Flower Hill Institute

04/03/2026

AAMP's 2026 Convention is coming!

The 87th American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers' Exhibition takes place in Milwaukee, WI. It will feature a jam-packed lineup of educational sessions, product demonstrations, humane handling lessons, and family-friendly social events. Our largest-ever trade show has expanded hours, and the 2026 American Cured Meats Championships will bring some of the best cured meat products in the country into one room.

Registration opens later this month, but hotel rooms at the Hilton Milwaukee are available for reservations now. Visit https://aamp.com/page/convention for more information.

01/27/2026

SunSinger Consulting, has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to develop a Tribal Needs Assessment. The survey is one tool that we hope will capture the needs in Indian country for future partnership with Arbor Day to address those needs and YOUR priorities. Key initiatives are to strengthen climate resilience, food sovereignty, and cultural traditions.

👉 Take the Tribal Needs Assessment: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/adftribalneedsFM

Arbor Day has hired a Native person dedicated to developing a tribal program within the foundation, and this needs assessment will help guide the new program. Your input is invaluable as we shape the future of this program.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

10/14/2025

10/14/2025

10/09/2025

🚨 Webinar Announcement 🚨

0% EQIP Bridge Loan Program, Info and Q&A Session
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
10 am Mountain Time / 12 pm Eastern Time
🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1Si6SgKSTWeh5YnDSe_k2A #/registration

Who is eligible for this bridge loan?
Producers with active or pending Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for durable, climate-smart practices in these 19 priority states: AL, AZ, CA, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, MN, MS, NC, ND, NM, SC, SD, TN, VA, and WI.

About the EQIP Zero Program.
The SHOT Fund – a joint initiative of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation and Rural Climate Partnership – is pleased to host this webinar about our 0% interest Bridge Loan Program for EQIP contracts. The program is led by Food Systems 6.

NRCS’s EQIP program provides a cost share reimbursement to farmers, ranchers, and landowners who install eligible conservation practices that promote soil health, water quality, and biological diversity. One of the major challenges of the program, however, is the requirement that participants pay for the entire cost of practice installation upfront and out-of-pocket.

The EQIP Bridge Loan program provides landowners and farmers with flexible funding to cover the upfront costs of installing EQIP practices. Designed specifically for recipients of NRCS EQIP awards, our bridge loans have no fees, no penalties, and no interest. We will work with you to create a custom loan agreement that meets your needs and tracks the same timeline as your EQIP contract.

Learn more about the 0% EQIP Bridge Loan Program at
www.foodsystem6.org/eqip.html

10/03/2025

Flower Hill Institute, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, developed the Midwest Native Food Systems Needs Assessment and Strategic Recommendations for Philanthropy.

Drawing on direct input from Tribal departments, producers, nonprofits, and allied organizations, the report maps the complex landscape of Indigenous foodways throughout the Midwest and Oklahoma—regions deeply connected by history, culture, and shared resilience. It outlines urgent needs in infrastructure, funding stability, and technical assistance while offering clear, actionable pathways for philanthropy to support regenerative agriculture, intertribal collaboration, and culturally grounded economic development.

By centering Tribal priorities and Indigenous knowledge, this work serves as a roadmap for building equitable, sustainable, and self-determined Native food systems for generations to come.

Read the full report available at www.flowerhill.institute/agriculture

09/30/2025

Help is here for livestock producers impacted by 2023–24 floods and wildfires!

USDA is delivering $1 billion in disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program to offset feed costs. Sign-up begins Sept. 15. Deadline is Oct. 31, 2025: www.fsa.usda.gov/elrp

09/30/2025

FSA is issuing a second economic assistance payment to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP).

Payments will automatically be made to producers with approved ECAP applications who received an initial payment. These economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. Of the authorized $10 billion in ECAP assistance, FSA has already provided over $8 billion in payments to producers to mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.

https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-events/news/09-26-2025/usda-issues-second-economic-assistance-payment-agricultural-producers