Tribal Agriculture Fellowship

What Tribal Agriculture Fellowship does

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) is a nonprofit fellowship program founded in May 2022 and operated by the Native Agriculture Education Fellowship Program (NAEFP), headquartered in the United States. It is the first fellowship program dedicated specifically to Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations students pursuing education and careers in agriculture, with the stated mission of preserving and promoting the legacy of agriculture in Tribal communities. Across four annual cohorts (2022-2025), TAF has supported an alumni network spanning 16 Tribal Nations, 15 states, and 19 universities, with fellows studying veterinary medicine, soil microbial ecology, animal science, rangeland science, agricultural education, and food sovereignty.

The core offering is the annual Tribal Agriculture Fellowship Scholarship for technical, undergraduate, and graduate students, with the 2026-2027 cycle prioritizing Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and apprenticeships in trades such as diesel mechanics, vet tech, drone operation, and ranch management. Supplementary programs include travel scholarships for the Washington Leadership Conference and National FFA Convention, conference sponsorships for teachers through National Agriculture in the Classroom and the National Association of Agricultural Educators, a Special Purpose Fund, and a quarterly newsletter. TAF also partners with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to pilot culturally relevant agricultural education at BIE schools including Chemawa Indian School, Wingate High School, and Sequoyah High School.

TAF is funded by donations and grants from agricultural foundations and corporate sponsors, principally the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF), the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), Farmer Mac, the Farm Credit Council, and John Deere. The organization operates with a small staff of approximately five members led by Executive Director Nicole DeVon, and is governed by an independent Board of Directors. There is no proprietary technology platform; program delivery runs through a Submittable application portal, a WordPress website, and direct partnerships with FFA, 4-H, MANRRS, and AFA, which together form the distribution backbone for recruiting Indigenous applicants nationwide.

Name

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship

Legal name

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship

Website

https://taffellows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tribal Agriculture Fellowship is a U.S. nonprofit operating the first fellowship program dedicated to Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations students pursuing agricultural education, supporting fellows across 16 Tribal Nations and 19 universities through scholarships, CTE training, and BIE school partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education Fellowship

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal Teacher Education & Indigenous Language Colleges (Educator Prep/Language Revitalization) (EDAHANAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM)

Keywords

• Agricultural education fellowship
• Indigenous student scholarships
• Tribal agriculture programs
• Career technical education
• Agricultural workforce development

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: TAF is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and grants from supporters including the Native American Agriculture Fund, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, Farmer Mac, Farm Credit Council, and other sponsors to fund scholarships for Indigenous students pursuing agriculture education.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Tribal Agriculture Fellowship is a nonprofit fellowship program that provides scholarships and educational support to Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations students pursuing technical, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in agriculture. The program prioritizes Career and Technical Education (CTE) students for 2026-2027, and supplements scholarships with conference travel sponsorships, teacher professional development support, and a Special Purpose Fund for Native youth pursuing agriculturally related activities.

Product overview

The Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) is a nonprofit fellowship program dedicated to supporting Indigenous students pursuing careers in agriculture. The core offering is the annual Tribal Agriculture Fellowship Scholarship, which for the 2026-2027 cycle prioritizes Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and apprenticeships in agriculture. The program supports multiple annual cohorts (2022-2025 cohorts identified) of fellows studying diverse agricultural disciplines. TAF operates supplementary programs including Washington Leadership Conference and National FFA Convention travel scholarships, National Ag in the Classroom Conference scholarships for teachers, National Association of Agriculture Educators conference support, and a Special Purpose Fund for professional development. Additionally, TAF partners with the Bureau of Indian Education to implement agricultural education programs at BIE schools (Chemawa Indian School, Wingate High School, Sequoyah High School). The organization distributes quarterly newsletters and annual reports documenting activities and outcomes. TAF is managed by the nonprofit Native Agriculture Education Fellowship Program (NAEFP) and is primarily funded by the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tribal Agriculture Fellowship Scholarship Annual scholarship program supporting Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations students pursuing technical, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in agriculture. For the 2026-2027 cycle, the program prioritizes Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and apprenticeships in agriculture.
• CTE Technical Degree Program Career and Technical Education program supporting technical or certification degrees related to the agriculture industry, including apprenticeships, journeyman certifications, vet tech, diesel mechanics, drone pilots, food lab assistants, ranch hand management, butcher certification, and other agricultural certifications.
• Washington Leadership Conference Scholarship Travel scholarship partnering with National FFA Organization to sponsor Native American high school students to attend the Washington Leadership Conference, supporting leadership, personal growth, and career success.
• National FFA Convention Support Program supporting students to attend the National FFA Convention, the largest student convention in the country, with an InterTribal Student Meet and Greet hosted by TAF during the event.
• National Ag in the Classroom Conference Scholarship Partnership with National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization to sponsor Native American teachers or those teaching Native students to attend the NAITC conference, expanding professional learning in agricultural education.
• National Association of Agriculture Educators Conference Support Funding for educators of Native descent or those teaching Native students or in Indian Country to attend the NAAE annual conference, focusing on culturally relevant teaching strategies for agriculture.
• Special Purpose Fund Financial assistance fund supporting Native youth and college students pursuing professional development or participating in agriculturally related activities, including conference attendance, workshops, and agricultural events beyond traditional FFA or 4-H chapters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fellows reach 15 states and represent 16 Tribal Nations across 19 universities

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025BIE, NAAF, and TAF established a partnership to enhance agricultural education at BIE schools. The agreement is being piloted at schools including Chemawa Indian School, Wingate High School, and Sequoyah High School.
• National FFA OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2023TAF and NAAF established the first-ever formal partnership with the National FFA Organization in 2023 to support Native American students pursuing agricultural careers. FFA has more than 14,000 American Indian and Alaska Native members.
• National Agriculture in the Classroom (NAITC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAF partners with NAITC to promote agricultural literacy and advance agriculture education within Tribal communities. TAF has sponsored 9 teachers working with Native American students to attend the NAITC conference.
• National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAF has funded 5 educators of Native descent or those teaching Native students to attend the NAAE annual conference for professional development in agricultural education.
• Sequoyah High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSequoyah High School in Tahlequah, OK is one of the pilot schools for the BIE-NAAF-TAF partnership to establish a new agriculture education program.
• Chemawa Indian SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon is a pilot school for the BIE-NAAF-TAF partnership, providing off-reservation residential education for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
• Wingate High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWingate High School in Fort Wingate, NM is a pilot school for the BIE-NAAF-TAF partnership, serving Navajo scholars in grades 9-12.
• Why RegenerativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhy Regenerative hosts large-scale networking events and consults on regenerative agriculture projects. TAF partners with them to explore opportunities in regenerative agriculture for Indigenous communities.
• 4-HmajorGTM or Marketing Partner4-H is a youth development organization with which TAF partners to engage Native American youth in agricultural education and leadership programs.
• MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMANRRS is a national society that promotes academic and professional advancement for minorities in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences. TAF partners to support Native students through this network.
• Agricultural Future of America (AFA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAFA empowers young leaders making an impact in food and agriculture. TAF partners to connect Native students with opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• 4-H: National youth development organization with deep agricultural programming that reaches Native American youth. TAF partners with 4-H for recruitment, making it a complementary incumbent rather than direct competitor.
• National FFA Organization: Largest U.S. youth agricultural education organization with 14,000+ American Indian/Alaska Native members. TAF's 2023 partnership with FFA positions FFA as both a pipeline partner and a broader incumbent in agricultural youth education.

Direct peers

• Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF): NAAF is both TAF's anchor funder and a fellow organization advancing Native American agriculture through grants, education, and capacity-building. Sister organization with overlapping mission, leadership connections, and beneficiary communities.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): National nonprofit supporting Indigenous students in STEM fields through scholarships, conferences, and professional development. Highly comparable in scholarship-plus-mentorship model and Indigenous student focus, though STEM rather than agriculture.
• American Indian College Fund: Provides scholarships and educational support to Native American students, the closest direct analog to TAF's fellowship model but with a broader academic focus beyond agriculture. Comparable in nonprofit structure, donor base, and target demographic.
• American Indian Graduate Center: Provides scholarships and fellowships to American Indian and Alaska Native graduate and undergraduate students. Directly comparable fellowship-and-scholarship model serving the same demographic.
• Agricultural Future of America (AFA): Empowers young leaders in food and agriculture through scholarships, leadership development, and career networks. TAF partners with AFA to connect Native students with opportunities, and AFA's model closely mirrors TAF's scholarship-plus-career-development approach.
• Cobell Scholarship Program: Annual scholarship for Native American students pursuing higher education, funded through the Cobell trust settlement. Operates a similar scholarship-and-cohort model for Indigenous students, though not agriculture-specific.

Emerging players

• Why Regenerative: Hosts large-scale networking events and consults on regenerative agriculture projects with Indigenous community focus. TAF partners with Why Regenerative to expose Indigenous students to regenerative ag opportunities, making it a peer in mission overlap but not direct program competition.
• MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences): National society promoting academic and professional advancement for minorities in agriculture. TAF partners with MANRRS to support Native students, making it an adjacent peer with overlapping mission on minority representation in agriculture careers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdzYjiJ2wZtHLdwFs5d979g
• Facebookfacebook.com/TAFfellows
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tribal-agriculture-fellowship
• Instagraminstagram.com/taffellows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tribal Agriculture Fellowship