Offer summary

Qualifications:

Eligible students must demonstrate a commitment to sustainable agriculture and advocacy for African American farmers., Applicants should have a background in agriculture, environmental justice, or related fields., Experience in nonprofit work or community organizing is preferred., Strong communication and leadership skills are essential..

Key responsabilities:

Awarded students will engage with sustainable food and farm advocates.

Recipients will participate in networking opportunities with practitioners in the field.

Scholarship winners are expected to honor Cynthia Hayes' legacy through their advocacy work.

Students will be involved in initiatives that support African American farmers and promote equity in agriculture.

Job description

We are now accepting applications to the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship!

The Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) have partnered together to create a scholarship in memory of Cynthia Hayes, co-founder and former director of SAAFON.

Cynthia was a founder of the first network for African American organic farmers in the U.S. and dedicated her life to serving these communities. Spending time on her grandmother’s farm in Kentucky as a young person, she learned about her family's history of over 80 years of tobacco farming. This personal connection laid the foundation for the work she would dedicate her life to. Cynthia would go on to work in nonprofits in the Bay Area, using her talents to support grant writing efforts and working in group homes before relocating with her husband to Jamaica where she began working directly with farmers. In 2000, Cynthia moved to Savannah, GA where her work centered on land, environmental justice and the plight of African American farmers.

In addition to SAAFON, Cynthia was a founding member of several other nonprofit organizations and programs that worked to build power among Black growers. Her impact and leadership was honored with several prestigious awards including the 2013 James Beard Award and the 2013 Southern Foodways Alliance John Egerton Award. Cynthia was an inspirational force in the development of NSAC’s equity platform and initiatives that followed. Her legacy lives on in the work that continues, and we honor her vision by using this scholarship to empower emerging advocates to continue this work.

Eligible students may apply for this scholarship (see eligibility requirements below). The students awarded the scholarship will each receive a $5000 award and the opportunity to connect with sustainable food and farm advocates and practitioners. The scholarship will be awarded during the Summer of 2025.

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