Family Forest Blog
October 5, 2026
Meet the 2026 Northeast Regional Tree Farmers of the Year: Gerry and Karen Hawkes
For Gerry Hawkes, a life in the woods was decided at an early age. Growing up on his family’s farm in Vermont, working alongside his grandfather and uncles in the woods and at the sawmill, by seventh grade, he knew he wanted to become a forester.
October 2, 2026
Meet the 2026 North Central Regional Tree Farmers of the Year: Jerry and Portia Brown
For Jerry and Portia Brown, Tree Farming is a family tradition that stretches back seven decades.
October 1, 2026
AFF Announces 2026 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year
Each year, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation, celebrates the work being done by ATFS-certified landowners with the Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year (OTFY) award.
September 14, 2026
New Report: Family Forests Provide Millions in Benefits to Businesses and Communities
Today, the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and Sorenson Impact Institute (SII) announced that forests managed by AFF’s Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) can provide millions in direct benefits and cost savings to businesses and communities.
September 11, 2026
Aligning Your Giving and Legacy Planning with Life Changes
This milestone year has prompted me, like many AFF supporters, to reassess how I support the causes I care about and what future plans I need to document. It marks more than a decade of working for and supporting America’s family forests through AFF’s philanthropic program.
September 9, 2026
A Roadmap for Your Woods: How Forest Management Plans Help Landowners
A woodland can provide income, wildlife habitat, natural resources, and memories for generations. Learn how a forest management plan can help you make decisions with the future in mind.
September 9, 2026
Is FFCP Right For You? Part 2: You Need Forestry Guidance
Landowners often want to do what’s best for their land, but may not have the expertise, or resources to take action. In this article, we’ll explore how the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) provides the technical support you need to care for your woodland—with a long-term plan to help you avoid overwhelm and stay on track.
September 9, 2026
Is FFCP Right For You? Part 1: You Want to Work with People You Trust
The Family Forest Carbon Program is run by the American Forest Foundation (AFF), a trusted non-profit in forest conservation since 1932. In 2020, we partnered with the Nature Conservancy to launch FFCP, with the goal of giving small, private forest landowners access to the voluntary carbon market. The day-to-day operations of the program are run by AFF, and our team is made up of experts in forestry, finance, customer service, and fundraising, to name a few.
September 9, 2026
Is FFCP Right For You? Part 3: You're Concerned About Greenwashing
This idea of “greenwashing’ is a real concern, and one we share as individuals who care deeply about the earth and America’s forests. In this article we’ll look at how we know we are selling real, high-quality, verified carbon credits and how carbon markets—while not a perfect solution to climate change—allow us to do more with fewer resources.
September 9, 2026
Is FFCP Right For You? Part 4: You Want to Know You're Getting a Good Deal
We know that money probably isn't the top priority when it comes to your forest, but it’s still important. If you’re like most landowners, you want to know that whatever you implement is going to be financially possible for you and your family, and that you’re not making an outright poor financial decision. In this article we’ll look at how the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) is designed to protect you from market risk while increasing the long-term value of your forest.
August 27, 2026
How much would it cost to participate in a permanence trust?
Any risk management tool in the carbon market requires some form of payment to ensure the project’s claimed impact even if something goes wrong. Buffer pools set aside a percentage of credits up front, while insurance typically comes with annual premiums. Everyone’s paying something to someone, but is the return worth it?
July 14, 2026
Behind the Mission: Our Annual Team Retreat
Recently, the American Forest Foundation team came together for our annual retreat. This year, we spent a week in the beautiful rolling hills of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Throughout the week, we participated in a variety of activities centered around sharing our specialized knowledge, what we’ve learned in the past year, and exploring how we can continue growing our impact.
June 18, 2026
Federal Partnerships Fuel Growth for Family Forest Owners and the Forest Economy
The Family Forest Carbon Program doesn’t just create environmental benefits — it also helps strengthen the entire forest economy. Today, thanks to catalytic funding from key partners, FFCP has enrolled more than 200,000 acres, creating new educational and economic opportunities for landowners and foresters across the country.
June 16, 2026
New Approach Could Help Solve One of Carbon Markets’ Biggest Problems
The American Forest Foundation, Beyond Alliance, and RMI today released findings that introduce a new legal and financial framework to manage risk for all carbon removal pathways that will bolster the integrity and scalability of the market.
May 28, 2026
Beyond the Premium Partnership: Why Establishing a Farm Record Can Open More Opportunities
When we introduced the Premium Partnership, we focused on one of its most visible benefits: a contract value that is 25% higher than the standard Family Forest Carbon Program offer. But the value of this pathway extends beyond the upfront incentive.