ASHFIELD — A local nonprofit is helping convert a Kentucky coal mine into a farm and teach Hawaiian farmers how to run prosperous, resilient businesses in the face of climate change.

Regenerative Farms, founded by Ashfield resident Mary Johnson in 2020, has received two U.S. Department of Agriculture grants totaling $171,000 to support training programs for farmers.

Johnson said she started Regenerative Farms after spending many sleepless nights thinking about climate change.

“I’ve spent my career working with farmers in Massachusetts,” Johnson explained. With climate change having an immediate, widespread impact, she added, “this seemed like a way I could use my skills and resources to make a difference.”

Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in sustainable agriculture and natural resources management from Cornell University and a master’s degree in plant and soil science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to founding Regenerative Farms, she worked as director of the agriculture program for The Trustees of Reservations and was the Carbon Farming Innovation Network director for Green America.

She added that she was particularly motivated to support female-owned businesses and farms due to her own experience as a single mother.

“It was a good place for me to reach out and help other women,” Johnson said.

Johnson has a network of partners around the globe. Regenerative Farms has worked with farmers in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America and South America, but the organization’s next projects will turn its attention back stateside.

These latest grants will allow her to use and build upon this network, connecting farmers to their local resources and partners elsewhere.

In Hawaii, Regenerative Farms is working with the Malamalama Sustainability Center, which will integrate Indigenous knowledge and island stewardship traditions into the program. This will allow participants in Maui County to learn new farming methods that combat climate change and how they can work with the existing landscape to creating a thriving, prosperous food system.

In Kentucky, the organization is partnering with The Wilds of Emily Creek. The project is working to convert 7,000 acres atop an Appalachian coal mine in Clark and Martin counties into a vibrant farming community. Participants will gain access to a plot of land, training and tools to get their farm started.

Johnson said the grants will support business training, access to equipment and infrastructure, one-on-one mentoring, and training in agricultural methods and practices. The organization received $119,000 for the Kentucky program and $52,000 for Hawaii.

The goal is to help individuals create thriving businesses, improve food sustainability and aid farmers in adapting to changing climate conditions through regenerative practices that improve soil health, conserve water and restore biodiversity.

“These USDA grants allow us to further expand our impact, equipping rural farmers with the tools they need to combat climate change and improve food security,” Johnson said in a statement.

Regenerative Farms is currently recruiting participants for its programs. For more information about the organization and its work, visit regenrativefarms.org.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.