FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK: Form 990, tax year 2019
View the entire original 990 at ProPublica ↗
- Organization
- FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK (EIN 27-4108978)
- Tax period
- 2019-07-01 to 2020-06-30
- Filed
- 2020-11-16
- IRS object ID
- 202033219349319308
- Schema version
- 2019v5.1
- Source
- Download XML · Original 990 at ProPublica
Every field in the e-filed return. Faint text is the IRS element name, for citing.
Return header ReturnHeader
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Return | 2020-11-16T16:27:34-06:00 | ReturnTs |
| Tax Period End | 2020-06-30 | TaxPeriodEndDt |
Preparer Firm PreparerFirmGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Preparer Firm EIN | 271728945 | PreparerFirmEIN |
Preparer Firm Name PreparerFirmName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES LLP | BusinessNameLine1Txt |
Preparer US Address PreparerUSAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 665 FIFTH AVENUE | AddressLine1Txt |
| City | NEW YORK | CityNm |
| State Abbreviation | NY | StateAbbreviationCd |
| ZIP | 10022 | ZIPCd |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Return Type | 990 | ReturnTypeCd |
| Tax Period Begin | 2019-07-01 | TaxPeriodBeginDt |
Filer Filer
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| EIN | 274108978 | EIN |
Business Name BusinessName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK | BusinessNameLine1Txt |
| Business Name Line2 | INC | BusinessNameLine2Txt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Control | FOOD | BusinessNameControlTxt |
| Phone | 6462486014 | PhoneNum |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 576 FIFTH AVENUE NO 903 | AddressLine1Txt |
| City | NEW YORK | CityNm |
| State Abbreviation | NY | StateAbbreviationCd |
| ZIP | 10036 | ZIPCd |
Business Officer BusinessOfficerGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Person | THOMAS LASKAWY | PersonNm |
| Person Title | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | PersonTitleTxt |
| Phone | 6462486014 | PhoneNum |
| Signature | 2020-11-16 | SignatureDt |
| Discuss With Paid Preparer | Yes (1) | DiscussWithPaidPreparerInd |
Preparer Person PreparerPersonGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Preparer Person | GARRETT M HIGGINS | PreparerPersonNm |
| PTIN | P00543209 | PTIN |
| Phone | 2122862600 | PhoneNum |
Filing Security Information FilingSecurityInformation
IP Address IPAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| I Pv4 Address | 24.190.81.120 | IPv4AddressTxt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| IP | 2020-11-16 | IPDt |
| IP Tm | 16:27:30 | IPTm |
| IP Timezone | ES | IPTimezoneCd |
| Filing License Type | P | FilingLicenseTypeCd |
| At Submission Creation Device Id | DA39A3EE5E6B4B0D3255BFEF95601890AFD80709 | AtSubmissionCreationDeviceId |
| At Submission Filing Device Id | 9616F4B14A694591D1E716C270910E6FA5556DA3 | AtSubmissionFilingDeviceId |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | 2019 | TaxYr |
| Build TS | 2021-01-29 14:40:06Z | BuildTS |
Form 990 IRS990
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Officer | THOMAS LASKAWY | PrincipalOfficerNm |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 576 FIFTH AVENUE NO 903 | AddressLine1Txt |
| City | NEW YORK | CityNm |
| State Abbreviation | NY | StateAbbreviationCd |
| ZIP | 10036 | ZIPCd |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Receipts | $1,330,890 | GrossReceiptsAmt |
| Group Return For Affiliates | 0 | GroupReturnForAffiliatesInd |
| Organization501c3 | Yes (X) | Organization501c3Ind |
| Website Address | HTTP://THEFERN.ORG | WebsiteAddressTxt |
| Type Of Organization Corp | Yes (X) | TypeOfOrganizationCorpInd |
| Formation | 2010 | FormationYr |
| Legal Domicile State | NY | LegalDomicileStateCd |
| Activity Or Mission | FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PUBLICATION PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESPECTED LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS. | ActivityOrMissionDesc |
| Voting Members Governing Body | 8 | VotingMembersGoverningBodyCnt |
| Voting Members Independent | 7 | VotingMembersIndependentCnt |
| Total Employee | 8 | TotalEmployeeCnt |
| Total Volunteers | 7 | TotalVolunteersCnt |
| Total Gross UBI | $0 | TotalGrossUBIAmt |
| Net Unrelated Bus Txbl Incm | $0 | NetUnrelatedBusTxblIncmAmt |
| PY Contributions Grants | $561,587 | PYContributionsGrantsAmt |
| CY Contributions Grants | $1,223,030 | CYContributionsGrantsAmt |
| PY Program Service Revenue | $56,964 | PYProgramServiceRevenueAmt |
| CY Program Service Revenue | $95,532 | CYProgramServiceRevenueAmt |
| PY Investment Income | $20 | PYInvestmentIncomeAmt |
| CY Investment Income | $494 | CYInvestmentIncomeAmt |
| PY Other Revenue | $931 | PYOtherRevenueAmt |
| CY Other Revenue | -$11,950 | CYOtherRevenueAmt |
| PY Total Revenue | $619,502 | PYTotalRevenueAmt |
| CY Total Revenue | $1,307,106 | CYTotalRevenueAmt |
| PY Grants And Similar Paid | $0 | PYGrantsAndSimilarPaidAmt |
| CY Grants And Similar Paid | $0 | CYGrantsAndSimilarPaidAmt |
| PY Benefits Paid To Members | $0 | PYBenefitsPaidToMembersAmt |
| CY Benefits Paid To Members | $0 | CYBenefitsPaidToMembersAmt |
| PY Salaries Comp Emp Bnft Paid | $270,836 | PYSalariesCompEmpBnftPaidAmt |
| CY Salaries Comp Emp Bnft Paid | $555,888 | CYSalariesCompEmpBnftPaidAmt |
| PY Total Prof Fndrsng Expns | $0 | PYTotalProfFndrsngExpnsAmt |
| CY Total Prof Fndrsng Expns | $0 | CYTotalProfFndrsngExpnsAmt |
| CY Total Fundraising Expense | $53,189 | CYTotalFundraisingExpenseAmt |
| PY Other Expenses | $246,405 | PYOtherExpensesAmt |
| CY Other Expenses | $335,635 | CYOtherExpensesAmt |
| PY Total Expenses | $517,241 | PYTotalExpensesAmt |
| CY Total Expenses | $891,523 | CYTotalExpensesAmt |
| PY Revenues Less Expenses | $102,261 | PYRevenuesLessExpensesAmt |
| CY Revenues Less Expenses | $415,583 | CYRevenuesLessExpensesAmt |
| Total Assets BOY | $180,953 | TotalAssetsBOYAmt |
| Total Assets EOY | $677,172 | TotalAssetsEOYAmt |
| Total Liabilities BOY | $70,354 | TotalLiabilitiesBOYAmt |
| Total Liabilities EOY | $150,990 | TotalLiabilitiesEOYAmt |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances BOY | $110,599 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOYAmt |
| Net Assets Or Fund Balances EOY | $526,182 | NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOYAmt |
| Info In Schedule O Part III | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartIIIInd |
| Mission | THE FOOD & ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK (FERN) IS THE FIRST AND ONLY INDEPENDENT, NON-PROFIT, NON-PARTISAN NEWS ORGANIZATION THAT PRODUCES EXPLANATORY AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING ON FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PUBLICATION PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESPECTED LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS. | MissionDesc |
| Significant New Program Srvc | 0 | SignificantNewProgramSrvcInd |
| Significant Change | 0 | SignificantChangeInd |
| Expense | $525,031 | ExpenseAmt |
| Revenue | $65,410 | RevenueAmt |
| Desc | THE FOOD & ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO DELIVER IMPACTFUL CONTENT IN ITS AREA OF FOCUS AND EXECUTE ON ITS STRATEGIC GOALS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, FERN PRODUCED 43 EXPLANATORY OR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS PUBLISHED WITH 12 OUTLETS, INCLUDING THE NATION, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, EATINGWELL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, TIME AND MANY OTHERS. TOPICS THAT WERE PRIORITIZED IN THEIR PUBLISHED WORK DURING THIS PERIOD WERE OCEANS AND WATER ISSUES, COVID-19 AND FOOD WORKERS, AND CLIMATE IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE AND THE FOOD SYSTEM. | Desc |
Prog Srvc Accom Acty2 ProgSrvcAccomActy2Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Expense | $117,395 | ExpenseAmt |
| Revenue | $31,206 | RevenueAmt |
| Desc | FERN'S AG INSIDER IS A DAILY FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY PAID SUBSCRIPTION NEWS SERVICE. IT INCLUDES ORIGINAL REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND A DAILY SURVEY OF BREAKING NEWS IN THE AREAS OF FEDERAL AND STATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY AS WELL AS RELATED CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS. THE PRODUCT IS AIMED AT AN AUDIENCE OF POLICYMAKERS, ADVOCATES, JOURNALISTS, AND FOOD INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES. FERN'S AG INSIDER PAID SUBSCRIPTION FEATURES INCLUDE:- A DEDICATED, PAYWALLED AG INSIDER MINI-SITE ON THE FERN WEBSITE- ORIGINAL, IN-DEPTH REPORTING AND ANALYSIS- ARTICLES TAGGED AND VIEWABLE BY SUBJECT- A SEARCHABLE ARCHIVE OF ALL AG INSIDER REPORTING | Desc |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Program Service Expenses | $642,426 | TotalProgramServiceExpensesAmt |
| Described In Section501c3 | Yes (1) | DescribedInSection501c3Ind |
| Schedule B Required | Yes (1) | ScheduleBRequiredInd |
| Political Campaign Acty | 0 | PoliticalCampaignActyInd |
| Lobbying Activities | 0 | LobbyingActivitiesInd |
| Subject To Proxy Tax | 0 | SubjectToProxyTaxInd |
| Donor Advised Fund | 0 | DonorAdvisedFundInd |
| Conservation Easements | 0 | ConservationEasementsInd |
| Collections Of Art | 0 | CollectionsOfArtInd |
| Credit Counseling | 0 | CreditCounselingInd |
| Donor Rstr Or Quasi Endowments | 0 | DonorRstrOrQuasiEndowmentsInd |
| Report Land Building Equipment | 0 | ReportLandBuildingEquipmentInd |
| Report Investments Other Sec | 0 | ReportInvestmentsOtherSecInd |
| Report Program Related Invst | 0 | ReportProgramRelatedInvstInd |
| Report Other Assets | 0 | ReportOtherAssetsInd |
| Report Other Liabilities | 0 | ReportOtherLiabilitiesInd |
| Include FIN48 Footnote | Yes (1) | IncludeFIN48FootnoteInd |
| Independent Audit Fincl Stmt | Yes (1) | IndependentAuditFinclStmtInd |
| Consolidated Audit Fincl Stmt | 0 | ConsolidatedAuditFinclStmtInd |
| School Operating | 0 | SchoolOperatingInd |
| Foreign Office | 0 | ForeignOfficeInd |
| Foreign Activities | 0 | ForeignActivitiesInd |
| More Than5000 K To Org | 0 | MoreThan5000KToOrgInd |
| More Than5000 K To Individuals | 0 | MoreThan5000KToIndividualsInd |
| Professional Fundraising | 0 | ProfessionalFundraisingInd |
| Fundraising Activities | Yes (1) | FundraisingActivitiesInd |
| Gaming Activities | 0 | GamingActivitiesInd |
| Operate Hospital | 0 | OperateHospitalInd |
| Grants To Organizations | 0 | GrantsToOrganizationsInd |
| Grants To Individuals | 0 | GrantsToIndividualsInd |
| Schedule J Required | 0 | ScheduleJRequiredInd |
| Tax Exempt Bonds | 0 | TaxExemptBondsInd |
| Engaged In Excess Benefit Trans | 0 | EngagedInExcessBenefitTransInd |
| PY Excess Benefit Trans | 0 | PYExcessBenefitTransInd |
| Loan Outstanding | 0 | LoanOutstandingInd |
| Grant To Related Person | 0 | GrantToRelatedPersonInd |
| Business Rln With Org Mem | 0 | BusinessRlnWithOrgMemInd |
| Business Rln With Fam Mem | 0 | BusinessRlnWithFamMemInd |
| Business Rln With35 Ctrl Ent | 0 | BusinessRlnWith35CtrlEntInd |
| Deductible Non Cash Contri | 0 | DeductibleNonCashContriInd |
| Deductible Art Contribution | 0 | DeductibleArtContributionInd |
| Terminate Operations | 0 | TerminateOperationsInd |
| Partial Liquidation | 0 | PartialLiquidationInd |
| Disregarded Entity | 0 | DisregardedEntityInd |
| Related Entity | 0 | RelatedEntityInd |
| Related Organization Ctrl Ent | 0 | RelatedOrganizationCtrlEntInd |
| Trnsfr Exmpt Non Chrtbl Rltd Org | 0 | TrnsfrExmptNonChrtblRltdOrgInd |
| Activities Conducted Prtshp | 0 | ActivitiesConductedPrtshpInd |
| Schedule O Required | Yes (1) | ScheduleORequiredInd |
| IRP Document | 39 | IRPDocumentCnt |
| IRP Document W2 G | 0 | IRPDocumentW2GCnt |
| Employee | 8 | EmployeeCnt |
| Employment Tax Returns Filed | Yes (1) | EmploymentTaxReturnsFiledInd |
| Unrelated Bus Incm Over Limit | 0 | UnrelatedBusIncmOverLimitInd |
| Foreign Financial Account | 0 | ForeignFinancialAccountInd |
| Prohibited Tax Shelter Trans | 0 | ProhibitedTaxShelterTransInd |
| Taxable Party Notification | 0 | TaxablePartyNotificationInd |
| Nondeductible Contributions | 0 | NondeductibleContributionsInd |
| Quid Pro Quo Contributions | Yes (1) | QuidProQuoContributionsInd |
| Quid Pro Quo Contri Discl | Yes (1) | QuidProQuoContriDisclInd |
| Form8282 Property Disposed Of | 0 | Form8282PropertyDisposedOfInd |
| Rcv Fnds To Pay Prsnl Bnft Cntrct | 0 | RcvFndsToPayPrsnlBnftCntrctInd |
| Pay Premiums Prsnl Bnft Cntrct | 0 | PayPremiumsPrsnlBnftCntrctInd |
| Indoor Tanning Services | 0 | IndoorTanningServicesInd |
| Subj To Tax Rmnrtn Ex Prcht Pymt | 0 | SubjToTaxRmnrtnExPrchtPymtInd |
| Subject To Excs Tax Net Invst Inc | 0 | SubjectToExcsTaxNetInvstIncInd |
| Info In Schedule O Part VI | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartVIInd |
| Governing Body Voting Members | 8 | GoverningBodyVotingMembersCnt |
| Independent Voting Member | 7 | IndependentVotingMemberCnt |
| Family Or Business Rln | 0 | FamilyOrBusinessRlnInd |
| Delegation Of Mgmt Duties | 0 | DelegationOfMgmtDutiesInd |
| Change To Org Documents | 0 | ChangeToOrgDocumentsInd |
| Material Diversion Or Misuse | 0 | MaterialDiversionOrMisuseInd |
| Members Or Stockholders | 0 | MembersOrStockholdersInd |
| Election Of Board Members | 0 | ElectionOfBoardMembersInd |
| Decisions Subject To Approva | 0 | DecisionsSubjectToApprovaInd |
| Minutes Of Governing Body | Yes (1) | MinutesOfGoverningBodyInd |
| Minutes Of Committees | Yes (1) | MinutesOfCommitteesInd |
| Officer Mailing Address | 0 | OfficerMailingAddressInd |
| Local Chapters | 0 | LocalChaptersInd |
| Form990 Provided To Gvrn Body | 0 | Form990ProvidedToGvrnBodyInd |
| Conflict Of Interest Policy | Yes (1) | ConflictOfInterestPolicyInd |
| Annual Disclosure Covered Prsn | Yes (1) | AnnualDisclosureCoveredPrsnInd |
| Regular Monitoring Enfrc | Yes (1) | RegularMonitoringEnfrcInd |
| Whistleblower Policy | Yes (1) | WhistleblowerPolicyInd |
| Document Retention Policy | Yes (1) | DocumentRetentionPolicyInd |
| Compensation Process CEO | Yes (1) | CompensationProcessCEOInd |
| Compensation Process Other | Yes (1) | CompensationProcessOtherInd |
| Investment In Joint Venture | 0 | InvestmentInJointVentureInd |
| States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld | NY | StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd |
| States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld | CA | StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd |
| States Where Copy Of Return Is Fld | PA | StatesWhereCopyOfReturnIsFldCd |
| Other Website | Yes (X) | OtherWebsiteInd |
| Upon Request | Yes (X) | UponRequestInd |
Books In Care Of Detail BooksInCareOfDetail
Business Name BusinessName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | THOMAS LASKAWY | BusinessNameLine1Txt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 2153702765 | PhoneNum |
US Address USAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | 725 WESTVIEW ST | AddressLine1Txt |
| City | PHILADELPHIA | CityNm |
| State Abbreviation | PA | StateAbbreviationCd |
| ZIP | 19119 | ZIPCd |
Form990 Part VII Section A Form990PartVIISectionAGrp (9 entries)
| TitleTitleTxt | Average Hours Per WeekAverageHoursPerWeekRt | Individual Trustee Or DirectorIndividualTrusteeOrDirectorInd | OfficerOfficerInd | Reportable Comp From OrgReportableCompFromOrgAmt | Reportable Comp From Rltd OrgReportableCompFromRltdOrgAmt | Other CompensationOtherCompensationAmt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOANNE KELLEY | ||||||
| CHAIR | 5.00 | Yes (X) | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| NATHANIEL BROWN | ||||||
| TREASURER | 5.00 | Yes (X) | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SAMUEL FORMARTZ | ||||||
| SECRETARY/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | 40.00 | Yes (X) | Yes (X) | $87,550 | $0 | $0 |
| DANIEL PULLMAN | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 5.00 | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| SUSAN WEST | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 5.00 | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| LORRAINE FONTANES | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 5.00 | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| LESLIE WILLIAMS | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER UNTIL 12/19 | 5.00 | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| AILEEN BURDICK | ||||||
| BOARD MEMBER | 5.00 | Yes (X) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| THOMAS LASKAWY | ||||||
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40.00 | Yes (X) | $87,550 | $0 | $0 | |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Reportable Comp From Org | $175,100 | TotalReportableCompFromOrgAmt |
| Tot Reportable Comp Rltd Org | $0 | TotReportableCompRltdOrgAmt |
| Total Other Compensation | $0 | TotalOtherCompensationAmt |
| Indiv Rcvd Greater Than100 K | 0 | IndivRcvdGreaterThan100KCnt |
| Former Ofcr Employees Listed | 0 | FormerOfcrEmployeesListedInd |
| Total Comp Greater Than150 K | 0 | TotalCompGreaterThan150KInd |
| Compensation From Other Srcs | 0 | CompensationFromOtherSrcsInd |
| Cntrct Rcvd Greater Than100 K | 0 | CntrctRcvdGreaterThan100KCnt |
| Fundraising | $39,375 | FundraisingAmt |
| All Other Contributions | $1,183,655 | AllOtherContributionsAmt |
| Total Contributions | $1,223,030 | TotalContributionsAmt |
Program Service Revenue ProgramServiceRevenueGrp (2 entries)
| DescDesc | BusinessBusinessCd | Total Revenue ColumnTotalRevenueColumnAmt | Related Or Exempt Func IncomeRelatedOrExemptFuncIncomeAmt |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDITORIAL FEE | 511110 | $64,326 | $64,326 |
| SUBSCRIPTIONS REVENUE | 519130 | $31,206 | $31,206 |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Program Service Revenue | $95,532 | TotalProgramServiceRevenueAmt |
Investment Income InvestmentIncomeGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | $494 | TotalRevenueColumnAmt |
| Exclusion | $494 | ExclusionAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising Gross Income | $10,750 | FundraisingGrossIncomeAmt |
| Contri Rpt Fundraising Event | $39,375 | ContriRptFundraisingEventAmt |
| Fundraising Direct Expenses | $23,784 | FundraisingDirectExpensesAmt |
Net Incm From Fundraising Evt NetIncmFromFundraisingEvtGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | -$13,034 | TotalRevenueColumnAmt |
| Exclusion | -$13,034 | ExclusionAmt |
Other Revenue Misc OtherRevenueMiscGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Desc | REIMBURSEMENT | Desc |
| Business | 900099 | BusinessCd |
| Total Revenue Column | $1,084 | TotalRevenueColumnAmt |
| Related Or Exempt Func Income | $1,084 | RelatedOrExemptFuncIncomeAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Other Revenue Total | $1,084 | OtherRevenueTotalAmt |
Total Revenue TotalRevenueGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue Column | $1,307,106 | TotalRevenueColumnAmt |
| Related Or Exempt Func Income | $96,616 | RelatedOrExemptFuncIncomeAmt |
| Unrelated Business Revenue | $0 | UnrelatedBusinessRevenueAmt |
| Exclusion | -$12,540 | ExclusionAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Info In Schedule O Part IX | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartIXInd |
Comp Current Ofcr Directors CompCurrentOfcrDirectorsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $181,549 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $133,281 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $35,238 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $13,030 | FundraisingAmt |
Other Salaries And Wages OtherSalariesAndWagesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $332,239 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $243,907 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $64,486 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $23,846 | FundraisingAmt |
Payroll Taxes PayrollTaxesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $42,100 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $30,907 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $8,171 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $3,022 | FundraisingAmt |
Fees For Services Accounting FeesForServicesAccountingGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $30,800 | TotalAmt |
| Management And General | $30,800 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
Fees For Services Other FeesForServicesOtherGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $231,048 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $216,818 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $8,080 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $6,150 | FundraisingAmt |
Office Expenses OfficeExpensesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $43,971 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $9,357 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $28,374 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $6,240 | FundraisingAmt |
Travel TravelGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $15,981 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $8,156 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $6,924 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $901 | FundraisingAmt |
Insurance InsuranceGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $13,835 | TotalAmt |
| Management And General | $13,835 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
Total Functional Expenses TotalFunctionalExpensesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $891,523 | TotalAmt |
| Program Services | $642,426 | ProgramServicesAmt |
| Management And General | $195,908 | ManagementAndGeneralAmt |
| Fundraising | $53,189 | FundraisingAmt |
Cash Non Interest Bearing CashNonInterestBearingGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $132,332 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $117,161 | EOYAmt |
Savings And Temp Cash Invst SavingsAndTempCashInvstGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $39,290 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $401,434 | EOYAmt |
Pledges And Grants Receivable PledgesAndGrantsReceivableGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $4,500 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $153,646 | EOYAmt |
Accounts Receivable AccountsReceivableGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $4,831 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $4,931 | EOYAmt |
Other Assets Total OtherAssetsTotalGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $0 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $0 | EOYAmt |
Total Assets TotalAssetsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $180,953 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $677,172 | EOYAmt |
Accounts Payable Accr Expnss AccountsPayableAccrExpnssGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $57,155 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $54,041 | EOYAmt |
Deferred Revenue DeferredRevenueGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $13,199 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $12,949 | EOYAmt |
Unsecured Notes Loans Payable UnsecuredNotesLoansPayableGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $0 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $84,000 | EOYAmt |
Total Liabilities TotalLiabilitiesGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $70,354 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $150,990 | EOYAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Organization Follows FASB117 | Yes (X) | OrganizationFollowsFASB117Ind |
No Donor Restriction Net Assets NoDonorRestrictionNetAssetsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $2,495 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $177,732 | EOYAmt |
Donor Restriction Net Assets DonorRestrictionNetAssetsGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $108,104 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $348,450 | EOYAmt |
Total Net Assets Fund Balance TotalNetAssetsFundBalanceGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $110,599 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $526,182 | EOYAmt |
Tot Liab Net Assets Fund Balance TotLiabNetAssetsFundBalanceGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| BOY | $180,953 | BOYAmt |
| EOY | $677,172 | EOYAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Reconcilation Revenue Expnss | $415,583 | ReconcilationRevenueExpnssAmt |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $0 | OtherChangesInNetAssetsAmt |
| Info In Schedule O Part XII | Yes (X) | InfoInScheduleOPartXIIInd |
| Method Of Accounting Accrual | Yes (X) | MethodOfAccountingAccrualInd |
| Accountant Compile Or Review | 0 | AccountantCompileOrReviewInd |
| FS Audited | Yes (1) | FSAuditedInd |
FS Audited Basis FSAuditedBasisGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Separate Basis Fincl Stmt | Yes (X) | SeparateBasisFinclStmtInd |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | Yes (1) | AuditCommitteeInd |
| Federal Grant Audit Required | 0 | FederalGrantAuditRequiredInd |
Schedule A IRS990ScheduleA
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Public Organization170 | Yes (X) | PublicOrganization170Ind |
Gifts Grants Contri Rcvd170 GiftsGrantsContriRcvd170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $806,648 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $639,205 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $1,004,498 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $561,587 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $1,202,355 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $4,214,293 | TotalAmt |
Total Calendar Year170 TotalCalendarYear170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $806,648 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $639,205 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $1,004,498 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $561,587 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $1,202,355 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $4,214,293 | TotalAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Substantial Contributors Tot | $1,595,463 | SubstantialContributorsTotAmt |
| Public Support Total170 | $2,618,830 | PublicSupportTotal170Amt |
Gross Investment Income170 GrossInvestmentIncome170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $1,359 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $357 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $23 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $20 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $494 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $2,253 | TotalAmt |
Other Income170 OtherIncome170Grp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Current Tax Year Minus4 Years | $1,500 | CurrentTaxYearMinus4YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus3 Years | $2,533 | CurrentTaxYearMinus3YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus2 Years | $2,980 | CurrentTaxYearMinus2YearsAmt |
| Current Tax Year Minus1 Year | $1,968 | CurrentTaxYearMinus1YearAmt |
| Current Tax Year | $1,084 | CurrentTaxYearAmt |
| Total | $10,065 | TotalAmt |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Support | $4,226,611 | TotalSupportAmt |
| Gross Receipts Rltd Activities | $410,367 | GrossReceiptsRltdActivitiesAmt |
| Public Support CY170 | 0.61960 | PublicSupportCY170Pct |
| Public Support PY170 | 0.63900 | PublicSupportPY170Pct |
| Thirty Thr Pct Suprt Tests CY170 | Yes (X) | ThirtyThrPctSuprtTestsCY170Ind |
Form990 Schedule A Part VI Form990ScheduleAPartVIGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Form And Line Reference | SCHEDULE A, PART II, LINE 10, EXPLANATION OF OTHER INCOME: | FormAndLineReferenceDesc |
| Explanation | REIMBURSEMENT - 2015 AMOUNT: $ 1,500. 2016 AMOUNT: $ 2,533. 2017 AMOUNT: $ 2,980. 2018 AMOUNT: $ 1,968. 2019 AMOUNT: $ 1,084. | ExplanationTxt |
Schedule B IRS990ScheduleB
Contributor Information ContributorInformationGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | RESTRICTED | ContributorNum |
Contributor Business Name ContributorBusinessName
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name Line1 | RESTRICTED | BusinessNameLine1 |
Contributor US Address ContributorUSAddress
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Address Line1 | RESTRICTED | AddressLine1 |
| Address Line2 | RESTRICTED | AddressLine2 |
| City | RESTRICTED | City |
| State | RESTRICTED | State |
| ZIP Code | RESTRICTED | ZIPCode |
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Contributions | RESTRICTED | TotalContributionsAmt |
Schedule D IRS990ScheduleD
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Book Value Land Buildings | $0 | TotalBookValueLandBuildingsAmt |
| Footnote Text | Yes (X) | FootnoteTextInd |
| Total Rev Etc Audited Fincl Stmt | $1,330,890 | TotalRevEtcAuditedFinclStmtAmt |
| Other Revenue | $23,784 | OtherRevenueAmt |
| Revenue Not Reported | $23,784 | RevenueNotReportedAmt |
| Revenue Subtotal | $1,307,106 | RevenueSubtotalAmt |
| Revenue Not Reported Fincl Stmt | $0 | RevenueNotReportedFinclStmtAmt |
| Total Revenue Per Form990 | $1,307,106 | TotalRevenuePerForm990Amt |
| Tot Expns Etc Audited Fincl Stmt | $915,307 | TotExpnsEtcAuditedFinclStmtAmt |
| Other Expenses Included | $23,784 | OtherExpensesIncludedAmt |
| Expenses Not Reported | $23,784 | ExpensesNotReportedAmt |
| Expenses Subtotal | $891,523 | ExpensesSubtotalAmt |
| Expenses Not Rpt Fincl Stmt | $0 | ExpensesNotRptFinclStmtAmt |
| Total Expenses Per Form990 | $891,523 | TotalExpensesPerForm990Amt |
Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (3 entries)
| Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDesc | ExplanationExplanationTxt |
|---|---|
| PART X, LINE 2: | MANAGEMENT OF FERN HAS DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE NO MATERIAL UNCERTAIN TAX POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE RECOGNITION OR DISCLOSURE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. FERN'S TAX RETURNS FOR ALL YEARS SINCE 2016 REMAIN OPEN TO EXAMINATION BY THE APPLICABLE TAXING AUTHORITIES. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO EXAMINATIONS IN PROGRESS. |
| PART XI, LINE 2D - OTHER ADJUSTMENTS: | DIRECT FUNDRAISING EXPENSES REPORTED ON FORM 990, PART VIII, LINE 8B 23,784. |
| PART XII, LINE 2D - OTHER ADJUSTMENTS: | DIRECT FUNDRAISING EXPENSES REPORTED ON FORM 990, PART VIII, LINE 8B 23,784. |
Schedule G IRS990ScheduleG
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed States | PA | LicensedStatesCd |
Fundraising Event Information FundraisingEventInformationGrp
| Field | Value | IRS element (for citing) |
|---|---|---|
| Event1 | NYC 2019 | Event1Nm |
| Gross Receipts Event1 | $19,550 | GrossReceiptsEvent1Amt |
| Charitable Contri Event1 | $15,650 | CharitableContriEvent1Amt |
| Gross Revenue Event1 | $3,900 | GrossRevenueEvent1Amt |
| Food And Beverage Event1 | $1,087 | FoodAndBeverageEvent1Amt |
| Other Direct Expenses Event1 | $4,067 | OtherDirectExpensesEvent1Amt |
| Event2 | NYC 2020 | Event2Nm |
| Gross Receipts Event2 | $30,575 | GrossReceiptsEvent2Amt |
| Charitable Contri Event2 | $23,725 | CharitableContriEvent2Amt |
| Gross Revenue Event2 | $6,850 | GrossRevenueEvent2Amt |
| Rent Facility Costs Event2 | $5,466 | RentFacilityCostsEvent2Amt |
| Food And Beverage Event2 | $7,079 | FoodAndBeverageEvent2Amt |
| Other Direct Expenses Event2 | $6,085 | OtherDirectExpensesEvent2Amt |
| Gross Receipts Total | $50,125 | GrossReceiptsTotalAmt |
| Charitable Contributions Tot | $39,375 | CharitableContributionsTotAmt |
| Gross Revenue Total Events | $10,750 | GrossRevenueTotalEventsAmt |
| Rent Fclty Costs Total Events | $5,466 | RentFcltyCostsTotalEventsAmt |
| Food And Beverage Total Events | $8,166 | FoodAndBeverageTotalEventsAmt |
| Oth Direct Expnss Total Events | $10,152 | OthDirectExpnssTotalEventsAmt |
| Direct Expense Summary Events | $23,784 | DirectExpenseSummaryEventsAmt |
| Net Income Summary | -$13,034 | NetIncomeSummaryAmt |
Schedule O IRS990ScheduleO
Supplemental Information Detail SupplementalInformationDetail (12 entries)
| Form And Line ReferenceFormAndLineReferenceDesc | ExplanationExplanationTxt |
|---|---|
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 1: | THE FOOD & ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK (FERN) IS THE FIRST AND ONLY INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT NEWS ORGANIZATION THAT PRODUCES AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE AND EXPLANATORY REPORTING ON FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS. THROUGH IMPARTIAL, FACT-BASED JOURNALISM, FERN EXPLORES THE FULL IMPACT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WITHIN THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SPACE, WE SHINE A LIGHT ON INJUSTICES AND ABUSES OF POWER, BOTH CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENTAL, AND ACT AS A BULWARK AGAINST THE GROWING SUPPRESSION OF SCIENCE WITHIN GOVERNMENT. WE UNCOVER AND EXPLAIN NEWS THAT IS CRITICAL TO THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. FERN PRIMARILY PRODUCES NEWS ARTICLES OF BETWEEN 1,500 AND 5,000 WORDS, AND FUNCTIONS AS A FULL-SERVICE NEWS ORGANIZATION. FERN'S PROCESS INCLUDES STORY AND PITCH DEVELOPMENT, CONTRACTING WITH JOURNALISTS, PROVIDING EDITORIAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES AND NEGOTIATING DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS WITH MAINSTREAM PUBLICATIONS. FERN COMPLEMENTS ITS WRITTEN REPORTS WITH INFOGRAPHICS AND OTHER VISUALIZATIONS, WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY, THROUGH RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCAST COLLABORATIONS, AND THROUGH LIVE EVENTS. FERN RIGOROUSLY TRACKS THE IMPACT OF ITS STORIES USING A RANGE OF METRICS. THE ISSUES FERN COVERS ARE AT THE HEART OF TODAY'S POLITICAL BATTLES. TRADE, IMMIGRATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, TOXIC CHEMICALS, LABOR, NUTRITION AND WATER QUALITY, ALL FALL WITHIN OUR REPORTING MANDATE AND GROW MORE CONTENTIOUS WITH EACH PASSING DAY. FERN PROVIDES THE EDITORIAL EXPERTISE TO EXPLORE, EXPLAIN AND INVESTIGATE ALL CORNERS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM AS WELL AS TO FILL GAPS IN COVERAGE THAT HAVE ARISEN DUE TO THE ONGOING AND ACCELERATING DISRUPTION OF THE TRADITIONAL MEDIA BUSINESS MODEL. FERN EXPANDS PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THESE CRUCIAL ISSUES AT A TIME WHEN TRUSTED SOURCES OF FACTS ARE ESSENTIAL. FERN STORIES HAVE APPEARED IN A WIDE RANGE OF OUTLETS, INCLUDING ABC'S WORLD NEWS TONIGHT, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE NEW YORKER, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, EATING WELL, MOTHER JONES, PACIFIC STANDARD, HARPER'S, THE NEW FOOD ECONOMY, THE NATION, FAST COMPANY, REVEAL, THE GUARDIAN, SUNSET MAGAZINE, PRI'S THE WORLD, NPR'S LATINO USA, CALIFORNIA SUNDAY, AND VOGUE. WE HAVE REPEATEDLY DEMONSTRATED AN ABILITY TO DELIVER HIGH-IMPACT JOURNALISM THAT REACHES A LARGE AUDIENCE. IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SEVERAL OF OUR STORIES HAVE HELPED SPUR POLICY CHANGES AT THE INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, AND STATE LEVELS. OUR COLLABORATIVE DISTRIBUTION MODEL GIVES US THE RARE ABILITY TO REACH AUDIENCES THAT ARE NOT ALREADY EXPOSED TO, OR FAMILIAR WITH, THE ISSUES BOUND UP IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. OUR CAPACITY TO DELIVER SUCH RESULTS IS SIGNIFICANT AT A TIME WHEN THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY IS FOCUSED ON THE SOCIAL RETURN ON ITS INVESTMENTS AND IMPACT. FERN MAINTAINS THAT SUPPORT OF CIVIC COMMUNICATION PARTICULARLY THE STYLE OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM WE PRACTICE IS CRITICAL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY AND IS A GROWING OBLIGATION OF THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. INDEED, INDEPENDENT REPORTING FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE CAN HAVE AN OUTSIZED EFFECT ON PUBLIC-POLICY DEBATES. WE'VE SHOWN THE POWER OF TAKING THOSE ISSUES AND THE FACTS AND SCIENCE TIED UP WITHIN THEM AND WRAPPING THEM IN CAPTIVATING STORYTELLING. A 501(C)3 NONPROFIT CORPORATION BASED IN NEW YORK AND OPERATING SINCE 2011, FERN HAS WORKED WITH 80 FREELANCE WRITERS ON 218 STORIES THAT HAVE APPEARED IN 66 OUTLETS. FERN IS A MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR NONPROFIT NEWS, THE PRIMARY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION FOR NONPROFIT NEWS ORGANIZATIONS, AND HAS BUILT KEY PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER NONPROFIT NEWS OUTLETS LIKE THE REVEAL FROM THE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, AND PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL. WE SHARE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ALL INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS: TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE AT THE CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL. IN AGGREGATE, OUR STORIES HAVE REACHED OVER 150 MILLION AMERICANS. WE ALSO PRODUCE FERN'S AG INSIDER, A DAILY FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY PAID SUBSCRIPTION NEWS SERVICE AND HAVE RELEASED FOUR PRINT COLLECTIONS, THE DIRT: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF FOOD AND FARMING 2011-2016, AN ANTHOLOGY OF OUR FIRST FIVE YEARS OF REPORTING, THE DIRT 2017, THE DIRT 2018 AND THE DIRT 2019. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION: | THE FOOD & ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO DELIVER IMPACTFUL CONTENT IN ITS AREA OF FOCUS AND EXECUTE ON ITS STRATEGIC GOALS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE PRODUCED 43 EXPLANATORY OR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS PUBLISHED WITH 12 OUTLETS, INCLUDING THE NATION, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, EATINGWELL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, TIME AND MANY OTHERS. TOPICS WE PRIORITIZED IN OUR PUBLISHED WORK DURING THIS PERIOD WERE OCEANS AND WATER ISSUES, COVID-19 AND FOOD WORKERS, AND CLIMATE IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE AND THE FOOD SYSTEM. WE ALSO PRODUCED DOZENS OF ARTICLES FOR OUR FERN'S AG INSIDER POLICY NEWS SERVICE. COMPLEMENTING OUR ABILITY TO REACH A BROAD AUDIENCE, FERN'S AG INSIDER POLICY NEWS SERVICE IS AIMED AT AN AUDIENCE OF POLICYMAKERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ADVOCATES, AND FOOD INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES. WE NOW HAVE OVER 300 INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE SUBSCRIBERS AND A GROWING NUMBER OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONAL SUBSCRIBERS, INCLUDING NYU, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, TUFTS, YALE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. IN ADDITION, APPROXIMATELY 2,300 PEOPLE RECEIVE THE FREE NEWSLETTER VERSION EVERY WEEKDAY. WE ALSO SYNDICATE AG INSIDER CONTENT TO AGRICULTURE.COM, ONE OF THE LEADING NEWS SITES FOR COMMODITY FARMERS WITH AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 275,000 MONTHLY VISITORS AND 390,000 MONTHLY PRINT SUBSCRIBERS, AS WELL AS TO MOTHER JONES. OUR PRODUCT IS A KEY SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THIS AUDIENCE AND IT ALSO SERVES AS A "TIP SHEET" FOR REPORTERS AS IT HELPS INFLUENCE COVERAGE ACROSS THE MEDIA SPECTRUM. THE DAILY CONTACT WITH THIS AUDIENCE ALSO ENABLES US TO ALERT ITS MEMBERS TO OUR MAIN BODY OF WORK: EXPLANATORY AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING. REPRESENTING A GROUP OF INFLUENTIAL MEDIA AND POLICY FIGURES, THE AG INSIDER AUDIENCE AMPLIFIES AND ENHANCES OUR OVERALL IMPACT. WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND SUPPORT FERN'S FRIDAY FEED NEWSLETTER, A.K.A. THE #FFF, A WEEKLY SURVEY OF THE STORIES IN OUR AREAS OF INTEREST THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY OTHER OUTLETS. SOME SELECTIONS ARE AT THE TOP OF THE NEWS WHILE OTHERS ARE PRESCIENT OR IN-DEPTH FEATURES THAT WE THINK OUR READERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. WE SEND THIS NEWSLETTER WEEKLY TO A SUBSCRIBER BASE OF 10,00 AS A WAY TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT WITH AN AUDIENCE THAT IS MOSTLY DISTINCT FROM OUR SOCIAL-MEDIA AUDIENCE. OVERALL, OUR TOTAL EMAIL AUDIENCE ACROSS ALL OUR NEWSLETTERS IS NEARLY 14,000. WE ALSO RELEASED A NEW PRINT COLLECTION, THE DIRT 2019, REPRESENTING OUR THIRD SUCH COLLECTION. AT THE END OF OUR 2020 FISCAL YEAR, FERN HAD $526,182 IN NET ASSETS AGAINST $1,329,370 IN ANNUAL REVENUE. OUR TOTAL EXPENSES ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS, INCLUDING FISCALLY-SPONSORED PROJECTS, WERE $913,787 IN EXPENSES. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT FERN CONTENT FOR 2020 CONTINUES TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TOTAL NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS AND ENGAGEMENT ACROSS OUR THREE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM. FERN'S COMBINED SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING HAS SHOWN MODEST GROWTH SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2020. WE STARTED THE YEAR WITH 45,000 FOLLOWERS, AND HAVE GAINED A TOTAL OF 1,750 SINCE THEN. THE CURRENT BREAKDOWN OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE IS 15,629 ON FACEBOOK, 28,820 ON TWITTER, AND 2,114 ON INSTAGRAM. ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT SEEING HUGE GROWTH IN OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS, WE CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH IN OUR POST AND TWEET IMPRESSIONS AS WELL AS IN POST/TWEET ENGAGEMENTS. THE GOAL OF OUR SOCIAL NETWORKS IS TO HAVE QUALITY, ENGAGED READERS. AS OF JULY 2020, FERN'S COMBINED SOCIAL MEDIA POST/TWEET IMPRESSIONS WERE 2,390,452 AND TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS WERE 44,453. NOTE THAT IN 2019, OUR TOTAL POST/TWEET IMPRESSIONS FOR THE YEAR WAS 2,575,937 AND TOTAL ENGAGEMENTS WAS 43,725. WE'VE CONTINUED TO OPTIMIZE OUR CAMPAIGNS AND KEYWORDS IN OUR GOOGLE GRANT ACCOUNT WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON ADDING NEW CAMPAIGNS FOR AG INSIDER ARTICLES AND AG INSIDER DAILY NEWSLETTER SIGNUPS. THESE EFFORTS ARE RESULTING IN MORE TRAFFIC TO AG INSIDER'S HOME PAGE AS WELL AS MORE NEWSLETTER SIGNUPS. EDITORIAL DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FERN HAS BEEN DELAYING TRAVEL AND MOST OF OUR LONG-FORM REPORTING OVER THE COURSE OF THE GRANT PERIOD. HOWEVER, WE HAVE TURNED OUR ATTENTION TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE FOOD SYSTEM. UNDER OUR AG INSIDER BRAND, WE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PRODUCTION AND RELEASED ESSENTIAL REPORTING FROM ACROSS THE NATION DUE TO OUR NETWORK OF FREELANCE REPORTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE PUT ALL OF OUR COVID-19 REPORTING IN FRONT OF OUR PAYWALL AND HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OF OUR STORIES GO VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA. OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT SINGLE EFFORT INVOLVED THE APRIL LAUNCH OF A TOOL TO TRACK COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN FOOD AND MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COLLATED AND COLLECTED BY FERN REPORTER LEAH DOUGLAS, THE MAP DATA WAS UPDATED DAILY ALONG WITH NEW FEATURES AND VISUALIZATIONS AS THE YEAR PROGRESSED, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO SEE STATE-LEVEL DATA. OUR DATA HAS BEEN CITED BY THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS AS PART OF A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT WORKERS, HEAL FOOD ALLIANCE CREATED A SERIES OF INSTAGRAM GRAPHICS USING OUR DATA IN SUPPORT OF A TITLE VI DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT TO THE USDA. IN ADDITION OUR DATA WAS CITED, LINKED AND CREDITED IN A DEEP-DIVE BY THE NEW YORK TIMES. THE DATA PROJECT HAS BECOME THE GO-TO RESOURCE FOR OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING VICE, POLITICO, AXIOS, BUSINESS INSIDER, AND NUMEROUS LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS. IT IS EVEN CITED AS A SOURCE IN THE WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ON THE SUBJECT. OUR REPORTING ON RURAL COVID-19 OUTBREAKS HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED; IN FACT, WE MADE OUR FIRST CAMEO ON NETFLIX DURING THE EARLY SUMMER IN THE POLITICAL SATIRE SHOW "THE PATRIOT ACT" WITH HASAN MINHAJ. A SEGMENT ON THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 THAT AIRED MAY 31 FEATURED A VERSION OF FERN'S COVID MAP AS WELL AS A SECOND CHART OF THE GROWTH OVER TIME OF INFECTIONS IN FOOD WORKERS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN CITED BY SENS. ELIZABETH WARREN AND CORY BOOKER AND INCORPORATED INTO THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SEN. BOOKER'S BILL TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH LINE SPEED AND WORKER HEALTH AT MEATPACKING PLANTS. IMPACT WE CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE A VARIETY OF PARTNERS AND AUDIENCES. SOME ARE SMALL BUT HIGHLY FOCUSED, SUCH AS YALE ENVIRONMENT 360, WHICH CATERS TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKERS, ADVOCATES AND MEDIA. OTHERS ARE BROAD AND MAINSTREAM, LIKE EATINGWELL OR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC OR HUFFPOST. WE BELIEVE WE SUCCEEDED IN ALERTING MILLIONS OF "NEW TO THE ISSUES" READERS AND PRIMING THEM FOR REFORM. FERN ENDORSES A FORMULATION OF JOURNALISTIC IMPACT DEFINED BY THE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING. IT STATES THAT IMPACT REPRESENTS "A CHANGE IN THE STATUS QUO AS A RESULT OF A DIRECT INTERVENTION, BE IT A TEXT ARTICLE, DOCUMENTARY, OR LIVE EVENT. IMPACT CAN BE CHARACTERIZED BY THREE TYPES OF OUTCOMES: STRUCTURAL/MACRO EVENTS LIKE CHANGES IN LAWS AND POLICIES; MESO-LEVEL CHANGES SUCH AS SHIFTS IN PUBLIC DEBATE; AND MICRO-LEVEL CHANGES, LIKE ALTERATIONS IN INDIVIDUALS' KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS, OR BEHAVIOR." WE IMPLEMENT THIS CONCEPT BY TRACKING (I) VIEWS AND READS OF ONLINE STORIES AND ANCILLARY PRODUCTS LIKE INFOGRAPHICS, (II) REACH OF PRINT AND BROADCAST PARTNERS, (III) AWARDS RECEIVED, (IV) MEDIA UPTAKE (INCLUDING MEDIA APPEARANCES BY THE WRITER/FERN REPRESENTATIVES, COVERAGE OF THE STORY OR RE-REPORTING BY OTHER OUTLETS, AND CHANGES IN COVERAGE PATTERNS), (V) EFFECTS ON PUBLIC DEBATE, (VI) PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGNS CREATED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BASED ON OUR REPORTING, (VII) CHANGES IN INDIVIDUAL/CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, AND (VIII) POLICY CHANGES AT THE CORPORATE, FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL LEVEL. IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT OVERALL OUR WORK WILL RAISE AWARENESS IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE ISSUES ON WHICH WE REPORT. A COMBINATION OF THE INFORMATION WE PRODUCE AND AWARENESS/DEBATE AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN AND OFTEN DOES RESULT IN GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THE ISSUES. WE HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED A FURTHER ABILITY FOR OUR REPORTING TO LEAD DIRECTLY TO CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT POLICY CHANGE. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION: | OUR EDITORIAL PRODUCTION OVER THE PAST YEAR WAS STRONG, BOTH IN TERMS OF REACH AS WELL AS IMPACT. WHAT FOLLOWS ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS. HERE ARE THE RURAL RESIDENTS WHO SUED THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOG PRODUCER OVER WASTE AND ODORS AND WON, PUBLISHED WITH THE NATION. THIS WAS BARRY YEOMAN'S FOLLOW-UP TO HIS AUGUST 2019 STORY ABOUT HOW NORTH CAROLINA HAD BEEN HIDING COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED NEAR THE GIANT HOG CAFOS THAT DOMINATE THE STATE'S ANIMAL AGRICULTURE. PART OF OUR LIVESTOCK PROJECT, IT DELIVERED COMPELLING PORTRAITS OF THE POOR AND MOSTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS WHO STOOD UP TO SMITHFIELD. THE NATION, OUR MEDIA PARTNER FOR THIS STORY, PUBLISHED THE STORY ONLINE, SHARED IT VIA THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ALSO FEATURED IT AS A COVER STORY IN THEIR OCTOBER 2019 PRINT EDITION. THE NATION HAS A LARGE ONLINE AUDIENCE REACH, AT ABOUT 1.3 MILLION READERS A MONTH. IT ALSO HAS OVER 2 MILLION SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS. AND ITS PRINT CIRCULATION IS OVER 147,000 COPIES A YEAR. THE PIECE WAS MENTIONED AND LINKED TO ON CHOWHOUND (A FOOD WEBSITE), THE DAILY YONDER PUBLISHED IT IN THEIR NEWS BRIEFS, EWG MENTIONED THE STORY IN THEIR NEWS ROUNDUP, AND NORTHERN RESISTANCE MEDIA (A NEWS AGGREGATOR) REPUBLISHED THAT EWG ROUNDUP. WE SAW TWEETS FROM THE AMERICAN GRASSFED ASSOCIATION (PROMOTES GRASSFED LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS & PRODUCTS), REAL FACTS NC (NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON ISSUES FACING PEOPLE LIVING IN NC), NORTHEAST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP, WPVM ASHEVILLE, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (NIEHS), DEMOCRACY WATCH NEWS, AND SEJ. NOTE THAT THIS STORY GENERATED 1,300 CLICK THROUGHS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, 10X HIGHER THAN WE USUALLY GET. AND MOST WERE FROM FACEBOOK. A BREATHTAKING LACK OF OVERSIGHT FOR AIR EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL FARMS, PUBLISHED WITH THE NATION. IN THIS COMPANION PIECE TO YEOMAN'S, FERN'S LEAH DOUGLAS EXPLAINED HOW "THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT KNOW HOW MUCH AIR POLLUTION OUR COUNTRY'S LARGEST FARMS CUMULATIVELY PRODUCE. AND AS OF JUNE, THE EPA AND CONGRESS HAVE TOGETHER EXEMPTED A MAJORITY OF THOSE OPERATIONS FROM COMPLYING WITH FEDERAL AIR POLLUTION LAWS." AS WITH THE ABOVE STORY, THE NATION PUBLISHED THE STORY ONLINE AND SHARED IT VIA THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA. WISCONSIN LAND CONSULTANTS MENTIONED AND LINKED TO THE STORY ON THEIR BLOG. THEY ALSO TWEETED THE STORY. WISCONSIN LAND CONSULTANTS IS A CONSULTING AGENCY THAT HELPS WISCONSIN LANDOWNERS PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY INVESTMENTS AND THEIR LEGACY. OTHER TWEETS INCLUDED CENTER FOR A LIVABLE FUTURE, FARM FORWARD, INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE & TRADE POLICY, AND SHARON STECKMAN (IOWA STATE REP). ON FACEBOOK, WE SAW A SHARE BY WE ANIMALS MEDIA, WHICH TELLS THE STORIES OF ANIMALS IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT. IMAGES AND SHORT FILMS FROM THE PROJECT HAVE BEEN USED IN HUNDREDS OF ANIMAL PROTECTION CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE WORLD. "AS THE SALTON SEA SHRINKS, IT LEAVES BEHIND A TOXIC REMINDER OF THE COST OF MAKING A DESERT BLOOM," BY LINDSAY FENDT WITH THE WEATHER CHANNEL. REPORTER LINDSAY FENDT EXPLAINS HOW PESTICIDES AND OTHER TOXINS, LODGED IN THE MUD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SALTON SEA BY DECADES OF AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF, ARE CREATING A PUBLIC-HEALTH HAZARD NOW THAT THE LAKE IS SHRINKING AND THE EXPOSED MUD IS DRYING OUT, TURNING TO DUST. ASTHMA RATES, ALREADY HIGH, ARE EXPECTED TO RISE EVEN HIGHER. THE ONCE-PROSPEROUS RESORT TOWNS BY THE LAKE HAVE COLLAPSED, AND THE ONLY PEOPLE LEFT ARE FARMWORKERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE TOO POOR TO LEAVE. THE WATER DESK, A PROJECT RUN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AND FUNDED IN LARGE PART BY THE WALTON FOUNDATION, WHICH ALSO PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE STORY, PUBLISHED THE PIECE ON THEIR WEBSITE. WATER NEWS NETWORK, WHICH IS PUBLISHED BY SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY, LINKED TO THE STORY ON THEIR WEBSITE. THE STORY WAS POSTED TO REDDIT, WHICH RANKS AS THE NO. 5 MOST VISITED WEBSITE IN THE U.S. AND NO. 13 IN THE WORLD. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE SAW SHARES BY UC FOOD OBSERVER, GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP, WATER FOUNDATION, AUDUBON SOCIETY, SIERRA CLUB, PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA, UC DAVIS'S DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISH, AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS AND INDIVIDUALS FOCUSED ON ISSUES PERTAINING TO CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY. OUR MEDIA PARTNER FOR THIS PIECE, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, SHARED FERN'S LINK TO THE STORY VIA THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE WHICH RESULTED IN NEARLY 3,000 STORY VIEWS VIA FACEBOOK ALONE. IN FACT, THIS STORY WAS OUR TOP PERFORMING STORY ON THE FERN WEBSITE IN 2020. A TEXAS COMMUNITY CHOKES ON FECAL DUST FROM CATTLE FEEDLOTS, BY CHRIS COLLINS AND PUBLISHED WITH THE TEXAS OBSERVER. THIS STORY, WHICH WAS PART OF OUR LIVESTOCK PROJECT, ALSO REPRESENTED A PROMISING NEW APPROACH TO FERN PARTNERSHIPS: COLLINS IS A STAFF WRITER AT THE OBSERVER, NOT A FREELANCER. FERN COVERED TRAVEL AND PHOTOGRAPHY COSTS, AND SUPPLIED THE DATA ON WHICH THE STORY WAS BASED. AS WE LOOK TO DO MORE TO SUPPORT LOCAL AND REGIONAL OUTLETS, LIKE THE OBSERVER, THIS STORY SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT PROOF OF CONCEPT. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS STYLE OF PROJECT INTO A LARGER INITIATIVE. THE REPORTER FOR THE STORY WAS INTERVIEWED ON A LOCAL NPR STATION TEXAS OBSERVER SHARED THE STORY IN THEIR NEWSLETTER, WHICH HAS 17K SUBS. AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE TEXAS OBSERVER LINK TO THE STORY HAD OVER 15K SOCIAL MEDIA SHARES. THE STORY WAS REFERENCED ON A BLOG POST BY CLEANTECHNICA. CLEANTECHNICA IS THE #1 CLEANTECH-FOCUSED NEWS & ANALYSIS WEBSITE IN THE US & THE WORLD, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON ELECTRIC CARS, SOLAR ENERGY, WIND ENERGY, & ENERGY STORAGE. THEY MENTION AND LINK TO THE TEXAS OBSERVER LINK FOR THE STORY. THE INSTITUTE FOR RURAL JOURNALISM AND COMMUNITY ISSUES REFERENCED THE STORY ON THEIR BLOG. THEY MENTION FERN, TEXAS OBSERVER & IMIDWEST AND LINK TO THE TEXAS OBSERVER LINK FOR THE STORY. THE STORY WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY ORGANIC CONSUMER ASSOCIATION, REGENERATION INTERNATIONAL AND FOOD PERCEPTION, CENTER FOR A LIVABLE FUTURE, CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY, FARM FORWARD, ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT, FOOD ANIMAL CONCERNS TRUST, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, TEXAS MAGAZINE, TEXAS MONTHLY, TEXAS STANDARD, MODERN FARMER, AND MANY ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTERS. THE STORY'S PHOTOGRAPHER, GEORGE STEINMETZ, SHARED IT ON HIS INSTAGRAM AND IT GOT INCREDIBLE ENGAGEMENT. HE SHARED IT ON BOTH HIS PERSONAL ACCOUNT AND HIS PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT. COMBINED, THE TWO POSTS GOT 16,407 LIKES. ARE OUTBREAKS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS GETTING WORSE?, BY LEAH DOUGLAS AND PUBLISHED IN TIME MAGAZINE'S SPECIAL NEWSSTAND-ONLY ISSUE, THE SCIENCE OF NUTRITION. THIS, TOO, REPRESENTS A NEW TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP. TIME DOES DOZENS OF THESE THEMED "BOOK-A-ZINES" EACH YEAR, PLACING THEM IN NEWSSTANDS AND CHECKOUT AISLES AT SUPERMARKETS. THIS STORY HAS LED TO AN ONGOING DISCUSSION WITH TIME ABOUT A POSSIBLE COLLABORATION ON AN ENTIRE ISSUE. THIS PIECE WAS WELL SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE SAW INTEREST FROM GROUPS SUCH AS FOOD TANK, FOOD SOLUTIONS NEW ENGLAND, PUBLIC JUSTICE FOOD PROJECT, AND GLOBAL LAND PROGRAMME. JOURNALISM ORGS SUCH AS MIDWEST CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING, SEJ, AND COVERING CLIMATE NOW TWEETED THE STORY. WE ALSO SAW SHARES FROM JOURNALISTS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS FOCUSED ON ISSUES PERTAINING TO FOOD SUPPLY/FOOD SAFETY. U.S. EMBASSY AND CONSULATES IN MEXICO TO SHUT DOWN, THREATENING LABOR SUPPLY FOR AMERICAN FARMS, BY ESTHER HONIG. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HONIG BROKE THIS STORY FOR FERN. SHE HAD BEEN TALKING WITH FARMWORKERS ADVOCATES ABOUT H-2A VISAS, WHEN SHE LEARNED THE U.S. EMBASSY WAS SHUTTING ITS DOORS AND ONLY PROCESSING LIMITED SEASONAL WORK VISAS. AFTER FERN BROKE THIS STORY AND SHARED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BOTH REUTERS AND NPR FOLLOWED UP ON IT. THIS STORY QUICKLY GARNERED ATTENTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT WAS SHARED BY SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER, CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT, AMERICA'S VOICE, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON CENTER FOR INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PUBLIC POLICY CENTER, UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS, AND SEVERAL JOURNALISTS AND INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN AG POLICY AND FARMWORKER ISSUES. IN LESS THAN THREE DAYS, OUR FACEBOOK POST FOR THE STORY HAS SHOWN A REACH OF OVER 2,500 USERS AND NEARLY 800 ENGAGEMENTS. WE'RE SEEING EVEN MORE SHARES ON TWITTER. ON THE WEB, THE STORY WAS REFERENCED BY THE COUNTER, SALON, AND THE RAW STORY. |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION: | WE HAD A COUPLE OF HOME RUNS: WHAT STARTED OUT AS JUST ANOTHER PROJECT LEAH DOUGLAS' WORK TRACKING COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS AMONG FOOD-SYSTEM WORKERS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE GROUNDBREAKING. ON APRIL 22, WE FIRST PUBLISHED AN INTERACTIVE MAP LEAH BUILT TO REPRESENT THAT DATA. SINCE THEN, HER WORK HAS BEEN CITED IN MAJOR MEDIA, INCLUDING TWICE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, IN A NETFLIX SHOW, AND JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING IN EUROPE. (MORE IN THE AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT REPORT BELOW). IN ANOTHER STORY, ESTHER HONIG AND TED GENOWAYS GAVE US THE FIRST DEEP DIVE INTO THE HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS FACED BY MEATPACKING WORKERS. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF JOURNALISM, BRILLIANTLY REPORTED REMOTELY THAT GAVE A DETAILED, INTIMATE LOOK AT THE SITUATION FROM THE WORKERS' PERSPECTIVE. CNN INTERNATIONAL, MSNBC AND UNIVISION INTERVIEWED US LIVE ABOUT OUR STORIES, AND MANY OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS COVERED US TOO. SENATORS ELIZABETH WARREN AND CORY BOOKER ISSUED A BLISTERING LETTER TO MEATPACKING COMPANIES ABOUT THEIR LABOR PRACTICES DURING THE PANDEMIC, CITING THREE OF OUR STORIES, INCLUDING THESE TWO. OVERALL, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE RIDING A LONG WAVE. I DON'T SEE OUR MOMENTUM FALTERING. WE ARE DOING TOP-NOTCH REPORTING (EVEN WITH THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL AND IN-PERSON NEWSGATHERING), BREAKING STORIES, AND GETTING MORE ATTENTION AND PARTNERS AS A RESULT. CAN ASIA'S INFECTIOUS DISEASE-PRODUCING WILDLIFE TRADE BE STOPPED? BY BRIAN BARTH FOR FERN REPORTS ON THE INCREASING PRESSURE TO SHUT DOWN THE TRADE FOR WILD ANIMALS, EVER SINCE THE SOURCE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS PROVISIONALLY LINKED TO A "WET MARKER" IN WUHAN, CHINA, WHERE THRONGS OF CUSTOMERS SHOP FOR LIVE ANIMALS HELP IN CRAMPED QUARTERS. THE MARKETS HAVE LONG BEEN LINKED TO DISEASE OUTBREAKS AS THEY CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES TO JUMP FROM WILD ANIMALS TO HUMANS. THIS STORY WAS REPUBLISHED ON GRIST AND MOTHER JONES. THIS STORY WAS SHARED ON TWITTER BY THE HEAD OF GLOBAL CONSERVATION AT THE WCS AND BY RACING EXTINCTION. WE SAW FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT FROM 1,000,000 STRONG AGAINST OFFSHORE DRILLING AND CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE STUDIES (INDIA). MIGRANT FARMWORKERS FEED AMERICA, AND THEY'RE AT HIGH RISK FOR A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, BY LIZA GROSS AND ESTHER HONIG FOR HUFFPOST DISCUSSES HOW TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT FARMWORKERS WILL ARRIVE IN AGRICULTURAL CENTERS ACROSS THE NATION, FROM WASHINGTON'S YAKIMA VALLEY TO THE COASTAL PLAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, WHERE THEY WILL LIVE AND WORK IN CONDITIONS THAT ARE PRIME FOR A COVID-19 OUTBREAK. YET DESPITE THE FACT THAT THESE ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN AMERICANS DEPEND ON TO PLANT, TEND, AND HARVEST THEIR FOOD, WORKERS ARE PROVIDED VIRTUALLY NO INFORMATION ON HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES, CO-WORKERS OR THEIR FAMILIES FROM COVID-19. MONTHLY VISITORS FOR THIS STORY ARE OVER 170 MILLION VIEWERS. MEDIA MENTIONS FOR THIS STORY INCLUDE YAHOO! NEWS AND SOUTH ASIAN NEWS. SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS FOR THIS STORY INCLUDE RETWEETS FROM AUTHOR MICHAEL POLLAN AND FOOD POLICY ACTION. FOOD WASTE--AND FOOD INSECURITY--RISING AMID CORONAVIRUS PANIC, BY ELIZABETH ROYTE FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DETAILS THE DISTURBING REALITY OF FOOD WASTE, WHICH ALREADY ACCOUNTS FOR 40 PERCENT OF ALL FOOD PRODUCED. NOW WITH COVID-19, IT APPEARS TO BE INCREASING AT THE SAME TIME AS FOOD INSECURITY. ROYTE DIGS INTO THE BOTTLENECKS THAT EXIST IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN A HUGE PORTION OF IT SHUTS DOWN IN A HEARTBEAT. MONTHLY UNIQUE VISITORS FOR THIS STORY ARE OVER 26 MILLIONS VISITORS. MEDIA MENTIONS FOR THE STORY INCLUDE MSN, NBC NEWS, ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS BITS (ENB), AND SMARTBRIEF. SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS ON TWITTER INCLUDE RETWEETS FROM MFLN NUTRITION, CA FOOD BANKS AND FEED KC. SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS ON FACEBOOK INCLUDE A POST FROM FEED KC. IS CARBON FARMING A CLIMATE BOON, OR BOONDOGGLE? BY GABRIEL POPKIN FOR YALEENVIRONMENT360 LOOKS AT THE EFFORTS TO WEAN SOCIETY OFF FOSSIL FUELS HAVE STALLED, "NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS" SUCH AS CARBON SEQUESTRATION HAVE RAPIDLY GAINED STEAM. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE NOW POURING INTO SOIL-CLIMATE INITIATIVES FROM CORPORATIONS LIKE MICROSOFT AND GENERAL MILLS, PHILANTHROPISTS LIKE LEONARDO DICAPRIO, AND GOVERNMENTS LARGE AND SMALL. HOWEVER, A GROWING NUMBER OF SCIENTISTS WORRY THAT A SOCIETAL PRESSURE TO DO SOMETHING TO COUNTERACT CLIMATE CHANGE IS PUSHING MONEY INTO CARBON FARMING TOO SOON. NEW STUDIES REVEAL THAT CARBON SEQUESTRATION PRACTICES MAY NOT PROVIDE THE CLIMATE BENEFITS SOCIETY HAS HOPED FOR. CIRCULATION NUMBERS FOR THIS STORY INCLUDE 4 MILLION ONLINE READERS PER YEAR. MEDIA MENTIONS FOR THIS STORY INCLUDE GRIST AND GREENBIZ. SOCIAL MEDIA MENTIONS ON TWITTER INCLUDE RETWEETS FROM HOLGANIX, MIXING BOWL, YALEENVIRONMENT 360, AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. "TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKS CONTROVERSIAL OVERHAUL OF SEAFOOD INDUSTRY," BY LEAH DOUGLAS DETAILS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EXECUTIVE ORDER WHICH LAID OUT A PATHWAY FOR THE APPROVAL OF OCEAN AQUACULTURE IN FEDERAL WATERS, A CONTROVERSIAL DEPARTURE FROM EXISTING POLICY THAT COULD RESHAPE THE COUNTRY'S SEAFOOD PRODUCTION. THE ORDER SETS IN MOTION A PROCESS FOR APPROVING FINFISH AQUACULTURE PROJECTS IN FEDERAL WATERS, ESTABLISHES AUTHORITY OVER THOSE PROJECTS AT THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA), AND AIMS TO DEREGULATE AND EXPAND SEAFOOD PRODUCTION. THIS STORY WAS REFERENCED IN AN ARTICLE FOR HUFFPOST AND MSN AND WAS ALSO CITED IN A PIECE FOR MODERN FARMER. FOODPRINT INCLUDED IT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER, AND WE SAW THE STORY POSTED TO REDDIT. ON TWITTER, THE PIECE WAS SHARED BY UC DAVIS'S AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE, THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FOOD LAW AND POLICY, AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. IT WAS ALSO TWEETED BY CARA COWAN WATTS, A MEMBER OF THE CHEROKEE NATION TRIBE AND CURRENTLY RUNNING TO BE OKLAHOMA'S DISTRICT 14 CHEROKEE NATION TRIBAL COUNCILWOMAN. "WITH THOUSANDS OF SEAFOOD WORKERS COMING TO ALASKA, THE STATE TRIES TO CONTAIN COVID-19," BY MIRANDA WEISS EXPLAINS HOW LOCAL LEADERS IN SOUTHWEST ALASKA'S BRISTOL BAY BEGGED THE STATE'S GOVERNOR TO CONSIDER CANCELING THE COMMERCIAL SOCKEYE SEASON, FEARING A COVID-19 OUTBREAK THAT COULD SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REGION'S SMALL VILLAGES. DESPITE THOSE CONCERNS, PREPARATIONS FOR OPENING THE BRISTOL BAY FISHERY BARRELED AHEAD WITH EXPECTATIONS OF ABOUT 10,000 FISHERMEN AND PROCESSING PLANT WORKERS TO DESCEND ON THE REGION. NEWSBREAK, AN APP FOR BREAKING LOCAL NEWS, POSTED THE STORY. THE STORY WAS ALSO SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY FOOD POLICY ACTION. AS COVID CASES SPIKE, AN UNPRECEDENTED ALLIANCE EMERGES TO PROTECT CALIFORNIA FARMWORKERS, BY LIZA GROSS. PUBLISHED WITH UNIVISION. THIS STORY GOES INSIDE AN UNUSUAL ALLIANCE OF RESEARCHERS, ACTIVISTS, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AND FARMERS WHO BANDED TOGETHER TO KEEP WORKERS SAFE. OUR MEDIA PARTNER FOR THIS PIECE IS THE NO. 1 SPANISH-LANGUAGE DIGITAL PROPERTY, WITH 20 MILLION MONTHLY U.S. USERS. THE STORY WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY GROWING EMPOWERMENT, AN ORGANIZATION THAT EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION ON HOW GARDENS CAN PROVIDE HUNGER RELIEF AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. "GOOD NEWS AMID THIS REALLY INTERESTING REPORTING ON THE ALLIANCE OF AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, COUNTY OFFICIALS, FARMWORKER ADVOCATES, DOCTORS, AND SCIENTISTS THAT HAS TURNED LONGTIME ADVERSARIES INTO ALLIES IN THE RACE TO PROTECT FARMWORKERS DURING THE PANDEMIC." --GROWING EMPOWERMENT ON FACEBOOK. "AS COVID-19 RISES, ALASKANS CROWD RIVERS TO STOCK UP ON WILD SALMON," ALSO BY MIRANDA WEISS DESCRIBES HOW ALASKANS ARE CROWDING THE SHORELINES TO CATCH ENOUGH FISH TO PUT UP FOR THE WINTER. THE ACTIVITY HAS TAKEN ON A NEW URGENCY THIS YEAR DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND FEARS OF FOOD SHORTAGES. IN MARCH, PANIC SHOPPERS STRIPPED THE FOOD SHELVES BARE, WHICH PROMPTED A LOT OF ALASKANS TO PUT UP AS MANY FISH AS THEY COULD. ONE RETIRED WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST SAID HE AIMED TO CATCH 40 OR 50 SALMON THIS SEASON, DOUBLING HIS TYPICAL HARVEST. THIS STORY WAS REPUBLISHED BY MOTHER JONES AND POSTED TO THE NORTHWEST ALLIANCE MARINE ALLIANCE (NAMA) BLOG AND NEWSBREAK. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE SAW SHARES BY HEAL FOOD ALLIANCE, NORTHWEST ATLANTIC MARINE ALLIANCE, ECOTRUST, NATIONAL FAMILY FARM COALITION, AND FOLKS AFFILIATED WITH COASTAL ROUTES (A NETWORK OF RESEARCHERS, COASTAL COMMUNITIES, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ALL UNITED BY OUR MISSION OF SUPPORTING VERDANT, SUSTAINABLE, AND JUST COASTAL LIVELIHOODS AND PLACES). |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION: | PANDEMIC AND PROTEST IN A MEATPACKING TOWN, BY ESTHER HONIG AND MARY ANNE ANDREI. PRODUCED WITH LATINO USA. THIS 30-MINUTE RADIO PIECE, WITH A VIDEO SIDEBAR, TELLS THE STORY OF HOW THE ADULT CHILDREN OF WORKERS AT A SMITHFIELD PLANT IN NEBRASKA STEPPED UP AND LED AN ONGOING PROTEST AGAINST THE COMPANY'S FAILURE TO PROTECT ITS WORKERS. THE STORY WAS ALSO PUBLISHED ON LATINO REBELS, A WEBSITE OWNED BY FUTURO MEDIA, AN AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT MEDIA COMPANY THAT REACHES AN ENGAGED BILINGUAL AUDIENCE. WE SAW TWITTER ENGAGEMENT FOR THIS STORY FROM LAND & LABOR (CURATED RESOURCE GUIDE TO THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM THAT CENTERS LAND AND LABOR IN THE CONTEXT OF POWER AND INEQUALITY) AND THE AMERICAN GRASSFED ASSOCIATION. THERE WERE SUCH POWERFUL PHOTOS IN THIS PIECE. SO IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT WHEN SHARED ON INSTAGRAM, THEY WERE AMONG OUR TOP-PERFORMING CONTENT FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS. WE SAW ENGAGEMENT ON OUR POSTS FROM FARM FORWARD, FRONTIER PASTURES (100% GRASS FED BEEF RAISED IN EASTERN BERKS COUNTY, PA.), FOOD INTEGRITY CAMPAIGN, AND SWEET UNION FARM (OREGON), AS WELL AS GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM (TRANSFORMING THE WAY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS BUY FOOD), COLORADO GRAIN CHAIN (NONPROFIT COMPRISED OF LOCALLY-OWNED AND-OPERATED BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS THAT PRODUCE AND SUPPORT GRAIN AND GRAIN PRODUCTS FROM HERITAGE, ANCIENT AND LOCALLY-ADAPTED GRAIN), AND LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT. ON YOUTUBE, THE VIDEO FOR THIS PIECE HAD NEARLY 300 VIEWS. CAN GRAZING SAVE ENDANGERED GRASSLANDS? BY LYNNE CURRY. PUBLISHED WITH THE GUARDIAN. THE FIRST STORY IN OUR BIODIVERSITY PROJECT EXPLORES AN AMBITIOUS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CONSERVATIONISTS AND RANCHERS DESIGNED TO PROVE THAT THE GOALS OF THE TWO GROUPSOFTEN AT ODDSCAN COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER AND PROTECT THE LARGEST REMAINING BUNCHGRASS PRAIRIE IN NORTH AMERICA. THE PIECE WAS REPUBLISHED BY HIGH COUNTRY NEWS. IT WAS ALSO POSTED TO THE MINNEHAHA CONSERVATION DISTRICT'S WEBSITE. (MINNEHAHA CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS CREATED IN 1941 TO ADMINISTER SOIL, WATER, AND RELATED RESOURCE CONSERVATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. SIOUX FALLS, THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH DAKOTA, LIES WITHIN MINNEHAHA COUNTY AND IS HOME TO THE BIG SIOUX.) THIS STORY WAS SHARED TO REDDIT TWICE ON TWO DIFFERENT SUBREDDITS (SPECIALIZED CONVERSATIONS), DIRECTLY REACHING ABOUT 138,000 USERS: THE OFFICIAL SUBREDDIT OF OREGON (~73,000 MEMBERS) AND A CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVISM SUBREDDIT (~65,000 MEMBERS). NOTE THAT REDDIT, OVERALL, HAS MORE THAN 430 MILLION ACTIVE MONTHLY USERS. AND IT'S THE #5 MOST VISITED SITE IN THE UNITED STATES. ENGAGEMENT ON TWITTER WAS SEEN BY NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, NATIONAL FARMERS UNION, KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, CONSERVATION WORKS (FORMERLY NORTH COAST RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL), 100 FRIENDS OF OREGON (ORIGINALLY THE OREGON LAND USE PROJECT), AND SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION (WISCONSIN ORG THAT WORKS WITH U.S. LANDOWNERS TO IMPROVE THE NATION'S NATURAL RESOURCES). ADDITIONAL TWITTER ENGAGEMENTS WERE SEEN BY THE BREAKTHROUGH INSTITUTE, WESTERN LANDOWNERS ALLIANCE, THE EXTINCTION CRISIS (VOLUNTEER-LED GROUP THAT SUPPORTS THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY), FOODPRINT, AND DEFENDING BEEF (MANIFESTO BY ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER TURNED RANCHER NICOLETTE HAHN NIMAN. SHE'S THE WIFE OF BILL NIMAN OF NIMAN RANCH). HOW DO CLIMATE CHANGE, MIGRATION AND A DEADLY SHEEP DISEASE ALTER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PANDEMICS? BY CARSON VAUGHAN. PUBLISHED WITH ENSIA. PART OF OUR ONGOING BIODIVERSITY SERIES, THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW SCIENCE ARRIVED AT A NEW, AND OMINOUS, UNDERSTANDING OF THE WAYS OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGENS SPREAD, MUTATE AND GENERATE NEW DISEASE OUTBREAKS. THIS STORY WAS PUBLISHED ON MEDIUM, A WEBSITE THAT REACHES OVER 6 MILLION UNIQUE VISITORS A MONTH. IT WAS ALSO PUBLISHED ON PATCH.COM (AMERICAN LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION PLATFORM OPERATING IN 50 U.S. STATES AND WASHINGTON, D.C.). IT WAS ENGAGED WITH ON TWITTER BY 50BY40 (A COLLECTIVE IMPACT ORG AIMING TO CUT THE GLOBAL PRODUCTION + CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE BY 50% BY 2040), KONRAD LORENZ INSTITUTE FOR EVOLUTION AND COGNITION RESEARCH (LOCATED IN AUSTRIA), AND UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND, AS WELL AS THE MUSEUM OF FOOD AND DRINK. AT THE NATION'S LARGEST STUDENT FARM ORGANIZATION, A RECKONING ON RACE. BY LEAH DOUGLAS, PUBLISHED WITH MOTHER JONES. MORE GREAT WORK FROM LEAH. IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DEARTH OF BLACK FARMERS IN AMERICA, NO ONE HAD REALLY CONSIDERED THE AG INDUSTRY'S OFFICIAL PIPELINE, FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA, AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN KEEPING THE INDUSTRY WHITE. THE PIECE WAS REPUBLISHED BY MIDWEST CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING. IT WAS ALSO REFERENCED ON THE COUNTER'S WEBSITE. LEAH IS AN INFLUENCER ON TWITTER. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE STORY WAS WIDELY CIRCULATED ON TWITTER WITH THE HELP OF A THREAD SHE DID FOR THE STORY. SOME OF THE RETWEETS INCLUDED NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION, NORTH AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL JOURNALISTS, MOMS ADVOCATING SUSTAINABILITY, HEAL FOOD ALLIANCE, AND THE CENTER FOR URBAN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-CAMDEN. JOURNALISTS WHO RETWEETED LEAH INCLUDED MARYN MCKENNA, TED GENO ROWAYS, TOM PHILPOTT, AND DEBBIE WEINGARTEN. AFTER A FARMWORKER IN RURAL TEXAS DIED OF COMPLICATIONS FROM COVID-19, HIS FAMILY AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WANT ANSWERS, BY DANA ULLMAN. PUBLISHED WITH TEXAS OBSERVER. ANOTHER OUTRAGEOUS STORY OF NEGLECT OF WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY BY A FOOD-PROCESSING OPERATION. THIS IS OUR THIRD PIECE WITH THE OBSERVER, AND WE HAVE NOW FORMALIZED THE PARTNERSHIP. EXPECT A LOT MORE INVESTIGATIVE STORIES OUT OF TEXAS IN THE COMING MONTHS. THIS STORY WAS POSTED TO DIGG. TEXAS OBSERVER'S LINK TO THE STORY HAD OVER 4K SHARES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE SAW ENGAGEMENT ON TWITTER FROM FOOD POLICY ACTION, GREENPEACE, TEXAS RIOGRANDE LEGAL AID, HUMAN RIGHTS LAW SOCIETY, AND TEXAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION. AS CALIFORNIA'S WILDFIRES RAGE, THE HARVEST GOES ON, BY TERESA COTSIRILOS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KALW-SF'S PODCAST CROSSCURRENTS AND THE KQED-BAY AREA SHOW AND PODCAST WORLDAFFAIRS. FARMWORKERS ARE OUT HARVESTING DESPITE THE SMOKE, FLAMES, AND HEATTO SAY NOTHING OF COVID-19. DESPITE STATE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THINGS LIKE HOW LONG WORKERS CAN BE OUTDOORS IN EXTREME CONDITIONS, ADVOCATES WORRY THAT GROWERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAOS VIOLATING THOSE LABOR LAWS. THIS STORY WAS SHARED ON TWITTER BY NATIONAL FARMERS UNION, FOOD POLICY ACTION, AND FIGHT FOR 15 (INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST UNDERPAID WORKERS). OUR WORK JULY 2019 ARE WE HANDLING THE BEE CRISIS WRONG? - BY ROWAN JACOBSEN FOR HUFFPOST EDITOR'S DESK: A MODERN-DAY ABOLITIONIST - AND THE REPORTER COVERING HER - BY SAM FROMARTZ WHO SHOULD PROFIT FROM MEXICO NITROGEN-FIXING CORN? - BY MARTHA PSKOWSKI FOR YALE ENVIRONMENT 360 AUGUST 2019 IS THE U.S. CHICKEN INDUSTRY CHEATING ITS FAMERS? - BY LEAH DOUGLAS AND CHRISTOPHER LEONARD FOR THE GUARDIAN FOR YEARS COMPLAINTS ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA'S HOG POLLUTION VANISHED IN STATE BUREAUCRACY - BY BARRY YEOMAN FOR THE GUARDIAN SEPTEMBER 2019 TODAY'S SPECIAL: GRILLED SALMON LACED WITH PLASTIC - BY LIZA GROSS FOR MOTHER JONES DOWN ON THE SMART FARM - BY MICHAEL BEHAR FOR EATINGWELL OCTOBER 2019 THE STRANGE, UNCERTAIN FATE OF ALASKA'S BIGGEST WILD SALMON HABITAT - BY JULIA O'MALLEY FOR THE NATION FOOD SCHOLARSHIPS. HOMELESS SHELTERS. EMERGENCY LOANS. - BRIDGET HUBER FOR THE NATION NOVEMBER 2019 ARIZONA'S WATER SUPPLIES ARE DRYING UP. HOW WILL ITS FARMERS SURVIVE? - BY STEPHEN R. MILLER FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DECEMBER 2019 ARE 'FOREVER CHEMICALS' IN OUR MILK? NOBODY REALLY KNOWS - SARA VAN NOTE FOR HUFFPOST A BREATHTAKING LACK OF OVERSIGHT FOR AIR EMISSIONS FROM ANIMAL FARMS - LEAH DOUGLAS FOR THE NATION HERE ARE THE RURAL RESIDENTS WHO SUED THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOG PRODUCER OVER WASTE AND ODORS - AND WON - BARRY YEOMAN FOR THE NATION JANUARY 2020 AS THE SALTON SEA SHRINKS, IT LEAVES BEHIND A TOXIC REMINDER OF THE COST OF MAKING A DESERT BLOOM - LINDSAY FENDT FOR THE WEATHER CHANNEL. FEBRUARY 2020 A TEXAS COMMUNITY CHOKES ON FECAL DUST FROM CATTLE FEEDLOTS - CHRIS COLLINS FOR THE OBSERVER IT'S ILLEGAL TO TAKE DRONE PHOTOS OF FEEDLOTS IN TEXAS - CHRIS COLLINS FOR THE OBSERVER ARE OUTBREAKS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS GETTING WORSE? - LEAH DOUGLAS FOR TIME |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION: | MARCH 2020 U.S. EMBASSY AND CONSULATES IN MEXICO TO SHUT DOWN, THREATENING LABOR SUPPLY FOR AMERICAN FARMS - ESTHER HONIG FOR FERN CAN ASIA'S INFECTIOUS DISEASE-PRODUCING WILDLIFE TRADE BE STOPPED? - BRIAN BARTH FOR FERN MIGRANT FARMWORKERS FEED AMERICA, AND THEY'RE AT HIGH RISK FOR A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK - LIZA GROSS AND ESTHER HONIG FOR HUFFPOST FOOD WASTE--AND FOOD INSECURITY--RISING AMID CORONAVIRUS PANIC - ELIZABETH ROYTE FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IS CARBON FARMING A CLIMATE BOON, OR BOONDOGGLE? - GABRIEL POPKIN FOR YALEENVIRONMENT360 APRIL 2020 THE CORONAVIRUS HAS LAID BARE RESTAURANT WORKERS' 'TIP TO MOUTH' EXISTENCE - LIZA GROSS FOR FERN ON THE FRONT LINES AT A NORTH CAROLINA FOOD BANK - BARRY YEOMAN FOR FERN AS PANDEMIC SPREADS AND GROWING SEASON RAMPS UP, FARMWORKERS DEEMED 'ESSENTIAL' BUT STILL LARGELY UNPROTECTED - ESTHER HONIG FOR FERN PRAYING FOR RAIN - TIM FOLGER FOR THE WEATHER CHANNEL CORONAVIRUS FORCES CALIFORNIA FARMWORKERS TO SCRAMBLE FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER - LIZA GROSS FOR FERN MAPPING COVID-19 IN MEAT AND FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS - LEAH DOUGLAS FOR FERN WHEN MEAT PLANTS SHUTTER, WHAT HAPPENS TO MARKET-READY ANIMALS? - ELIZABETH ROYTE FOR FERN WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN AMERICA'S FOOD SYSTEM - FERN EDITORS FOR FERN MAY 2020 'THE WORKERS ARE BEING SACRIFICED': AS CASES MOUNTED, MEATPACKER JBS KEPT PEOPLE ON CROWDED FACTORY FLOORS - ESTHER HONIG & TED GENOWAYS FOR MOTHER JONES AS COVID-19 HOBBLES THE INDUSTRIAL MEAT INDUSTRY, SMALL PRODUCERS ARE HAVING A MOMENT - STEPHEN R. MILLER FOR HUFFPOST A BURST OF HOME-GROWN FOOD, FARMING, IN ALASKA - MIRANDA WEISS FOR FERN TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKS CONTROVERSIAL OVERHAUL OF SEAFOOD INDUSTRY - BY LEAH DOUGLAS. CHARTING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN THE FOOD SYSTEM - LEAH DOUGLAS FOR FERN FEEDING REFUGEES ON THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WAS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. NOW THERE'S COVID-19. - BARRY YEOMAN FOR FERN WHEN COVID-19 HITS A RURAL MEATPACKING PLANT, COUNTY INFECTION RATES SOAR TO FIVE TIMES THE AVERAGE - LEAH DOUGLAS & TIM MAREMA FOR DAILY YONDER JUNE 2020 FOR THIS NORTH DAKOTA GROCERY, THE PANDEMIC IS PERSONAL - STEPHANIE PARKER FOR FERN COVID-19 IS SPREADING AMONG FARMWORKERS, AND IT MAY GET WORSE - ELIZABETH ROYTE FOR FERN HOW DID EUROPE AVOID THE COVID-19 CATASTROPHE RAVAGING U.S. MEATPACKING PLANTS? - BRIDGET HUBER FOR MOTHER JONES WITH THOUSANDS OF SEAFOOD WORKERS COMING TO ALASKA, STATE TRIES TO CONTAIN COVID-19 - BY MIRANDA WEISS. THE PANDEMIC IS JUST THE LATEST THREAT FACED BY REFUGEE FOOD WORKERS IN TEXAS - JESSICA GOUDEAU FOR TEXAS OBSERVER COVID-19 SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWING AMONG FOOD-SYSTEM WORKERS - LEAH DOUGLAS FOR FERN |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B | THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PRESENTS A DRAFT FORM 990 TO THE CHAIR AND TREASURER OF THE BOARD ELECTRONICALLY, WHO REVIEW AND APPROVE PRIOR TO SUBMISSION TO THE IRS. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C | BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY ACTUAL OR POSSIBLE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WITH THE GOVERNING BOARD. AFTER DISCLOSURE OF ALL THE MATERIAL FACTS, THE INDIVIDUAL MUST RECUSE THEMSELVES WHILE A DETERMINATION OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS DISCUSSED AND VOTED UPON. AN INTERESTED PERSON MAY MAKE A PRESENTATION AT THE GOVERNING BOARD MEETING, BUT AFTER THE PRESENTATION HE/SHE SHALL LEAVE THE MEETING DURING THE DISCUSSION OF, AND VOTE ON THE TRANSACTION OR ARRANGEMENT INVOLVING THE POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. SUCH MATTERS INVOLVING THE EXISTENCE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ARE TO BE DOCUMENTED IN THE MINUTES OF THE GOVERNING BOARD. ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, EACH BOARD MEMBER AND OFFICER IS REQUIRED TO SIGN A STATEMENT WHICH AFFIRMS THAT THEY RECEIVED A COPY OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, READ AND UNDERSTAND IT, AND AGREE TO COMPLY WITH IT. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15 | TO DETERMINE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE BOARD UTILIZES COMPENSATION DATA FOR EACH POSITION AMONG PEER ORGANIZATIONS. A PROPOSED AMOUNT FOR EACH POSITIION IS THEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND RECORDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE GOVERNING BOARD. THE PROCESS WAS LAST CONDUCTED IN 2019. |
| FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 | THE ORGANIZATION'S FORM 990 IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION AS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION 6104 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. IT IS POSTED ON NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL WEBSITE, GUIDESTAR.ORG AND OTHER SIMILAR TYPES OF WEBSITES. IN ADDITION, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BY-LAWS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AT 576 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10036 OR BY CALLING THE ORGANIZATION DIRECTLY AT (646)248-6014. |
| FORM 990, PART IX, LINE 11G | DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 5,697. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 6,407. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 12,104. COMMUNICATIONS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 5,860. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 5,860. PHOTOGRAPHER: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 15,413. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 15,413. EDITORS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 27,988. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 1,474. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 29,462. SPECIAL PROJECTS : PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 62,860. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 199. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 6,150. TOTAL EXPENSES 69,209. WRITERS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 99,000. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 99,000. |
| FORM 990, PART XII, LINE 2C: | THE ORGANIZATION HAS A COMMITTEE THAT ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE AUDIT OF ITS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SELECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANT. THE PROCESS HAS NOT CHANGED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. |
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