Equity Trust staff: Terry, Ellie, Jim, Paola, Rob
2024 was a year of growth for Equity Trust. In July, Project Manager Terry Gibson shifted to a full-time role after a year in a half-time position. We then immediately began a search for an Associate Director to help our growing team forge a future vision for Equity Trust. We were so impressed by the applicants that we hired two, Ellie Angerame and Paola Diaz! With all these new skills, perspectives, and commitments, we are now diving into building the next phase in Equity Trust’s work.
The year was also one of deepening partnerships, particularly in support of land access for BIPOC farmers. We have been working with Southeastern Connecticut Community Land Trust (SE CT CLT) and Ceiba Arbor to develop a land lease that will provide this collective of multidisciplinary QTBIPOC artists and urban farmers from NYC long-term access and the ability to build equity in a farm recently acquired by SE CT CLT. We have similarly been accompanying Sweet Freedom Farm as it develops land use agreements that will provide it with security, autonomy, and equity on the lands it farms and stewards.
The Equity Trust Loan Fund continued a collaboration with Persimmon Collective Fund, begun in 2023, in which we provide low-interest financing to complement funding from Persimmon that supports land access for BIPOC farmers and land stewards. In 2024, we made our second loan in this partnership, to Tierra Fértil, a North Carolina cooperative made up of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants. The Equity Trust Fund also made our ninth loan since 2017 to clients of the Black Family Land Trust. Other loans made in 2024 provided financing for building a processing facility at a small regenerative agriculture farm in Washington State, a property acquisition for coop housing in partnership with a community land trust in Western Massachusetts, and another SE CT CLT property acquisition, this one in partnership with the local public health authority.
Other highlights of the year included the inauguration of our Leave it in the Land fund, and a celebration of a successful Land Back gift to the Native Land Conservancy.
Our 2024 financial reports are also available for review.
Equity Trust’s work is possible thanks to your contributions.
You can donate on-line or by mail to:
Equity Trust,
PO Box 746
Amherst, MA 01004
Thank you for sustaining our work!