Experimental Farm Network Cooperative

What it reported doing in 2024

Cultural Seed Work: In 2022, we continued and expanded our cultural seed work, including seed rematriation (defined similarly to "repatriation", but using a word that recognizes and honors the role of women as seed-keepers in most traditional societies), which involves identifying and growing seeds connected to a particular historical community, returning regenerated seeds to the communities from which they originally came (and/or individuals living in diaspora), and developing long-term reciprocal relationships with members of those communities, including through offering programmatic support wherever possible. Our most important rematriation success-story involves a collaboration with Native Roots Farm Foundation, a Nanticoke-led organization aiming to revive the agricultural life of the Nanticoke people (indigenous to parts of modern-day Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey) through land conservation and education. In 2024, we continued working to expand access to two types of Nanticoke squash, a winter squash simply known as "Nanticoke Squash" (Cucurbita maxima), and a summer squash known in English as "Maycock" (Cucurbita pepo), from the Nanticoke word for squash, "Macac", as well as a Lenape sweet corn variety. This work also has a major educational component, involving teaching others about seed rematriation in order to inspire and encourage them to undertake similar work (there's no shortage of need for such work). We also increased our work with the Iraqi Seed Collective and the Jewish Seed Project in 2024.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 71.4%; rating input score 71; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -18.2%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.56; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 22.7%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 25.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 23.2% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings