Brad Reil, UH Manoa student (green shirt), and Aggrey Ntakimanye with the National Forestry Resources Research Institute (white shirt) discuss fruit fly larvae on a fallen mango with farmers in Uganda during a Trellis Fund project led by NaFORRI. 

Trellis Fund

Connecting local organizations with student agricultural expertise

The Trellis Fund connects organizations in developing countries with U.S. graduate students from Innovation Lab for Horticulture partner institutions who have agricultural expertise, generating benefits for both the students and the in-country institutions. Together, they collaborate on short-term projects to address horticultural challenges faced by local farmers.

Trellis Fund accomplishments

Since 2011, the Innovation Lab for Horticulture has awarded 76 projects to 60 organizations in 17 countries. These grants have supported:

  • 12,471 training participants (65% women)
  • 261 demonstration plots
  • 374 training and extension meetings

What's happening with the Trellis Fund now

The sixth round of Trellis Fund projects has been completed (and are also available in the Trellis Fund fact sheet). The first-ever Trellis Fund Summit was held in March 2019 to gather Trellis alumni — both students and lead organizations – for networking, capacity building and program evaluation as part of the Innovation Lab for Horticulture 2019 annual meeting.

We anticipate the next opportunity to apply for Trellis Fund grants will take place in late 2022 at the earliest, depending on funding availability.

Most recent projects   Trellis Fund fact sheet   How to start a Trellis Fund

Trellis Fund blog posts

How to cook sweet potato leaves, with thanks from Ethiopia

Posted on November 28, 2018
Did you know the leaves of the sweet potato plant are also a tasty, nutritious food? In Ethiopia, where sweet potatoes can be a staple crop, a UC Davis student recently helped farmers reconsider their sweet potato crop in a new culinary light. Watch this video...