Practicing climate-smart agriculture can help Georgia farms be more productive and build soils that can absorb more carbon from our atmosphere at the same time. But making changes to established growing practices can seem expensive and risky for many farmers.

To help ease this transition, a groundbreaking partnership between Georgia Organics and McIntosh Sustainable, Environmental and Economic Development (McIntosh S.E.E.D.) is giving Black and Brown farmers in coastal Georgia technical assistance and support with grant applications to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices. As a result, they are building healthier soils and more resilient agricultural operations. 

The Climate Smart Farmer Program, supported by Drawdown Georgia's Climate Solutions & Equity Grants, combines practical climate solutions with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by these historically underserved farming communities. 

Watch video above to hear more about how this program is advancing equity, scaling climate solutions, and supporting Georgia farmers. In this 30-minute Georgia Climate Digest video interview, Meg Darnell, farmer services coordinator at Georgia Organics, and Ben Sterling, program manager at McIntosh S.E.E.D., are in conversation with Eriqah Vincent of Drawdown Georgia.

Keep reading to learn more about the work these organizations are doing to support climate-smart agriculture in Georgia.

Georgia Organics and McIntosh S.E.E.D. Growing Climate-Smart Agriculture

Georgia Organics and McIntosh S.E.E.D. received funding as part of the first Climate Solutions & Equity Grant cohort in 2023-24. They launched a pilot of the Climate Smart Farmer Program with a goal of preparing and supporting Black and Brown farmers in coastal Georgia with adaptation and mitigation tools to build resilience and maintain productivity in the face of climate change.

Watch the 90 second video above to meet Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics and Ben Sterling of McIntosh S.E.E.D. to learn more about them and the work being done by their respective organizations.

The new 2025-2026 continuation grant is being used to extend the program to at least 15 additional farmers within a 30–60-mile radius of coastal Georgia, essentially covering the southeast quadrant of the state, with special consideration given to farms that have been disproportionately affected by extreme weather events.

In 2025-26, the grantee partners will continue to provide on-farm education on climate-smart agriculture, access to federal resources, technical assistance, a printable and online solar toolkit, the opportunity to attend Farmer Field Days, and mini-grants to help participating farms close financial gaps to complete their proposed projects.

Success Stories from the Climate Smart Farmer Program

The program's first cohort achieved remarkable success, with nine out of ten participating farms receiving approval for USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts that support various conservation practices. One farm successfully installed solar panels through the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), demonstrating how renewable energy can reduce operational costs for farmers.

Watch the above 3:20 minute video to hear more from Meg and Ben about the success of the first cohort of the Climate Smart Farmer Program.

"We're able to utilize the funds from the grant to give direct stipends to the farms for conservation practices," Ben shared. “We explained to them, ‘You're already doing it. You're already doing rotational cover cropping. You're already rotating your crops. Here's a program that will benefit you and compensate you for things that you're already doing.’"

Meg added, "We don't need to reinvent the wheel here. There's already money in programs to advance farmers' conservation practices. How can we help them access it?" 

A Partnership that Builds Trust in the Community

The Climate Smart Farmer Program exemplifies how climate solutions can be implemented effectively when organizations combine their strengths – in this case, Georgia Organics' administrative expertise with McIntosh S.E.E.D.'s deep community connections.

"We couldn't do this program without them," Meg acknowledges. "They could probably do it without us, but we're lightening their load because they do have a lot of work outside of this program. So it's a really good fit."

McIntosh S.E.E.D.’s community connections were key in the initial process of building trust and relationships with farmers. McIntosh S.E.E.D. was able to help serve as a bridge between farmers and the various federal programs that offer significant support for conservation practices.

Beyond Carbon Benefits of Climate-Smart Practices

Both Georgia Organics and McIntosh S.E.E.D. are deeply invested not only in protecting Georgia’s environment and natural resources, but in helping Georgia farmers prosper. These values are all baked into the Climate Smart Farmer program.

Participating farmers quickly found advantages to joining the cohort beyond the environmental benefits. In addition to the financial support provided by the USDA grants, many farmers were also able to invest in equipment and supplies like high tunnels that allow farmers to enter different markets and extend the growing seasons of many crops.

Looking Ahead with Hope

Meg and Ben say that their work with this program gives them hope for Georgia's climate future. "Resiliency is, I think, just ingrained in the title of being a farmer,” said Ben. “We see a growing interest in a lot of these climate-smart solutions."

The program's expansion makes these practices accessible to more Georgia farmers. This partnership is proof positive that Georgia's agricultural community can actively contribute to our state's carbon reduction goals while building more successful and resilient farming operations for future generations.

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