the land. This will help Winter Winds Farm be more self-sufficient and ensure that we can continue to provide quality, farmstead cheese to the local community.”

Lark’s Meadow Farms, located in Rexburg, Idaho, is updating their creamery equipment and will use their grant funding to purchase a new cheese vat. This equipment will allow them to keep up with the growing demand for their pasture-based, handcrafted sheep and cow milk cheese.

“[The Teton Farmer Fund] is a game changer,” said Kendall Russell, co-owner of Lark’s Meadow Farms, “it speeds up a process we’ve been needing to do for a long time.”

The Teton Farmer Fund has highlighted a great need for additional support in our agricultural community. All eight applications merited awards. Slow Food in the Tetons hopes to grow the program in the coming years.