Remembering David Rockefeller
In 2017 we lost our founder, David Rockefeller, at the age of 101. We are honored to continue his legacy and vision through our work to connect people to the land.
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Annual Report 2017
This Year At The Farm
From The CEO
A Catalyst For Agricultural Change
Dear Friend,
2017 was a year of unprecedented “natural” disasters – city-leveling hurricanes and storm surges, farm-destroying wild fires, earthquakes, climate refugees. Climate change is upon us, and farmers are on the front lines of confronting it.
We know that agriculture can help mitigate and protect against climate change’s effects, and at Stone Barns we are working to build a sustainable food system that is both resilient in the face of these challenges and makes strides to fend off further destruction of our environment and communities. This work goes hand in hard with giving the next generation of farmers and eaters the tools and knowledge they need to build a better system.
Stone Barns’ mission to change the way America eats and farms is squarely positioned to help address some of the most urgent crises of our time. By demonstrating resilient agriculture, training young farmers, fostering a farm-centric food culture, and activating the next generation of food citizens, we are changing the conversation about the promise and potential of regenerative agriculture. There has never been a more critical time to invest in this work.
We are excited to share 2017’s accomplishments with you here in our Annual Report. In 2017, we published our first book, Letters to a Young Farmer. We launched our first national teacher training program, as well as the first year of the Stone Barns Exchange Fellowship. And our farm operation continued to lead the way on agroecology, from saving 100,000 pounds of food from landfills to feed our waste-fed pigs, to developing and improving tools for small farmers, to testing 100 varieties of vegetables that aren’t yet commercially available.
We are deeply grateful to all of our members and donors for your ongoing support of this mission and work. We could not do this without you.
Stone Barns’ mission...is squarely positioned to help address some of the most urgent crises of our time.
Jill Isenbarger, CEO
Highlights
Education & Innovation
Young Farmers Conference
The 10th annual Young Farmers Conference, held at the farm, was streamed live worldwide.
Letters to a Young Farmer
Our first book was released and reached its third printing.
Grassfed Beef
Explore the American grassfed beef industry in depth with our comprehensive report.
Teaching the Teachers
High school teachers gathered at Stone Barns for the inaugural Summer Teacher Institute.
Exchange Fellowship
Investing in the future of food systems leadership: read all about the first class of Stone Barns Exchange Fellows.
Grazing for Conservation
Stone Barns Center is using diversified, integrated livestock management to steward our neighboring public lands.
Year In Review
Growth At The Farm
A healthy ecosystem
More than 100 varieties of wild bees live on our farm and in the surrounding park
Getting Social
We have more than 75,000 social media followers
Farmer Training
78% of our apprentice alumni are still farming; the rest work in related food and agriculture positions
Changemakers
At the Farm
1 of 3
Ana Plana
A Culinary Arts teacher from Miami, Ana was one of the rockstars of the 2017 Teacher Institute.
2 of 3
Ricardo Salvador
Senior scientist and director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Ricardo delivered the Kirschenmann Lecture in May 2017.
3 of 3
Raj Patel
Raj Patel spoke at Stone Barns Center’s Summer Nights series along with Anita Chitaya and Esther Lupafya, two members of Soils, Food, and Healthy Communities. Watch the whole talk here.
Hear from Our Food Citizens
Board And Financials
Our Board Of Directors
Focused on amplifying the impact of public, education and training programs to create a healthy and sustainable food system that supports us all.
Peggy Dulany
Board Chair
Fred Kirschenmann
President Emeritus
Lorna Davis
Donors
Farmer
$100,000+
- Anonymous
- Peggy Dulany
- Larry and Victoria Lunt
- NoVo Foundation
- The Estate of David Rockefeller
- Tull Family Foundation
- Unilever
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
Shepherd
$50,000-$99,999
- The Fine and Greenwald Foundation, Inc.
- John P. and Constance A. Curran Charitable Foundation
- David Lyons
- Newman's Own Foundation
- Rabobank
Harvester
$25,000-$49,999
- Anonymous (2)
- The Russell Berrie Foundation
- Mimi and Peter Haas Fund
- Lisina M. Hoch
- Lesley and Bill King
- The Mailman Foundation
- Sunrise Strategic Partners
- Susan and David Rockefeller