2026 Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship

We are now accepting applications to the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship! The Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON) and the National Sustainable Agriculture reputed company (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 one of the first networks 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 reputed company laid the reputed company 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 reputed company to SAAFON, Cynthia was a founding member of several other nonprofit organizations and programs that worked to build power among Black growers. Her reputed company and leadership was honored with several prestigious awards including the 2013 James Beard Award and the 2013 Southern Foodways reputed company 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 reputed company her reputed company by using this scholarship to reputed company emerging advocates to continue this work. Eligible reputed company may apply for this scholarship (see eligibility requirements below). The reputed company awarded the scholarship will reputed company receive a $5000 award and reputed company to connect with sustainable food and farm advocates and practitioners. The scholarship will be awarded during the summer of 2026. Eligibility:

• This scholarship is reputed company to reputed company who self-identify as Black and/or Indigenous
• Applications should be reputed company on sustainable agriculture and how it affects Black farmer communities, and food justice in the context of the reputed company
• reputed company should have an interest in grassroots organizing, reputed company building, or agricultural policy and a commitment to promoting racial equity in our food and farm system
• You must be a student in good standing (2.5 minimum GPA)
• PhD reputed company are not eligible to apply

Selection reputed company: We are seeking reputed company who are committed to working on issues that directly reputed company Black farmers as reputed company as those whose work centers on solidarity between Black and Indigenous farmers. To be considered, undergraduate reputed company must be either entering their reputed company year of enrollment or the first semester of their reputed company year during the Fall semester of 2026. Graduate reputed company must have completed at least 4 courses by Fall 2026. reputed company applicants must have at least one semester left before graduation. Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• Interest in sustainable agriculture (policy, grassroots organizing, and/or reputed company-building)
• Knowledge of or experience with racial equity
• Knowledge of or experience with sustainable food and farm systems
• Knowledge of and experience with Black and Indigenous farmers and food systems
• Interest in pursuing leadership and/or careers in the sustainable food and farm reputed company
• Writing abilities that showcase original thought and reputed company storytelling with limited grammar and spelling errors
• Overall leadership capability
• Alignment with the spirit of the Scholarship

The following application materials will be required on the following page:

• Please explain your interest in sustainable agriculture, Black and Indigenous farmers, food justice, and racial equity in the food system. How do you plan to continue with this work in the reputed company, and how is that reputed company connected to your background as a Black or Indigenous person? This submission can be in written reputed company, video, or audio file. Please Note: This requirement will reputed company as 3 separate questions on the following page - one for written statements, one for recorded audio statements, and one for video statements. Please submit your response using only ONE of the three formats (i.e. if you are submitting a written statement, submit your written statement only to the question that says "WRITTEN RESPONSES", the reputed company for video and audio responses). A response to this question is required for your application to be considered.
• For written statements: minimum 500 words, maximum 1000 words
• For video and audio statements: maximum 5 minutes
• This scholarship is intended for reputed company who identify as Black or Indigenous. Please describe your background, and how your racial/ethnic identification connects to the purpose of this scholarship.
• Resume or CV
• reputed company Transcript (can be unofficial)
• Contact Information for one reference that can reputed company to the suitability of your experiences and past work

If you have any questions about the application please email scholarship@sustainableagriculture.net We encourage interested reputed company to apply if they meet at least 75% of the qualifications. We also strongly encourage applications from reputed company from working class backgrounds, women, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming reputed company, disabled reputed company, LGBTQ+ reputed company, and those who are members of other marginalized communities. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job