Leveraging Partnerships to Support Landowners
- Courtney Columbus
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
In landowner outreach, relationships are essential. Building trust with farmers and forest landowners requires time—time to listen, learn about their land, understand their challenges, and support their goals. Equally important are the relationships we build with partner organizations that share our mission of supporting landowners. Together, we can expand our impact.
This month, we are excited to highlight our successful partnership with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment). Since our collaboration began in 2020, our relationship has grown into a dynamic effort to support landowners. The Endowment has amplified its reach by working with organizations engaged in direct landowner outreach, including Asekia and the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Network (SFLR), ensuring that more landowners across the U.S. have access to critical resources.
This partnership works because we focus on what matters most—trust, community, and a deep respect for each landowner’s unique story and dedication to their land.
Forest Landowner Support
The Forest Landowner Support project, funded with the U.S. Forest Service and the Endowment's support, provides outreach to 185 counties across 11 states and Puerto Rico through three key partner organizations: mYo/Asekia, Khuba International, and SFLR.
This collaboration allows us to strengthen landowner support networks, improve conservation outcomes, and foster economic opportunities for rural communities.
A Familiar Face Leading the Way
We are thrilled to continue working with Molly Hass, a former mano-Y-ola (mYo) team member, who now leads mYo/Asekia’s work with the Endowment as a consultant on the Forest Landowner Support Award. During her time with us, Molly played a crucial role in developing the curriculum for our virtual internship program, helping to shape the next generation of conservation leaders. Now, in her role at the Endowment, she is driving impactful outreach efforts that benefit landowners nationwide.
Investing in Rural Prosperity
The Endowment has demonstrated its deep commitment to rural prosperity by making significant investments in landowner outreach, expanding access to resources and technical assistance for landowners. These investments are yielding remarkable results.
With ongoing initiatives in states from Alabama to New York, the Endowment remains focused on building strong communities and fostering long-term relationships with landowners.
mYo/Asekia’s Impact
Over the years, mYo has built a strong track record of community impact with support from USDA programs—and since 2020, that work has expanded significantly through a deepening partnership with the Endowment. mYo/Asekia has leveraged over $1 million in funding to deliver high-impact services across rural communities. This investment has supported a wide range of activities, including:
Six annual symposia engaging over 580 participants
11 internship seasons, training 91 interns for careers in conservation and agriculture
Development of 6 bilingual curricula focused on forestry, equity, and leadership
Monthly news reporting in Spanish, providing critical updates and resources for farmers
190+ hours of educational programming delivered across regions
142 one-on-one technical assistance sessions for landowners and producers
Direct outreach to 440+ farmers and forest landowners, with an estimated investment of $3,285 per participant
These outcomes reflect not just the scale of our reach—but the strategic and efficient use of resources to build leadership, support landowners, and strengthen the future of conservation in rural communities.
Creating Lasting Impact
“At the end of the day, what we want to do is create generational wealth for landowners by ensuring they can create value from their land to keep their forests as forests,” says Delie Wilkens, Director of Communities at the Endowment.
"The best way to do that is by building relationships and trust with landowners."
When landowners and their communities are thriving, they can keep working forests productive, ensuring long-term sustainability.
“Sustainable forests benefit not only the planet but also landowners and their communities,” Wilkens adds, emphasizing the importance of conservation-driven prosperity.
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, mYo/Asekia and the Endowment remain committed to expanding outreach, strengthening partnerships, and driving impactful change for landowners. Through continued collaboration, we can ensure that landowners have the resources, knowledge, and support they need to succeed.
If you are a landowner or an organization interested in partnering with us, we invite you to connect with us and learn how you can get involved in shaping a sustainable future.
📧 Adrian Parrott, Southwest Outreach Lead: adrian.parrott@asekia.org
📧 Heriberto Martínez Méndez, Chief Agronomist (Puerto Rico): bienestarmovement@gmail.com
📧 Paul Pendergast, Chief Agronomist (Florida): paul.pendergast@asekia.org
This newsletter was written by Courtney Columbus, reviewed and translated by Nolo Martínez, and produced by Jessica Zafra.
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