Since 2022, the BFF Rapid Response Fund has deployed over $120k across the Northeast to farming and food businesses experiencing emergencies

When disaster strikes, waiting for help shouldn’t be part of the problem. Our rapid funding process is designed to get financial support into the hands of businesses facing one-time emergencies—fast.

Whether it's damage to your farm, unexpected supply chain disruptions, or other sudden challenges, we’re here to help you bounce back and continue making an impact.

Our funding decisions aren’t made in a vacuum—they're guided by a committee of trusted community members who understand your needs.

We prioritize businesses and projects that have been serving their communities for at least a year, ensuring that the funds go where they’re needed most. From farmers to herbalists and food entrepreneurs, we support those who keep our food systems thriving. Learn about the committee below.

We’re here for Black-owned businesses and projects in the food and farming sector across the Northeast. If you're based in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania, and have an established business facing an emergency, you may be eligible for support.

However, please note that our fund does not cover regular operational or start-up expenses—we’re here to help in times of crisis.

Visit our resource page or sign up for our newsletter to learn about other funding opportunities, community events, and more!

Fill out the interest form for BFF Fund 2.0 to learn more about funding for Operational Costs


For questions, please contact

rapidresponsefund@blackfarmerfund.com

Past Recipients

Not in an emergency situation but interested in support? Fill out our interest form.

Meet the Rapid Response Fund Committee

kenya crumel

Kenya Crumel manages the Black Land & Power initiative at the National Black Food & Justice Alliance (NBFJA), a coalition of Black-led food justice organizations and farmers working collectively towards Black food sovereignty and land justice.

Working with partners to remove 15 million acres of land from the speculative market for the benefit of Black farmers and land stewards, Kenya along with a council of seven NBFJA members, piloted the Resource Commons in 2023 to provide non-extractive capital to Black farmers to secure land and equipment or build infrastructure.

Prior to joining NBFJA in January 2021, Kenya spent 25 years working in the community development field implementing and managing programs that build the capacity of community-based organizations.

adjoa kittoe

Adjoa Kittoe combines her passion for culinary arts with a deep commitment to food system transformation. Her venture, Seulful, initially celebrated for its plant-focused, Modern West African cuisine, has evolved into a platform for strategic advocacy in food sustainability.

Central to Adjoa’s mission is empowering the Black community through support for Black agricultural systems in the Northeast. She is dedicated to providing technological resources, offering seed-to-plate education, revitalizing ancestral ecological agriculture techniques, and promoting engagement with the land.

Through this work, Adjoa aims to forge a path towards a sustainable and equitable food future, highlighting the importance of Black involvement in agriculture and food sovereignty.

Claudel Zaka Chery

Claudel Zaka Chery, a Haitian Poet and Film Director, now Farmer moved to Newbury, VT from Jacmel-Haiti in 2011. He was the assistant to the director of FOSAJ. Both Mr McGarrell and Zaka ran the Jacmel Art Center with great energy and taste.

On 12 January 2010, his beloved country of Haiti entered a nightmare from which there was no hope of waking. The earthquake devastated Zaka’s life and plans. He was working on a film about water and had arranged to climb into the hills above Jacmel around a waterfall and the people that live and work around it. This would never come to be for reasons of force majeure. Nonetheless ideas that are truncated re-emerge in other settings, sometimes with even more force and beauty.

In January 2018 he and his wife Jette found the ideal piece of property they were looking for on Fish Pond Rd in Wells River, VT. A 51 acre parcel of land, 17 acres of pasture and 30 acres of lush hardwood and maple forest.

FAQs

 

FUNDING

EMERGENCIES

GENERAL INFO & APPLICATIONS

  • The Rapid Response Committee is guided by these values when making funding decisions:

    • Prioritizing existing businesses or organizations that had an emergency interfere with regular operations

    • Prioritizing businesses or organizations that have a clear community involvement and/or impact

    • Looking for clear narratives and responding with transparency

    • Funding folks who are committed to longevity

    • Funding businesses that are currently serving the demographics of concern (underserved communities, those living in food apartheid and those that have historically been divested from)

    • We support our community and build up interconnectedness by spreading funding around to support folks all over the northeast

    • We use integrity, due diligence and opportunities for follow up that give the benefit of the doubt

    We use intentional consideration for all applications and the response process. If and when someone isn’t selected, it is done with love and we consider the next steps to share additional trusted resources.

  • We seek to fund 2-3 acute emergencies and 1 systemic emergency per quarter as needs emerge.

  • Every 6 months.

  • Generally, once a year. Although we will review all applications based on events or community needs.

  • Yes and any additional information such as photos, videos, production, sales or any other documents that feel relevant that you can provide about your impact in the community that can support your application. We will also require context and evidence for the specific emergency you’re experiencing.

  • This fund seeks to support anyone working with growing, processing, preparing, distributing and educating others about food or herbal medicine who is aligned with the values and intentions of the fund. We are open to considering all applications from eligible states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, and New York, Pennsylvania). We will uplift community based businesses and projects that empower and have a healthy impact on their community and local food web, prioritizing projects that are currently supporting lower income and marginalized communities.

  • If you apply for funds as an individual, you must be the owner of the business to ensure the funds are going to support the operations of the business and not for personal use. If the grant is for a business, the business must apply as a whole for funding.

  • The creation of this fund emerged from providing support to farmers affected by The Bronx fire in 2022 and community members at TOPS in Buffalo after the attack in 2022. Learn more about the other businesses and projects we have funded since then here on our website.

  • Our intention is to provide direct financial support more quickly than traditional fundraising options. Decisions are made by a community led committee. We will reach out with a response between 10-14 weekdays after the application is submitted.

  • This money is intended to solve problems caused by acute emergencies, not for chronic issues or long term funding support. (We encourage applicants to consider: Is this a chronic issue or an emergency? Has this been going on for a while or is this an emerging issue? Is the issue likely to happen again because there is a capacity building issue or will the funding help to fix the issue?)

  • No. This fund does not support capacity building costs such as general business expenses, recurring expenses, start-up costs or rental assistance.

  • If you’re hiring an outside company or contractor to support the service for your emergency, they must be licensed. We will ask for quotes from licensed contractors if that’s a need.