Savanna Institute

What Savanna Institute does

Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with operational hubs in Spring Green, Wisconsin (the four-farm Spring Green Campus research and demonstration site established in 2020) and Champaign, Illinois. Its mission is to catalyze the development and adoption of resilient, scalable agroforestry across the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds. The organization serves Midwestern farmers, landowners, beginning farmers, and partner researchers and agricultural organizations, primarily across eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

The organization operates a platform-plus-services model built around nine core programs: Technical Assistance (one-on-one farm planning across 8 states), On-Farm Training (10-week paid apprenticeships for beginning farmers paired with mentor farms), Demonstration Farms, the Tree Crop Improvement Program (a breeding effort constructing diverse seedling populations for seven perennial species — chestnuts, hazelnuts, elderberry, black currant, persimmon, black walnut, and heartnut — using aerial imagery for trait selection), Commercialization, Water Quality research, Ecosystem Science, a Farm Network of mentor farms, and the Agroforestry Coalition of 200 member organizations. Supporting products include Canopy Compass, a free web-based crop suitability mapping tool layering dozens of high-resolution soil, climate, and land cover data sets; free online agroforestry courses; the Perennial AF podcast; and a publications library.

Savanna Institute is funded primarily through grants from private foundations (notably the Grantham Environmental Trust and Matthew Zell Family Foundation, which jointly committed $12.7 million in 2023) and government agencies including the USDA, supplemented by individual donations. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. In 2022, Canopy Farm Management was spun off as a separate for-profit perennial farm management business and tree crop nursery serving Wisconsin and Illinois, with co-founder Kevin Wolz transitioning to CEO; the spin-off donates a portion of proceeds back to the Institute. The organization is led by Executive Director Keefe Keeley, PhD, and was recognized as a finalist for the Food Planet Prize in 2026.

Name

Savanna Institute

Legal name

Savanna Institute

Website

https://savannainstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes widespread agroforestry adoption across eight Midwestern U.S. states by providing technical assistance, training, demonstration farms, and a perennial tree crop breeding program to farmers, landowners, and beginning farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research & Agroforestry Education

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Timberland GIS, Remote Sensing & Data Analytics (AFAMAKAG), Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH), Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits) (AFAMACAO)

Keywords

• Agroforestry research
• Tree crop breeding
• Perennial agriculture
• Farm technical assistance
• Sustainable farming education

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Green

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization primarily funded through grants from private foundations and government agencies including USDA, Grantham Environmental Trust, Matthew Zell Family Foundation, and others. The organization also accepts individual donations.
2. Canopy Farm Management (Spin-off): In 2022, Canopy Farm Management was spun off as a separate perennial farm management business and tree crop nursery serving Wisconsin and Illinois. While separate, it donates part of its proceeds to support Savanna Institute's nonprofit research and education mission.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes widespread agroforestry adoption in the Midwest US by providing one-on-one technical assistance, on-farm training, demonstration farms, tree crop breeding research, and commercialization support to farmers and landowners across 8 Midwestern states. The organization delivers educational programs, free online courses, publications, and operates the Canopy Compass crop suitability mapping tool, plus the Agroforestry Coalition convening 200 members across 70 organizations.

Product overview

Savanna Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive suite of programs and services focused on agroforestry adoption in the Midwest. The organization operates as a platform-plus-services model, offering technical assistance, education, research, and market development. Core offerings include the Technical Assistance Program for one-on-one farm planning, On-Farm Training Program for beginning farmers, Demonstration Farms for hands-on education, and the Tree Crop Improvement Program for breeding perennial crops. Supporting services include the Commercialization Program for market development, Water Quality Program for watershed research, Ecosystem Science for climate and biodiversity research, and the Farm Network for peer learning. The organization also offers digital tools including Canopy Compass (crop suitability mapping), Canopy Nursery (plant materials), online courses, and the Perennial AF podcast. All programs work together to support farmers transitioning to agroforestry systems that integrate trees with crops and livestock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perennial AF: An agroforestry podcast and blog by the Savanna Institute

Products and services

• Technical Assistance Program One-on-one farm planning support service for landowners and farmers integrating trees into their operations, helping with planning, design, and securing financial assistance for agroforestry systems across 8 Midwestern states.
• On-Farm Training Program Paid training program pairing beginning farmers with mentor farmers for 10+ weeks of hands-on learning in agroforestry and business management skills, including online coursework and community building components.
• Demonstration Farms

Quantifiable outcome

• One acre of windbreaks can remove 5 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air per year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Grassland 2.0 initiative focused on transforming Wisconsin agriculture to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Also partnered on various research initiatives and ecosystem science programs.
• Clean WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored a report on Wisconsin agricultural emissions and pathways to net-zero, working alongside Savanna Institute, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and UW-Madison's Grassland 2.0 initiative.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Savanna Institute and Organic Valley on a USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant to advance climate-smart agriculture.
• Organic ValleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grant collaboration focused on expanding agroforestry practices among dairy and crop farmers.
• Michael Fields Agricultural InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the net-zero agriculture report for Wisconsin, contributing expertise in sustainable farming practices and agricultural policy.
• Canopy Farm ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA spin-off business from Savanna Institute in 2022, led by former Co-Executive Director Kevin Wolz as CEO. Offers perennial farm management services and operates a tree crop nursery. Donates portion of proceeds to support Savanna Institute's nonprofit mission.
• University of Missouri Center for AgroforestrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research partner and host of the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA). Collaborates on agroforestry education, research, and policy development.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides financial and technical assistance to farmers for conservation practices. Partnered on establishing the Hudson Demonstration Farm and Wisconsin Agroforestry Demonstration Farm Network.
• 4-H Memorial Camp / University of IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished an alley cropping demonstration at 4-H Memorial Camp in Allerton Park near Monticello, IL in partnership with the University of Illinois.
• West Michigan Agroforestry PartnershipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partnership in Michigan supporting educational events and networking opportunities for agroforestry practitioners.
• Route 9 CooperativeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOhio-based packing facility bringing culinary chestnuts to market. Partners with Savanna Institute to offer apprenticeship opportunities for beginning farmers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Canopy Farm Management: 2022 commercial spin-off from Savanna Institute offering perennial farm management and tree crop nursery services in WI/IL; closely related entity that shares leadership history and donates proceeds back to the nonprofit parent.
• Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR): Nonprofit research-funding organization funding audacious agricultural research; comparable in nonprofit structure and grantmaking role in U.S. agriculture, rather than direct program delivery, and a potential complementary funder.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation nonprofit with a substantial sustainable agriculture and agroforestry portfolio; a major Savanna Institute partner on the USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grant, operating at a much larger scale across multiple geographies.

Direct peers

• Trees For The Future: 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused exclusively on agroforestry adoption, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa; directly comparable mission, training-and-demonstration model, and grant-funded nonprofit structure, but operating in a different geography.
• University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry: Long-standing academic agroforestry research center and host of the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA); directly comparable mission in temperate agroforestry research, education, and policy, and an active Savanna Institute research collaborator.
• Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm): Nonprofit advancing ecological agriculture through education, conferences, and farmer networking in California; comparable in mission (sustainable agriculture education/community-building) and nonprofit conference-and-resources model.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa: Farmer-led nonprofit serving Iowa and surrounding states with on-farm research, demonstration, and education across regenerative practices including agroforestry-adjacent systems; comparable membership model and geographic overlap with Savanna Institute's Iowa operations.
• Grassland 2.0 (University of Wisconsin-Madison): UW-Madison initiative working to transform Wisconsin agriculture toward net-zero GHG by 2050 through perennialization and grazing; co-author with Savanna Institute on the Wisconsin agricultural emissions report and direct peer in perennial agriculture advocacy.
• Michael Fields Agricultural Institute: Midwest-based nonprofit focused on sustainable and regenerative agriculture, including policy work on net-zero farming in Wisconsin; directly comparable in scale, mission, and regional focus as a co-author of the Wisconsin ag emissions report with Savanna Institute.

Emerging players

• Propagate: Commercial agroforestry venture that designs, finances, and manages perennial crop plantings for farms and landowners; overlaps with Savanna Institute's commercialization and Canopy Farm Management services but as a for-profit, venture-backed counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Savannainst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/savannainstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/SavannaInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savannainstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/savannainstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Savanna Institute