2026 Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship

We are now accepting applications to the Cynthia Hayes Memorial Scholarship!

The Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (SAAFON) and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) have partnered together to create a scholarship in memory of Cynthia Hayes, co-founder and former director of SAAFON.

Cynthia was a founder of one of the first networks for African American organic farmers in the U.S. and dedicated her life to serving these communities. Spending time on her grandmother’s farm in Kentucky as a young person, she learned about her family's history of over 80 years of tobacco farming. This personal connection laid the foundation for the work she would dedicate her life to. Cynthia would go on to work in nonprofits in the Bay Area, using her talents to support grant writing efforts and working in group homes before relocating with her husband to Jamaica where she began working directly with farmers. In 2000, Cynthia moved to Savannah, GA where her work centered on land, environmental justice and the plight of African American farmers.

In addition to SAAFON, Cynthia was a founding member of several other nonprofit organizations and programs that worked to build power among Black growers. Her impact and leadership was honored with several prestigious awards including the 2013 James Beard Award and the 2013 Southern Foodways Alliance John Egerton Award. Cynthia was an inspirational force in the development of NSAC’s equity platform and initiatives that followed. Her legacy lives on in the work that continues, and we honor her vision by using this scholarship to empower emerging advocates to continue this work.

Eligible students may apply for this scholarship (see eligibility requirements below). The students awarded the scholarship will each receive a $5000 award and the opportunity to connect with sustainable food and farm advocates and practitioners. The scholarship will be awarded during the summer of 2026.

Eligibility:

• This scholarship is open to students who self-identify as Black and/or Indigenous

• Applications should be focused on sustainable agriculture and how it affects Black farmer communities, and food justice in the context of the United States

• Students should have an interest in grassroots organizing, movement building, or agricultural policy and a commitment to promoting racial equity in our food and farm system

• You must be a student in good standing (2.5 minimum GPA)

• PhD students are not eligible to apply

Selection Criteria:

We are seeking students who are committed to working on issues that directly impact Black farmers as well as those whose work centers on solidarity between Black and Indigenous farmers.

To be considered, undergraduate students must be either entering their third year of enrollment or the first semester of their fourth year during the Fall semester of 2026. Graduate students must have completed at least 4 courses by Fall 2026. All applicants must have at least one semester left before graduation.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• Interest in sustainable agriculture (policy, grassroots organizing, and/or movement-building)

• Knowledge of or experience with racial equity

• Knowledge of or experience with sustainable food and farm systems

• Knowledge of and experience with Black and Indigenous farmers and food systems

• Interest in pursuing leadership and/or careers in the sustainable food and farm movement

• Writing abilities that showcase original thought and earnest storytelling with limited grammar and spelling errors

• Overall leadership capability

• Alignment with the spirit of the Scholarship

The following application materials will be required on the following page: 

1. Please explain your interest in sustainable agriculture, Black and Indigenous farmers, food justice, and racial equity in the food system. How do you plan to continue with this work in the future, and how is that vision connected to your background as a Black or Indigenous person? This submission can be in written form, video, or audio file. Please Note: This requirement will appear as 3 separate questions on the following page - one for written statements, one for recorded audio statements, and one for video statements. Please submit your response using only ONE of the three formats (i.e. if you are submitting a written statement, submit your written statement only to the question that says "WRITTEN RESPONSES", the same for video and audio responses). A response to this question is required for your application to be considered.

   1. For written statements: minimum 500 words, maximum 1000 words

   2. For video and audio statements: maximum 5 minutes

2. This scholarship is intended for students who identify as Black or Indigenous. Please describe your background, and how your racial/ethnic identification connects to the purpose of this scholarship.

3. Resume or CV

4. Academic Transcript (can be unofficial)

5. Contact Information for one reference that can speak to the suitability of your experiences and past work

If you have any questions about the application please email scholarship@sustainableagriculture.net

We encourage interested students to apply if they meet at least 75% of the qualifications. We also strongly encourage applications from students from working class backgrounds, women, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students, disabled students, LGBTQ+ students, and those who are members of other marginalized communities.