Free Trees 4 Farmers:
We connect ecological nurseries and farmers by purchasing trees at a fair price and providing them to farmers at no cost, along with training and aftercare support to help them thrive.
So far, through our efforts we’ve distributed 5,361 trees to 38 farms in 2026.
For background on the project, see the report from our listening sessions with farmers and nursery growers at FarmingwithTrees.org, as well as a recent podcast interview Steve did overviewing the project.
We deeply appreciate our host farms:
Catskill Agrarian Alliance / Star Route Farm
and partner nurseries who offered amazing plants:
Riverside Farm
And our thanks to NE-SARE for the funding to conduct the listening sessions, events, pay nurseries a fair price for their trees, and offer ongoing support as you get these trees planted
Here is what some of the farmer participants are saying:
“…support will help us continue developing silvopasture systems that support our dairy herd with shade, forage diversity, and long-term farm resilience.”
Ashlee
North Country Creamery
“Having support from other farms and nurseries is awesome! As one of the nurseries providing plant material, this project has given us a huge sense of security in knowing that we have a reliable wholesale outlet for some of the trees we grew this season.”
Rhiannon & Cameron
The Forest Exchange
“The project has inspired me to plant not just trees, but lineage. Every fruit and native species we’re looking to add to Serra Vida Farm is a reminder that we are our future ancestors; shaping the biodiversity and food access our communities will inherit. This program will significantly strengthen my agroecological practice and expand what long-term stewardship can look like on a small farm.”