TY 2018 Form 990

- TIN:

SCHEDULE A
(Form 990 or 990EZ)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Public Charity Status and Public Support

Complete if the organization is a section 501(c)(3) organization or a section 4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust.
right arrow

Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
right arrow

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Open to Public
Inspection

Name of the organization

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Part I

Reason for Public Charity Status (All organizations must complete this part.) See instructions.

The organization is not a private foundation because it is: (For lines 1 through 12, check only one box.)

A church, convention of churches, or association of churches described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(i).

A school described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii). (Attach Schedule E (Form 990 or 990-EZ).)

A hospital or a cooperative hospital service organization described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(iii).

A medical research organization operated in conjunction with a hospital described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(iii). Enter the hospital's name, city, and state:

An organization operated for the benefit of a college or university owned or operated by a governmental unit described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(iv). (Complete Part II.)

A federal, state, or local government or governmental unit described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(v).

An organization that normally receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or from the general public described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). (Complete Part II.)

A community trust described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). (Complete Part II.)

An agricultural research organization described in 170(b)(1)(A)(ix) operated in conjunction with a land-grant college or university or a non-land grant college of agriculture. See instructions. Enter the name, city, and state of the college or university:

An organization that normally receives: (1) more than 331/3% of its support from contributions, membership fees, and gross receipts from activities related to its exempt functions—subject to certain exceptions, and (2) no more than 331/3% of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 tax) from businesses acquired by the organization after June 30, 1975. See section 509(a)(2). (Complete Part III.)

An organization organized and operated exclusively to test for public safety. See section 509(a)(4).

An organization organized and operated exclusively for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, or to carry out the purposes of one or more publicly supported organizations described in section 509(a)(1) or section 509(a)(2). See section 509(a)(3). Check the box in lines 12a through 12d that describes the type of supporting organization and complete lines 12e, 12f, and 12g.

Type I. A supporting organization operated, supervised, or controlled by its supported organization(s), typically by giving the supported organization(s) the power to regularly appoint or elect a majority of the directors or trustees of the supporting organization. You must complete Part IV, Sections A and B.

Type II. A supporting organization supervised or controlled in connection with its supported organization(s), by having control or management of the supporting organization vested in the same persons that control or manage the supported organization(s). You must complete Part IV, Sections A and C.

Type III functionally integrated. A supporting organization operated in connection with, and functionally integrated with, its supported organization(s) (see instructions). You must complete Part IV, Sections A, D, and E.

Type III non-functionally integrated. A supporting organization operated in connection with its supported organization(s) that is not functionally integrated. The organization generally must satisfy a distribution requirement and an attentiveness requirement (see instructions). You must complete Part IV, Sections A and D, and Part V.

Check this box if the organization received a written determination from the IRS that it is a Type I, Type II, Type III functionally integrated, or Type III non-functionally integrated supporting organization.

Enter the number of supported organizations ...............................

Provide the following information about the supported organization(s).

(i) Name of supported organization	(ii) EIN	(iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document?		(v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions)	(vi) Amount of other support (see instructions)
(i) Name of supported organization	(ii) EIN	Yes	No	(v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions)	(vi) Amount of other support (see instructions)


Total

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for
Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Cat. No. 11285F

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 2

Part II

Support Schedule for Organizations Described in Sections 170(b)(1)(A)(iv), 170(b)(1)(A)(vi), and 170(b)(1)(A)(ix)
(Complete only if you checked the box on line 5, 7, 8, or 9 of Part I or if the organization failed to qualify under Part III. If the organization fails to qualify under the tests listed below, please complete Part III.)

Section A. Public Support

Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in)		(a) 2014	(b) 2015	(c) 2016	(d) 2017	(e) 2018	(f) Total
1	Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grant.") ..	688,331	738,848	806,648	639,205	1,004,498	3,877,530
2	Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf....
3	The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge..
4	Total. Add lines 1 through 3	688,331	738,848	806,648	639,205	1,004,498	3,877,530
5	The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f)..						1,388,107
6	Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4.						2,489,423

Section B. Total Support

Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in)		(a) 2014	(b) 2015	(c) 2016	(d) 2017	(e) 2018	(f) Total
7	Amounts from line 4..	688,331	738,848	806,648	639,205	1,004,498	3,877,530
8	Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources...	1,271	1,428	1,359	357	23	4,438
9	Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on..
10	Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.)..		1,048	1,500	2,533	2,980	8,061
11	Total support. Add lines 7 through 10						3,890,029

Gross receipts from related activities, etc. (see instructions) ..................

356,588

First five years. If the Form 990 is for the organization's first, second, third, fourth, or fifth tax year as a section 501(c)(3) organization, check this box and stop here........................................ right arrow

Section C. Computation of Public Support Percentage

Public support percentage for 2018 (line 6, column (f) divided by line 11, column (f)) .........

63.990 %

Public support percentage for 2017 Schedule A, Part II, line 14 ...............

61.700 %

16a

33 1/3% support test—2018. If the organization did not check the box on line 13, and line 14 is 33 1/3% or more, check this box
and stop here. The organization qualifies as a publicly supported organization ....................... right arrow

33 1/3% support test—2017. If the organization did not check a box on line 13 or 16a, and line 15 is 33 1/3% or more, check this
box and stop here. The organization qualifies as a publicly supported organization ..................... right arrow

17a

10%-facts-and-circumstances test—2018. If the organization did not check a box on line 13, 16a, or 16b, and line 14
is 10% or more, and if the organization meets the "facts-and-circumstances" test, check this box and stop here. Explain
in Part VI how the organization meets the "facts-and-circumstances" test. The organization qualifies as a publicly supported
organization ..................................................... right arrow

10%-facts-and-circumstances test—2017. If the organization did not check a box on line 13, 16a, 16b, or 17a, and line
15 is 10% or more, and if the organization meets the "facts-and-circumstances" test, check this box and stop here.
Explain in Part VI how the organization meets the "facts-and-circumstances" test. The organization qualifies as a publicly
supported organization ................................................ right arrow

Private foundation. If the organization did not check a box on line 13, 16a, 16b, 17a, or 17b, check this box and see
instructions ..................................................... right arrow

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 3

Part III

Support Schedule for Organizations Described in Section 509(a)(2)
(Complete only if you checked the box on line 10 of Part I or if the organization failed to qualify under Part II. If the organization fails to qualify under the tests listed below, please complete Part II.)

Section A. Public Support

Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in)		(a) 2014	(b) 2015	(c) 2016	(d) 2017	(e) 2018	(f) Total
1	Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") .
2	Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose
3	Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 .....
4	Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf...
5	The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge
6	Total. Add lines 1 through 5
7a	Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons
b	Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year.
c	Add lines 7a and 7b..
8	Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.)

Section B. Total Support

Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in)		(a) 2014	(b) 2015	(c) 2016	(d) 2017	(e) 2018	(f) Total
9	Amounts from line 6...
10a	Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources..
b	Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975.
c	Add lines 10a and 10b.
11	Net income from unrelated business activities not included in line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.
12	Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) ..
13	Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.)..

First five years. If the Form 990 is for the organization's first, second, third, fourth, or fifth tax year as a section 501(c)(3) organization,
check this box and stop here............................................. right arrow

Section C. Computation of Public Support Percentage

Public support percentage for 2018 (line 8, column (f) divided by line 13, column (f)) .........

Public support percentage from 2017 Schedule A, Part III, line 15 ...............

Section D. Computation of Investment Income Percentage

Investment income percentage for 2018 (line 10c, column (f) divided by line 13, column (f)) ......

Investment income percentage from 2017 Schedule A, Part III, line 17 .............

19a

331/3% support tests—2018. If the organization did not check the box on line 14, and line 15 is more than 33 1/3%, and line 17 is not more than 33 1/3%, check this box and stop here. The organization qualifies as a publicly supported organization ....... right arrow

33 1/3% support tests—2017. If the organization did not check a box on line 14 or line 19a, and line 16 is more than 33 1/3% and line 18 is not more than 33 1/3%, check this box and stop here. The organization qualifies as a publicly supported organization .... right arrow

Private foundation. If the organization did not check a box on line 14, 19a, or 19b, check this box and see instructions .... right arrow

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 4

Part IV

Supporting Organizations

(Complete only if you checked a box on line 12 of Part I. If you checked 12a of Part I, complete Sections A and B. If you checked 12b of Part I, complete Sections A and C. If you checked 12c of Part I, complete Sections A, D, and E. If you checked 12d of Part I, complete Sections A and D, and complete Part V.)

Section A. All Supporting Organizations

Yes

Are all of the organization’s supported organizations listed by name in the organization’s governing documents?
If "No," describe in Part VI how the supported organizations are designated. If designated by class or purpose,
describe the designation. If historic and continuing relationship, explain.

Did the organization have any supported organization that does not have an IRS determination of status under section 509(a)(1) or (2)? If "Yes," explain in Part VI how the organization determined that the supported organization was described in section 509(a)(1) or (2).

Did the organization have a supported organization described in section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6)? If "Yes," answer (b) and (c) below.

Did the organization confirm that each supported organization qualified under section 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) and satisfied the public support tests under section 509(a)(2)? If "Yes," describe in Part VI when and how the organization made the determination.

Did the organization ensure that all support to such organizations was used exclusively for section 170(c)(2)(B) purposes? If "Yes," explain in Part VI what controls the organization put in place to ensure such use.

Was any supported organization not organized in the United States ("foreign supported organization")? If “Yes” and if you checked 12a or 12b in Part I, answer (b) and (c) below.

Did the organization have ultimate control and discretion in deciding whether to make grants to the foreign supported organization? If “Yes,” describe in Part VI how the organization had such control and discretion despite being controlled or supervised by or in connection with its supported organizations.

Did the organization support any foreign supported organization that does not have an IRS determination under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) or (2)? If “Yes,” explain in Part VI what controls the organization used to ensure that all support to the foreign supported organization was used exclusively for section 170(c)(2)(B) purposes.

Did the organization add, substitute, or remove any supported organizations during the tax year? If “Yes,” answer (b) and (c) below (if applicable). Also, provide detail in Part VI, including (i) the names and EIN numbers of the supported organizations added, substituted, or removed; (ii) the reasons for each such action; (iii) the authority under the organization's organizing document authorizing such action; and (iv) how the action was accomplished (such as by amendment to the organizing document).

Type I or Type II only. Was any added or substituted supported organization part of a class already designated in the organization's organizing document?

Substitutions only. Was the substitution the result of an event beyond the organization's control?

Did the organization provide support (whether in the form of grants or the provision of services or facilities) to anyone other than (i) its supported organizations, (ii) individuals that are part of the charitable class benefited by one or more of its supported organizations, or (iii) other supporting organizations that also support or benefit one or more of the filing organization’s supported organizations? If “Yes,” provide detail in Part VI.

Did the organization provide a grant, loan, compensation, or other similar payment to a substantial contributor (defined in section 4958(c)(3)(C)), a family member of a substantial contributor, or a 35% controlled entity with regard to a substantial contributor? If “Yes,” complete Part I of Schedule L (Form 990 or 990-EZ) .

Did the organization make a loan to a disqualified person (as defined in section 4958) not described in line 7? If “Yes,” complete Part I of Schedule L (Form 990 or 990-EZ).

Was the organization controlled directly or indirectly at any time during the tax year by one or more disqualified persons as defined in section 4946 (other than foundation managers and organizations described in section 509(a)(1) or (2))? If “Yes,” provide detail in Part VI.

Did one or more disqualified persons (as defined in line 9a) hold a controlling interest in any entity in which the supporting organization had an interest? If “Yes,” provide detail in Part VI.

Did a disqualified person (as defined in line 9a) have an ownership interest in, or derive any personal benefit from, assets in which the supporting organization also had an interest? If “Yes,” provide detail in Part VI.

10a

Was the organization subject to the excess business holdings rules of section 4943 because of section 4943(f) (regarding certain Type II supporting organizations, and all Type III non-functionally integrated supporting organizations)? If “Yes,” answer line 10b below.

10a

Did the organization have any excess business holdings in the tax year? (Use Schedule C, Form 4720, to determine whether the organization had excess business holdings).

10b

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 5

Part IV

Supporting Organizations (continued)

Yes

Has the organization accepted a gift or contribution from any of the following persons?

A person who directly or indirectly controls, either alone or together with persons described in (b) and (c) below, the governing body of a supported organization?

11a

A family member of a person described in (a) above?

11b

A 35% controlled entity of a person described in (a) or (b) above? If “Yes” to a, b, or c, provide detail in Part VI.

11c

Section B. Type I Supporting Organizations

Yes

Did the directors, trustees, or membership of one or more supported organizations have the power to regularly appoint or elect at least a majority of the organization’s directors or trustees at all times during the tax year? If “No,” describe in Part VI how the supported organization(s) effectively operated, supervised, or controlled the organization’s activities. If the organization had more than one supported organization, describe how the powers to appoint and/or remove directors or trustees were allocated among the supported organizations and what conditions or restrictions, if any, applied to such powers during the tax year.

Did the organization operate for the benefit of any supported organization other than the supported organization(s) that operated, supervised, or controlled the supporting organization? If “Yes,” explain in Part VI how providing such benefit carried out the purposes of the supported organization(s) that operated, supervised or controlled the supporting organization.

Section C. Type II Supporting Organizations

Yes

Were a majority of the organization’s directors or trustees during the tax year also a majority of the directors or trustees of each of the organization’s supported organization(s)? If “No,” describe in Part VI how control or management of the supporting organization was vested in the same persons that controlled or managed the supported organization(s).

Section D. All Type III Supporting Organizations

Yes

Did the organization provide to each of its supported organizations, by the last day of the fifth month of the organization’s tax year, (i) a written notice describing the type and amount of support provided during the prior tax year, (ii) a copy of the Form 990 that was most recently filed as of the date of notification, and (iii) copies of the organization’s governing documents in effect on the date of notification, to the extent not previously provided?

Were any of the organization’s officers, directors, or trustees either (i) appointed or elected by the supported organization(s) or (ii) serving on the governing body of a supported organization? If "No," explain in Part VI how the organization maintained a close and continuous working relationship with the supported organization(s).

By reason of the relationship described in (2), did the organization’s supported organizations have a significant voice in the organization’s investment policies and in directing the use of the organization’s income or assets at all times during the tax year? If "Yes," describe in Part VI the role the organization’s supported organizations played in this regard.

Section E. Type III Functionally-Integrated Supporting Organizations

Check the box next to the method that the organization used to satisfy the Integral Part Test during the year (see instructions):

The organization satisfied the Activities Test. Complete line 2 below.

The organization is the parent of each of its supported organizations. Complete line 3 below.

The organization supported a governmental entity. Describe in Part VI how you supported a government entity (see instructions)

Activities Test. Answer (a) and (b) below.

Yes

Did substantially all of the organization’s activities during the tax year directly further the exempt purposes of the supported organization(s) to which the organization was responsive? If "Yes," then in Part VI identify those supported organizations and explain how these activities directly furthered their exempt purposes, how the organization was responsive to those supported organizations, and how the organization determined that these activities constituted substantially all of its activities.

Did the activities described in (a) constitute activities that, but for the organization’s involvement, one or more of the organization’s supported organization(s) would have been engaged in? If "Yes," explain in Part VI the reasons for the organization’s position that its supported organization(s) would have engaged in these activities but for the organization’s involvement.

Parent of Supported Organizations. Answer (a) and (b) below.

Did the organization have the power to regularly appoint or elect a majority of the officers, directors, or trustees of each of the supported organizations? Provide details in Part VI.

Did the organization exercise a substantial degree of direction over the policies, programs and activities of each of its supported organizations? If "Yes," describe in Part VI. the role played by the organization in this regard.

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 6

Part V

Type III Non-Functionally Integrated 509(a)(3) Supporting Organizations

Check here if the organization satisfied the Integral Part Test as a qualifying trust on Nov. 20, 1970 (explain in Part VI). See instructions. All other Type III non-functionally integrated supporting organizations must complete Sections A through E.

	Section A - Adjusted Net Income		(A) Prior Year	(B) Current Year (optional)
1	Net short-term capital gain	1
2	Recoveries of prior-year distributions	2
3	Other gross income (see instructions)	3
4	Add lines 1 through 3	4
5	Depreciation and depletion	5
6	Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions)	6
7	Other expenses (see instructions)	7
8	Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4)	8

	Section B - Minimum Asset Amount		(A) Prior Year	(B) Current Year (optional)
1	Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year):	1
a	Average monthly value of securities	1a
b	Average monthly cash balances	1b
c	Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets	1c
d	Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c)	1d
e	Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI):
2	Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets	2
3	Subtract line 2 from line 1d	3
4	Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 1-1/2% of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions).	4
5	Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3)	5
6	Multiply line 5 by .035	6
7	Recoveries of prior-year distributions	7
8	Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6)	8

	Section C - Distributable Amount		Current Year
1	Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A)	1
2	Enter 85% of line 1	2
3	Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A)	3
4	Enter greater of line 2 or line 3	4
5	Income tax imposed in prior year	5
6	Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions)	6

Check here if the current year is the organization's first as a non-functionally-integrated Type III supporting organization (see instructions)

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 7

Part V

Type III Non-Functionally Integrated 509(a)(3) Supporting Organizations (continued)

Section D - Distributions		Current Year
1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes
2 Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity
3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations
4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets
5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required)
6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions
7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6.
8 Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions
9 Distributable amount for 2018 from Section C, line 6
10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount

Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions)		(i) Excess Distributions	(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2018	(iii) Distributable Amount for 2018
1 Distributable amount for 2018 from Section C, line 6
2 Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2018 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI). See instructions.
3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2018:
a From 2013.......
b From 2014.......
c From 2015.......
d From 2016.......
e From 2017.......
fTotal of lines 3a through e
g Applied to underdistributions of prior years
h Applied to 2018 distributable amount
i Carryover from 2013 not applied (see instructions)
j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from 3f.
4Distributions for 2018 from Section D, line 7:
$
a Applied to underdistributions of prior years
b Applied to 2018 distributable amount
c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from 4.
5 Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2018, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions.
6 Remaining underdistributions for 2018. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions.
7 Excess distributions carryover to 2019. Add lines 3j and 4c.
8 Breakdown of line 7:
a Excess from 2014......
b Excess from 2015.....
c Excess from 2016.....
d Excess from 2017.....
e Excess from 2018.....

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) (2018)

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 8

Part VI

Supplemental Information. Provide the explanations required by Part II, line 10; Part II, line 17a or 17b; Part III, line 12; Part IV, Section A, lines 1, 2, 3b, 3c, 4b, 4c, 5a, 6, 9a, 9b, 9c, 11a, 11b, and 11c; Part IV, Section B, lines 1 and 2; Part IV, Section C, line 1; Part IV, Section D, lines 2 and 3; Part IV, Section E, lines 1c, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b; Part V, line 1; Part V, Section B, line 1e; Part V Section D, lines 5, 6, and 8; and Part V, Section E, lines 2, 5, and 6. Also complete this part for any additional information. (See instructions).

Facts And Circumstances Test

Return Reference	Explanation

Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

- TIN:

Schedule B
(Form 990, 990-EZ,
or 990-PF)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Schedule of Contributors

Attach to Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF.

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Name of the organization

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Organization type (check one):

Filers of:

Section:

Form 990 or 990-EZ

501(c)( ) (enter number) organization

4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust not treated as a private foundation

527 political organization

Form 990-PF

501(c)(3) exempt private foundation

4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust treated as a private foundation

501(c)(3) taxable private foundation

Check if your organization is covered by the General Rule or a Special Rule.
Note. Only a section 501(c)(7), (8), or (10) organization can check boxes for both the General Rule and a Special Rule. See instructions.

General Rule

For an organization filing Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF that received, during the year, contributions totaling $5,000 or more (in money or other property) from any one contributor. Complete Parts I and II. See instructions for determining a contributor's total contributions.

Special Rules

For an organization described in section 501(c)(3) filing Form 990 or 990-EZ that met the 33¹/3% support test of the regulations
under sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi), that checked Schedule A (Form 990 or 990-EZ), Part II, line 13, 16a, or 16b, and that received from any one contributor, during the year, total contributions of the greater of (1) $5,000 or (2) 2% of the amount on (i) Form 990, Part VIII, line 1h, or (ii) Form 990-EZ, line 1. Complete Parts I and II.

For an organization described in section 501(c)(7), (8), or (10) filing Form 990 or 990-EZ that received from any one contributor,
during the year, total contributions of more than $1,000 exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals. Complete Parts I, II, and III.

For an organization described in section 501(c)(7), (8), or (10) filing Form 990 or 990-EZ that received from any one contributor,
during the year, contributions exclusively for religious, charitable, etc., purposes, but no such contributions totaled more than $1,000. If this box is checked, enter here the total contributions that were received during the year for an exclusively religious, charitable, etc., purpose. Don't complete any of the parts unless the General Rule applies to this organization because it received nonexclusively religious, charitable, etc., contributions totaling $5,000 or more during the year ......... Arrow Bullet

Caution. An organization that isn't covered by the General Rule and/or the Special Rules doesn't file Schedule B (Form 990,
990-EZ, or 990-PF), but it must answer “No” on Part IV, line 2, of its Form 990; or check the box on line H of its
Form 990-EZ or on its Form 990PF, Part I, line 2, to certify that it doesn't meet the filing requirements of Schedule B (Form 990,
990-EZ, or 990-PF).

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions
for Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF.

Cat. No. 30613XSchedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018) Page 2

Name of organization FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK INC

Part I	Contributors (See instructions). Use duplicate copies of Part I if additional space is needed.
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
(a) No.	(b) Name, address, and ZIP + 4	(c) Total contributions	(d) Type of contribution
		$	Person Payroll Noncash (Complete Part II for noncash contributions.)
Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Page 3

Name of organization FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK INC		Employer identification number 27-4108978

Part II	Noncash Property (See instructions). Use duplicate copies of Part II if additional space is needed.
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
(a) No. from Part I	(b) Description of noncash property given	(c) FMV (or estimate) (See instructions)	(d) Date received
		$
Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Page 4


Name of organization FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK INC			Employer identification number 27-4108978
Part III Exclusively religious, charitable, etc., contributions to organizations described in section 501(c)(7), (8), or (10) that total more than $1,000 for the year from any one contributor. Complete columns (a) through (e) and the following line entry. For organizations completing Part III, enter the total of exclusively religious, charitable, etc., contributions of $1,000 or less for the year. (Enter this information once. See instructions.) $ Use duplicate copies of Part III if additional space is needed.

(a)
No. from Part I

(b) Purpose of gift

(d) Description of how gift is held

(e) Transfer of gift
Transferee's name, address, and ZIP 4	Relationship of transferor to transferee

(a)
No. from Part I

(b) Purpose of gift

(d) Description of how gift is held

(e) Transfer of gift
Transferee's name, address, and ZIP 4	Relationship of transferor to transferee

(a)
No. from Part I

(b) Purpose of gift

(d) Description of how gift is held

(e) Transfer of gift
Transferee's name, address, and ZIP 4	Relationship of transferor to transferee

(a)
No. from Part I

(b) Purpose of gift

(d) Description of how gift is held

(e) Transfer of gift
Transferee's name, address, and ZIP 4	Relationship of transferor to transferee

Schedule B (Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF) (2018)

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

- TIN:

SCHEDULE D
(Form 990)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Supplemental Financial Statements

Complete if the organization answered "Yes," on Form 990,
Part IV, line 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 12a, or 12b.
SchDMd Bullet

Attach to Form 990.
SchDMd Bullet

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Open to Public Inspection

Name of the organization

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Part I

Organizations Maintaining Donor Advised Funds or Other Similar Funds or Accounts. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 6.

		(a) Donor advised funds	(b) Funds and other accounts
1	Total number at end of year .........
2	Aggregate value of contributions to (during year)
3	Aggregate value of grants from (during year)
4	Aggregate value at end of year ........

Did the organization inform all donors and donor advisors in writing that the assets held in donor advised funds are the organization’s property, subject to the organization’s exclusive legal control? ............

Yes No

Did the organization inform all grantees, donors, and donor advisors in writing that grant funds can be used only for charitable purposes and not for the benefit of the donor or donor advisor, or for any other purpose conferring impermissible private benefit? ...................................

Yes No

Part II

Conservation Easements. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 7.

Purpose(s) of conservation easements held by the organization (check all that apply).

Preservation of land for public use (e.g., recreation or education) Preservation of an historically important land area

Protection of natural habitat Preservation of a certified historic structure

Preservation of open space

Complete lines 2a through 2d if the organization held a qualified conservation contribution in the form of a conservation easement on the last day of the tax year.


a	Total number of conservation easements ......................	2a
b	Total acreage restricted by conservation easements ....................	2b
c	Number of conservation easements on a certified historic structure included in (a) .....	2c
d	Number of conservation easements included in (c) acquired after 7/25/06, and not on a historic structure listed in the National Register ...	2d

Number of conservation easements modified, transferred, released, extinguished, or terminated by the organization during the
tax year SchDMd Bullet

Number of states where property subject to conservation easement is located SchDMd Bullet

Does the organization have a written policy regarding the periodic monitoring, inspection, handling of violations, and enforcement of the conservation easements it holds? ............

Yes No

Staff and volunteer hours devoted to monitoring, inspecting, handling of violations, and enforcing conservation easements during the year
SchDMd Bullet

Amount of expenses incurred in monitoring, inspecting, handling of violations, and enforcing conservation easements during the year
SchDMd Bullet

Does each conservation easement reported on line 2(d) above satisfy the requirements of section 170(h)(4)(B)(i) and section 170(h)(4)(B)(ii)? .............................

Yes No

In Part XIII, describe how the organization reports conservation easements in its revenue and expense statement, and
balance sheet, and include, if applicable, the text of the footnote to the organization’s financial statements that describes
the organization’s accounting for conservation easements.

Part III

Organizations Maintaining Collections of Art, Historical Treasures, or Other Similar Assets.
Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 8.

If the organization elected, as permitted under SFAS 116 (ASC 958), not to report in its revenue statement and balance sheet works of art, historical treasures, or other similar assets held for public exhibition, education, or research in furtherance of public service, provide, in Part XIII, the text of the footnote to its financial statements that describes these items.

If the organization elected, as permitted under SFAS 116 (ASC 958), to report in its revenue statement and balance sheet works of art, historical treasures, or other similar assets held for public exhibition, education, or research in furtherance of public service, provide the following amounts relating to these items:

(i)

Revenue included on Form 990, Part VIII, line 1 ......................... SchDMd Bullet

(ii)

Assets included in Form 990, Part X ............................... SchDMd Bullet

If the organization received or held works of art, historical treasures, or other similar assets for financial gain, provide the
following amounts required to be reported under SFAS 116 (ASC 958) relating to these items:

Revenue included on Form 990, Part VIII, line 1 .......................... SchDMd Bullet

Assets included in Form 990, Part X ............................... SchDMd Bullet

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990.

Cat. No. 52283D

Schedule D (Form 990) 2018

Page 2

Part III

Organizations Maintaining Collections of Art, Historical Treasures, or Other Similar Assets (continued)

Using the organization’s acquisition, accession, and other records, check any of the following that are a significant use of its collection items (check all that apply):

Public exhibition

Loan or exchange programs

Scholarly research

Other

Preservation for future generations

Provide a description of the organization’s collections and explain how they further the organization’s exempt purpose in
Part XIII.

During the year, did the organization solicit or receive donations of art, historical treasures or other similar
assets to be sold to raise funds rather than to be maintained as part of the organization’s collection?...

Yes No

Part IV

Escrow and Custodial Arrangements. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 9, or reported an amount on Form 990, Part X, line 21.

Is the organization an agent, trustee, custodian or other intermediary for contributions or other assets not
included on Form 990, Part X? ....................................

Yes No


b	If "Yes," explain the arrangement in Part XIII and complete the following table:		Amount
c	Beginning balance .............................	1c
d	Additions during the year ............................	1d
e	Distributions during the year ..........................	1e
f	Ending balance ................................	1f

Did the organization include an amount on Form 990, Part X, line 21, for escrow or custodial account liability? ...

Yes No

If "Yes," explain the arrangement in Part XIII. Check here if the explanation has been provided in Part XIII ....

Part V

Endowment Funds. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 10.

		(a)Current year	(b)Prior year	(c)Two years back	(d)Three years back	(e)Four years back

1a	Beginning of year balance ....
b	Contributions ...
c	Net investment earnings, gains, and losses
d	Grants or scholarships ...
e	Other expenditures for facilities and programs ...
f	Administrative expenses ....
g	End of year balance ......

Provide the estimated percentage of the current year end balance (line 1g, column (a)) held as:

Board designated or quasi-endowment SchDMd Bullet

Permanent endowment SchDMd Bullet

Temporarily restricted endowment SchDMd Bullet

The percentages on lines 2a, 2b, and 2c should equal 100%.

Are there endowment funds not in the possession of the organization that are held and administered for the
organization by:

Yes

(i) unrelated organizations .................

3a(i)

(ii) related organizations .................

3a(ii)

If "Yes" on 3a(ii), are the related organizations listed as required on Schedule R? .........

Describe in Part XIII the intended uses of the organization's endowment funds.

Part VI

Land, Buildings, and Equipment.
Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 11a. See Form 990, Part X, line 10.

Description of property		(a) Cost or other basis (investment)	(b) Cost or other basis (other)	(c) Accumulated depreciation	(d) Book value

1a	Land .....
b	Buildings ....
c	Leasehold improvements
d	Equipment ....
e	Other .....
Total. Add lines 1a through 1e. (Column (d) must equal Form 990, Part X, column (B), line 10(c).)..		0

Schedule D (Form 990) 2018

Page 3

Part VII

InvestmentsOther Securities. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 11b. See Form 990, Part X, line 12.

(a) Description of security or category (including name of security)	(b) Book value	(c) Method of valuation: Cost or end-of-year market value
(1) Financial derivatives.........
(2) Closely-held equity interests........
(3)Other
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
Total. (Column (b) must equal Form 990, Part X, col. (B) line 12.)

Part VIII

InvestmentsProgram Related. Complete if the organization answered 'Yes' on Form 990, Part IV, line 11c. See Form 990, Part X, line 13.

(a) Description of investment	(b) Book value	(c) Method of valuation: Cost or end-of-year market value

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
Total. (Column (b) must equal Form 990, Part X, col.(B) line 13.)

Part IX

Other Assets. Complete if the organization answered 'Yes' on Form 990, Part IV, line 11d. See Form 990, Part X, line 15.

(a) Description				(b) Book value

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
Total. (Column (b) must equal Form 990, Part X, col.(B) line 15.)...........

Part X

Other Liabilities. Complete if the organization answered 'Yes' on Form 990, Part IV, line 11e or 11f. See Form 990, Part X, line 25.

1.(a) Description of liability	(b) Book value
(1) Federal income taxes
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
Total. (Column (b) must equal Form 990, Part X, col.(B) line 25.)
2. Liability for uncertain tax positions. In Part XIII, provide the text of the footnote to the organization's financial statements that reports the organization's liability for uncertain tax positions under FIN 48 (ASC 740). Check here if the text of the footnote has been provided in Part XIII

Schedule D (Form 990) 2018

Page 4

Part XI Reconciliation of Revenue per Audited Financial Statements With Revenue per Return Complete if the organization answered 'Yes' on Form 990, Part IV, line 12a.
1	Total revenue, gains, and other support per audited financial statements .......			1	1,125,455
2	Amounts included on line 1 but not on Form 990, Part VIII, line 12:
a	Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments ....	2a
b	Donated services and use of facilities .........	2b
c	Recoveries of prior year grants ...........	2c
d	Other (Describe in Part XIII.) ............	2d	24,404
e	Add lines 2a through 2d .....................			2e	24,404
3	Subtract line 2e from line 1..................			3	1,101,051
4	Amounts included on Form 990, Part VIII, line 12, but not on line 1:
a	Investment expenses not included on Form 990, Part VIII, line 7b .	4a
b	Other (Describe in Part XIII.) ...........	4b
c	Add lines 4a and 4b....................			4c	0
5	Total revenue. Add lines 3 and 4c. (This must equal Form 990, Part I, line 12.) ......			5	1,101,051

Part XII Reconciliation of Expenses per Audited Financial Statements With Expenses per Return. Complete if the organization answered 'Yes' on Form 990, Part IV, line 12a.
1	Total expenses and losses per audited financial statements ...........			1	1,232,396
2	Amounts included on line 1 but not on Form 990, Part IX, line 25:
a	Donated services and use of facilities .........	2a
b	Prior year adjustments ............	2b
c	Other losses ................	2c
d	Other (Describe in Part XIII.) ............	2d	24,404
e	Add lines 2a through 2d....................			2e	24,404
3	Subtract line 2e from line 1...................			3	1,207,992
4	Amounts included on Form 990, Part IX, line 25, but not on line 1:
a	Investment expenses not included on Form 990, Part VIII, line 7b ..	4a
b	Other (Describe in Part XIII.) ............	4b
c	Add lines 4a and 4b.....................			4c	0
5	Total expenses. Add lines 3 and 4c. (This must equal Form 990, Part I, line 18.) ......			5	1,207,992

Part XIII

Supplemental Information

Provide the descriptions required for Part II, lines 3, 5, and 9; Part III, lines 1a and 4; Part lV, lines 1b and 2b; Part V, line 4; Part X, line 2; Part XI, lines 2d and 4b; and Part XII, lines 2d and 4b. Also complete this part to provide any additional information.

Return Reference	Explanation
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 2015 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 24,404.
PART XII, LINE 2D - OTHER ADJUSTMENTS:	DIRECT FUNDRAISING EXPENSES REPORTED ON FORM 990, PART VIII, LINE 8B 24,404.

Schedule D (Form 990) 2018

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

- TIN:

SCHEDULE G (Form 990 or 990-EZ)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Supplemental Information Regarding
Fundraising or Gaming Activities

Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, lines 17, 18, or 19, or if the organization entered more than $15,000 on Form 990-EZ, line 6a. right arrow

Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
right arrow

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for instructions and the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Open to Public Inspection

Name of the organization
FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Part I

Fundraising Activities. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 17.

Form 990-EZ filers are not required to complete this part.

Indicate whether the organization raised funds through any of the following activities. Check all that apply.

a	Mail solicitations	e	Solicitation of non-government grants
b	Internet and email solicitations	f	Solicitation of government grants
c	Phone solicitations	g	Special fundraising events
d	In-person solicitations

Did the organization have a written or oral agreement with any individual (including officers, directors, trustees

or key employees listed in Form 990, Part VII) or entity in connection with professional fundraising services?

YesNo

If "Yes," list the ten highest paid individuals or entities (fundraisers) pursuant to agreements under which the fundraiser is
to be compensated at least $5,000 by the organization.

(i) Name and address of individual or entity (fundraiser)	(iii) Did fundraiser have custody or control of contributions?
	Yes	No










Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List all states in which the organization is registered or licensed to solicit contributions or has been notified it is exempt from registration or licensing.

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Cat. No. 50083H

Schedule G (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 2

Part II

Fundraising Events. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 18, or reported more than $15,000 of fundraising event contributions and gross income on Form 990-EZ, lines 1 and 6b. List events with gross receipts greater than $5,000.

		(a) Event #1 DC DINNER (event type)	(b) Event #2 NY FERN TALKS & EATS (event type)	(d) Total events (add col. (a) through col. (c))
1	Gross receipts . . . . .	13,500	20,741	34,241
2	Less: Contributions . . . .	12,350	11,214	23,564
3	Gross income (line 1 minus line 2) . . . . . .	1,150	9,527	10,677

4	Cash prizes . . . . .
5	Noncash prizes . . . .
6	Rent/facility costs . . . .		5,000	5,000
7	Food and beverages . . .	1,625	9,050	10,675
8	Entertainment . . . .
9	Other direct expenses . . .	1,868	6,861	8,729
10	Direct expense summary. Add lines 4 through 9 in column (d) . . . . . . . . . .			24,404
11	Net income summary. Subtract line 10 from line 3, column (d). . . . . . . . . .			-13,727

Part III

Gaming. Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, line 19, or reported more than $15,000 on Form 990-EZ, line 6a.

		(a) Bingo	(b) Pull tabs/Instant bingo/progressive bingo	(c) Other gaming	(d) Total gaming (add col.(a) through col.(c))
1	Gross revenue . . . . .

2	Cash prizes . . . . .
3	Noncash prizes . . . .
4	Rent/facility costs . . . .
5	Other direct expenses . . .

Volunteer labor . . . .

	Yes %
	No

	Yes %
	No

	Yes %
	No

Direct expense summary. Add lines 2 through 5 in column (d) . . . . . . . . . . right arrow

Net gaming income summary. Subtract line 7 from line 1, column (d). . . . . . . . . right arrow

Enter the state(s) in which the organization conducts gaming activities:

Is the organization licensed to conduct gaming activities in each of these states? . . . . . . . .

YesNo

If "No," explain:

10a

Were any of the organization's gaming licenses revoked, suspended or terminated during the tax year? . . .

YesNo

If "Yes," explain:

Schedule G (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Page 3

Does the organization conduct gaming activities with nonmembers? . . . . . . . . . . .

YesNo

Is the organization a grantor, beneficiary or trustee of a trust or a member of a partnership or other entity

formed to administer charitable gaming? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

YesNo

Indicate the percentage of gaming activity conducted in:

The organization's facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13a

An outside facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13b

Enter the name and address of the person who prepares the organization's gaming/special events books and records:

Name

Address

15a

Does the organization have a contract with a third party from whom the organization receives gaming

revenue? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

YesNo

If "Yes," enter the amount of gaming revenue received by the organization right arrow

$ and the

amount of gaming revenue retained by the third party right arrow

$ .

If "Yes," enter name and address of the third party:

Name

Address

Gaming manager information:

Name

Gaming manager compensation right arrow

Description of services provided right arrow

Director/officer Employee Independent contractor

Mandatory distributions:

Is the organization required under state law to make charitable distributions from the gaming proceeds to

retain the state gaming license? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

YesNo

Enter the amount of distributions required under state law distributed to other exempt organizations or spent

in the organization's own exempt activities during the tax year right arrow

Part IV

Supplemental Information. Provide the explanations required by Part I, line 2b, columns (iii) and (v); and Part III, lines 9, 9b, 10b, 15b, 15c, 16, and 17b, as applicable. Also provide any additional information. See instructions.

Return Reference	Explanation

Schedule G (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

- TIN:

SCHEDULE M
(Form 990)

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Noncash Contributions

Complete if the organizations answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, lines 29 or 30.
Right pointing arrow large image

Attach to Form 990.
Right pointing arrow large image

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Open to Public Inspection

Name of the organization

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Part I

Types of Property

	(a) Check if applicable	(b) Number of contributions or items contributed	(c) Noncash contribution amounts reported on Form 990, Part VIII, line 1g	(d) Method of determining noncash contribution amounts
1 Art—Works of art ....
2 Art—Historical treasures .
3 Art—Fractional interests ..
4 Books and publications ..
5 Clothing and household goods .......
6 Cars and other vehicles ..
7 Boats and planes ....
8 Intellectual property ...
9 Securities—Publicly traded .	X	3	30,203	AVG. SELLING PRICE
10 Securities—Closely held stock .
11 Securities—Partnership, LLC, or trust interests ....
12 Securities—Miscellaneous ..
13 Qualified conservation contribution—Historic structures .....
14 Qualified conservation contribution—Other ...
15 Real estate—Residential .
16 Real estate—Commercial ..
17 Real estate—Other ...
18 Collectibles .....
19 Food inventory ...
20 Drugs and medical supplies .
21 Taxidermy ......
22 Historical artifacts ....
23 Scientific specimens ..
24 Archeological artifacts ...
25 Other ( )
26 Other ( )
27 Other ( )
28 Other ( )

Number of Forms 8283 received by the organization during the tax year for contributions
for which the organization completed Form 8283, Part IV, Donee Acknowledgement

Yes

30a

During the year, did the organization receive by contribution any property reported in Part I, lines 1 through 28, that it must hold for at least three years from the date of the initial contribution, and which is not required to be used for exempt purposes for the entire holding period? ...................

30a

If "Yes," describe the arrangement in Part II.

Does the organization have a gift acceptance policy that requires the review of any nonstandard contributions?

32a

Does the organization hire or use third parties or related organizations to solicit, process, or sell noncash

contributions? ..........................

32a

If "Yes," describe in Part II.

If the organization did not report an amount in column (c) for a type of property for which column (a) is checked,

describe in Part II.

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990.

Cat. No. 51227J

Schedule M (Form 990) (2018)

Page 2

Part II

Supplemental Information. Provide the information required by Part I, lines 30b, 32b, and 33, and whether the organization is reporting in Part I, column (b), the number of contributions, the number of items received, or a combination of both. Also complete this part for any additional information.

Return Reference	Explanation
PART I, COLUMN (B):	THE ORGANIZATION IS REPORTING THE NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTORS IN COLUMN(B).

Schedule M (Form 990) (2018)

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

- TIN:

SCHEDULE O
(Form 990 or 990-EZ)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service

Supplemental Information to Form 990 or 990-EZ

Complete to provide information for responses to specific questions on
Form 990 or 990-EZ or to provide any additional information.
MediumBullet

Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
MediumBullet

Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.

OMB No. 1545-0047

2018

Open to Public
Inspection

Name of the organization

FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK
INC

Employer identification number

27-4108978

Return Reference	Explanation
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 61 FREELANCE WRITERS ON OVER 151 STORIES THAT HAVE APPEARED IN 61 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 INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, THE PULITZER CENTER FOR CRISIS REPORTING 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 THREE 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 AND THE DIRT 2018.
FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION:	IN 2018, WE PRODUCED 35 STORIES ON SUBJECTS RANGING FROM THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME DROUGHT ON FARMERS IN CENTRAL AMERICA'S DRY CORRIDOR IN "'EVERY DAY YOU BECOME MORE DESPERATE'," TO THE END OF THE VAQUITA A SMALL PORPOISE FOUND ONLY IN MEXICO'S GULF OF CALIFORNIA. WE ADDED SEVERAL IMPORTANT NEW PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE WORLDPOST, EATER, ADIRONDACK LIFE, EDIBLE BROOKLYN, ARKANSAS LIFE, NET (NEBRASKA PUBLIC RADIO), THE NEW FOOD ECONOMY, AND REVEAL. FERN'S REPORTING GARNERED SEVERAL AWARDS IN 2018. WE WON OUR THIRD JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD FOR "TERROR IN THE HEARTLAND," A FERN STORY REPORTED BY TED GENOWAYS AND PUBLISHED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW REPUBLIC WHICH WON THE JOURNALISM AWARD IN "INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING." THIS STORY UNCOVERED DETAILS OF HOW AN ELECTION-NIGHT PLOT TO MASSACRE MUSLIM REFUGEES IN A KANSAS MEATPACKING TOWN WAS THWARTED. IN 2018, FERN'S SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS REACH AND INFLUENCE. WE ARE ACTIVE ON THREE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. OUR AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EDITOR SUPERVISES ACTIVITY ON THESE PLATFORMS, INCLUDING THE JUDICIOUS USE OF PAID PROMOTION (A.K.A. "BOOSTS") IN ORDER TO REACH BEYOND OUR FOLLOWERS (AND IN THE CASE OF FACEBOOK, TO REACH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR FOLLOWERS). WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PUBLICATION PARTNERS' SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF, WHO HELP PROMOTE OUR COLLABORATIONS AS WELL AS "TAGGING" US WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL PLATFORMS IN WHICH THEY OPERATE. OUR SOCIAL AUDIENCE IS APPROXIMATELY 43,000 USERS AND TOTAL IMPRESSIONS IN 2018 FOR OUR POSTS AND TWEETS WAS APPROXIMATELY 4.4 MILLION PER YEAR. THOUGH THE PAST YEAR SAW MODEST GROWTH IN OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS, WE DID SEE VERY LARGE GROWTH IN OUR POST AND TWEET IMPRESSIONS, AS WELL AS POST/TWEET ENGAGEMENTS. OUR 2018 SOCIAL IMPRESSIONS SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 27%. WE SAW THE SAME TREND WITH OUR COMBINED SOCIAL MEDIA POST/TWEET ENGAGEMENTS WHICH REGISTERED A 62% INCREASE. RECENTLY, THE NEED FOR SPENDING MONEY TO INCREASE FOLLOWERS HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOSTING SPECIFIC CONTENT IN ORDER TO BUILD A LOYAL AND ENGAGED AUDIENCE AND THAT DEVELOPMENT GUIDED OUR SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTMENTS. AND THOUGH WE WERE PLEASED WITH THE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF IMPRESSIONS WE SAW FROM 2017 TO 2018, IT IS THAT 62% INCREASE IN ENGAGEMENT FROM 2017 TO 2018 THAT HOLDS THE MOST WEIGHT FOR US IN TERMS OF A SOLID SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH FOR FERN OVER THE PAST YEAR. OUR WEBSITE, WHILE NOT DESIGNED TO BE A DESTINATION SITE OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT OUR WORK FINDS ITS AUDIENCE THROUGH OUR PUBLICATION PARTNERS, REACHES 143,000 UNIQUE USERS A YEAR WITH NEARLY 500,000 PAGE VIEWS ANNUALLY. WE HAVE AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER AUDIENCE OF JUST OVER 10,000 PEOPLE. FOR EARNED MEDIA THROUGHOUT 2018, FERN HAS BUILT AN IMPRESSIVE LIST, BOTH FOR OUR STORIES AND FOR AWARENESS OF THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF. OUR STORIES AND REPORTERS HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN INTERVIEWS WITH HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA, PRI'S LIVING ON EARTH, KCRW'S GOOD FOOD, THE FARM SHOW, HERITAGE RADIO NETWORK, NORTH DAKOTA PUBLIC RADIO, WNYC'S THE TAKEAWAY, AND MORE. FERN STORIES HAVE BEEN MENTIONED BY POPULAR SITES SUCH AS SALON, SCIENCE FRIDAY, THE DAILY CLIMATE, AND YAHOO. INFLUENTIAL GROUPS LIKE UC FOOD OBSERVER, MOTHER JONES FOOD, SLOW FOOD DC, BERKELEY FOOD INSTITUTE, LA FOOD POLICY COUNCIL, CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS, NOFA-NY AND FOOD TANK HAVE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT FERN'S WORK. AND INFLUENCERS SUCH AS MARION NESTLE, MARK BITTMAN, MICHAEL POLLAN, AND TOM COLICCHIO CONTINUE TO BOOST FERN'S PROFILE VIA THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AND PERSONAL BLOGS. AND OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WAS PART OF A PANEL ON MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS AT THE 2018 IRE CONFERENCE (INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS & EDITORS). IN ADDITION, FERN HAS HAD TWO SESSIONS SELECTED FOR SXSW 2019, ONE ON RURAL REPORTING AND THE OTHER ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY AT LARGE FOOD COMPANIES. 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 7,300 AS A WAY TO ENHANCE ENGAGEMENT WITH AN AUDIENCE THAT IS MOSTLY DISTINCT FROM OUR SOCIAL-MEDIA AUDIENCE. THIS INITIATIVE IS DESIGNED TO ESTABLISH FERN AS A SOURCE FOR CURATION AND GUIDANCE IN NAVIGATING FOOD MEDIA, AND NOT ONLY A PRODUCER OF ORIGINAL JOURNALISM. THIS ADDED TOUCH OF ENGAGEMENT HAS ALSO HELPED US TO HONE IN ON WHICH TOPICS RESONATE MOST WITH OUR AUDIENCE. WE CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY NEWS SERVICE, FERN'S AG INSIDER. FOR A SMALL ANNUAL FEE, SUBSCRIBERS GAIN ACCESS TO REPORTING, INCLUDING A FULL ARCHIVE ON OUR WEBSITE, WITH A SUBJECT-TAG ORGANIZATION. THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER, NOW INCLUDING ONLY SUMMARIES OF THE FULL STORIES, REMAINS FREE. WE HAVE A MODEST BUT GROWING NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE SUBSCRIBERS AND A GROWING NUMBER OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONAL SUBSCRIBERS, INCLUDING STANFORD UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, TUFTS, YALE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY. IN ADDITION, AGRICULTURE.COM (ONE OF THE FOREMOST NEWS OUTLETS FOR COMMODITY FARMERS), SUCCESSFUL FARMER MAGAZINE, NPR'S THE SALT AND MOTHER JONES CURRENTLY SYNDICATE SELECTED AG INSIDER ARTICLES. WE SEE FERN'S AG INSIDER, PARTICULARLY INSTITUTIONAL AND CORPORATE SALES, AS A SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EARNED REVENUE GROWTH. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED OUR THIRD PRINT COLLECTION, THE DIRT 2018 A SELECTION OF OUR FAVORITE STORIES FROM THE PAST YEAR. OUR RANGE OF IMPACT IS RISING. WE CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE A VARIETY OF PARTNERS AND AUDIENCES. SOME ARE SMALL BUT HIGHLY FOCUSED, SUCH AS ENSIA, WHICH CATERS TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICYMAKERS, ADVOCATES AND MEDIA, OR ARKANSAS LIFE, A REGIONAL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE. OTHERS ARE BROAD AND MAINSTREAM, LIKE EATINGWELL, THE WASHINGTON POST AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. WE SUCCEEDED IN ALERTING MILLIONS OF "NEW TO THE ISSUES" READERS AND PRIMING THEM FOR REFORM. "BUILDING A BACKUP BEE", BY PAIGE EMBRY, TELLS THE STORY OF HOW THE WONDERFUL COMPANY, THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER OF ALMONDS, HIRED A SCIENTIST TO CULTIVATE THE BLUE ORCHARD BEEAT SCALE AND AT A PRICE THAT MADE SENSEAS SUBSTITUTE POLLINATOR FOR THE EMBATTLED HONEYBEE. IT WAS OUR SECOND STORY WITH SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, AND THE FIRST TO MAKE THE CUT FOR THE PRINT MAGAZINE. EMBRY'S PIECE BEGAN AS ONLINE ONLY, BUT BY THE TIME WE DELIVERED THE FIRST DRAFTAS WELL AS SOME AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY DUNNTHE EDITORS AT SCIAM DECIDED IT WAS WORTH ELEVATING TO THE MAGAZINE. AS SUCH, THE STORY REPRESENTS THE BEST OF WHAT FERN BRINGS TO THE TABLE FOR OUR PARTNERS: FUNDING, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO SHREWD EDITORIAL JUDGMENT, SHARP EDITING, AND THE ABILITY TO DELIVER FIRST-RATE ANCILLARY ELEMENTS, SUCH AS PHOTOS AND INFOGRAPHICS. "WAS YOUR SEAFOOD CAUGHT WITH SLAVE LABOR? NEW TOOL TRIES TO HELP RETAILERS." CLARE LESCHIN-HOAR EXPLAINS HOW A NEW DATABASE, DEVELOPED BY THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM'S SEAFOOD WATCH PROGRAM, OFFERS RETAILERS SUCH AS WALMART, KROGER, AND RED LOBSTER A WAY TO DETERMINE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE FISH THEY'RE BUYING WAS CAUGHT WITH SLAVE LABOR. THE PIECE WAS PUBLISHED WITH NPR'S THE SALT, AND CLARE WAS INTERVIEWED ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED THE SAME DAY. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SALT ALLOWED THE STORY TO BE REPUBLISHED ON SEVERAL OF NPR'S AFFILIATES' WEBSITES, INCLUDING WBUR, NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC RADIO, WYOMING PUBLIC RADIO, DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA, MAINE PUBLIC RADIO, LAKESHORE PUBLIC MEDIA, INDIANA PUBLIC MEDIA, AND OTHERS. "A SLOW-MOTION CATASTROPHE THREATENS 350-YEAR-OLD FARMS" BY VIRGINIA GEWIN, WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE ATLANTIC. VIRGINIA WAS ON WNYC'S THE TAKEAWAY TALKING ABOUT THE STORY. THE STORY WAS ALSO FEATURED ON AGFUNDERNEWS' BLOG. AGFUNDERNEWS IS AN INDUSTRY NEWS SITE AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGY AND INVESTMENT. "CAN AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE CO-EXIST? RICE FARMERS THINK SO." BY LISA MOREHOUSE, WAS PUBLISHED WITH KQED'S CALIFORNIA REPORT. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, OUR LINK TO THE STORY REACHED NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE. THE STORY WAS TWEETED BY THE CA RICE COMMISSION, CALIFORNIA TROUT, AND SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS (SEJ), ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND, AND KALW (SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RADIO). IT WAS ALSO SHARED ON FACEBOOK BY ROOTS OF CHANGE (NONPROFIT BASED IN OAKLAND, CALIF.). LISA WAS ON WBUR'S HERE AND NOW TALKING ABOUT THE STORY. "IS BPA MAKING US FAT, ANXIOUS AND SICK? A NEW EFFORT TO FIND THE ANSWER MAY BE BREAKING DOWN," BY LINDSEY KONKEL SHOWED HOW THE FDA IS APPARENTLY TRYING TO WHITEWASH THE RESULTS OF A YEARS-LONG EFFORT TO PINPOINT THE BEST WAYS TO MEASURE TOXICITY OF MAN-MADE CHEMICALS. OUR PARTNER ON THIS WAS HUFFPOST, AND THE PIECE GOT 122,000 PAGE VIEWS IN THE FIRST THREE DAYS.
FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION:	HUFFPOST'S SOCIAL EFFORTS FOR THIS STORY DRAMATICALLY HELPED WITH THE SOCIAL REACH. NOT ONLY DID THEY SHARE THE STORY FROM THEIR GENERAL HUFFPOST TWITTER ACCOUNT (11.4 MILLION FOLLOWERS), BUT THEY ALSO SHARED IT FROM THE HUFFPOST POLITICS TWITTER ACCOUNT (1.43 MILLION FOLLOWERS). AND ON FACEBOOK, THEY SHARED IT FROM THEIR HUFFPOST POLITICS PAGE (OVER 2.1 MILLION FOLLOWERS). WHEN COMBINED, THOSE THREE ACCOUNTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REACH ABOUT 15 MILLION SOCIAL MEDIA USERS. NOTE THAT HUFFPOST ALSO TAGGED FERN IN ALL OF THESE SHARES. SO NOT ONLY DID THEY HELP SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THE STORY, BUT THEY LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT FERN WAS BEHIND THE STORY. WE ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF STORIES FOCUSED ON OR DISTRIBUTED TO RURAL AUDIENCES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. "THE JAMN WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA" BY MARYN MCKENNA WHICH LOOKED AT FARMERS IN GEORGIA DISCOVERING THE BENEFITS OF HERITAGE BREEDS (IN THIS CASE A TYPE OF HOG THAT TYPICALLY ONLY THRIVES IN SPAIN), WAS PUBLISHED WITH EATER. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, EATER'S LINK TO THE STORY HAD OVER 206,000 SOCIAL SHARES. EATER'S COMBINED SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE FOR TWITTER AND FACEBOOK IS OVER 2.5 MILLION. "DRINKING PROBLEMS," BY ELIZABETH ROYTE, WAS A CLASSIC FERN STORY, A "LETTER FROM PRETTY PRAIRIE, KANSAS"PUBLISHED WITH HARPER'STHAT EXPLAINED WHY THIS TINY FARMING COMMUNITY HAD LIVED FOR DECADES WITH HIGH LEVELS OF NITRATES IN ITS DRINKING WATER. IT OPENED A WINDOW ONTO LIFE IN RURAL AMERICA, AND HOW FARMING STILL HAS EXALTED STATUSEVEN WHEN IT'S FOULING THE TOWN'S WATER SUPPLY. THIS STORY WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY A RANGE OF INFLUENCERS THAT INCLUDE DANIELLE NIERENBERG, MARION NESTLE, AND THE NATIONAL NONPROFIT, PUBLIC JUSTICE. "A DEMOCRAT IN FARM COUNTRY HOPES TO BEAT ONE OF IOWA'S BIGGEST RACISTS," BY BRIAN BARTH, WAS A TIMELY STORY ON FARMER DISCONTENT OVER TRUMP TRADE POLICIES, THROUGH THE LENS OF THE IOWA MIDTERMS. IT EXAMINED A DEMOCRAT WHO WAS VYING IN A PRIMARY TO FACE REP. STEVE KING, PROBABLY THE MOST EXPLICITLY WHITE SUPREMACIST POLITICIAN IN THE HOUSE. IT ILLUSTRATES TWO IMPORTANT THINGS IN TERMS OF FERN'S COVERAGE IN THE TRUMP ERA: FIRST, IT'S A STORY FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY THAT USES FOOD AND AG AS A WAY TO UNDERSTAND POLITICAL AND CULTURAL TRENDS; SECOND, IT WAS A FAIRLY QUICK-TURNAROUND PIECE, SOMETHING THAT OUR ROBUST PARTNERSHIP WITH MOTHER JONES MAKES POSSIBLE. THIS PARTNER HAS A HUGE SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE AT 2.3 MILLION FOLLOWERS (FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM), AND THEIR LINK TO THIS STORY HAD OVER 600 SOCIAL SHARES. THEIR PODCAST, THE BITE, ALSO POINTED TO THE PIECE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND UC FOOD OBSERVER INCLUDED THE STORY IN THEIR WEEKLY WRAP. IT WAS PARTICULARLY TIMELY AS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE, JD SCHOLTEN, WHO WON THE PRIMARY BUT LOST TO KING IN NOVEMBER, NEVERTHELESS OPENED UP A DEBATE THAT CONTINUED POST-ELECTION AS TO WHETHER STEVE KING, AN OPEN WHITE SUPREMACIST, HAS ANY PLACE IN CONGRESS. BY EARLY 2019, KING HAD BEEN STRIPPED OF HIS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS BY HIS GOP COLLEAGUES AND LEFT AS A VIRTUAL BYSTANDER TO THE WORK OF CONGRESS. IN JUNE 2018, WE RELEASED OUR FIRST EXPLAINER VIDEO. IT WAS AN ANIMATED EXPLORATION OF THE FARM BILL, TIMED PERFECTLY FOR THE DEBATE OVER THE FARM BILL'S RENEWAL, WHICH ONLY OCCURS EVERY FIVE YEARS. WE DISTRIBUTED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHILE MOTHER JONES AND NPR EMBEDDED IT ON THEIR SITES AS WELL. IN JUST OVER SEVEN MINUTES, WE EXPLAIN WHAT THE FARM BILL IS, WHY IT MATTERS, AND HOW THE COMPROMISES THAT MADE IT WORK FOR DECADES ARE THREATENING TO PULL APART. THE PIECE WAS REPORTED BY BRIDGET HUBER, A REGULAR FERN CONTRIBUTOR, AND OUR DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION, AND ANIMATION TEAM MADE IT AN ESPECIALLY RICH PIECE. IT HAS RECEIVED OVER 15,000 VIEWS (AND COUNTING) AND WAS SHARED WIDELY BY ADVOCATES AND ACTIVISTS. IT WAS PRAISED BY FIGURES ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, INCLUDING FROM WITHIN USDA ITSELF. THIS EXPLAINER WAS MENTIONED WIDELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY INFLUENCERS IN FOOD POLICY SUCH AS MARION NESTLE, MARK BITTMAN, SLOW FOOD DC, BERKELEY FOOD INSTITUTE, LA FOOD POLICY COUNCIL, CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION, AND CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS. PUBLISHERS WHO SHARED THE VIDEO INCLUDED GRIST, HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA, NEW FOOD ECONOMY, DAILY YONDER, YES!, UC FOOD OBSERVER, AND MIDWEST CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING. IT ALSO REPRESENTS A PROOF OF CONCEPT, AND IS INTENDED TO BE THE START OF A NEW EDITORIAL SERVICE THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BRING TO OUR PARTNERSHIPS. AS SUCH, IT WAS AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE'VE DONE ALL YEAR. "THE ENDING: WATCHING A SPECIES VANISH IN REAL TIME", BY BEN GOLDFARB, IS A GORGEOUS NARRATIVE OF A CONTROVERSIAL BAND OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS WORKED WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO SAVE THE VAQUITA, A SMALL PORPOISE FOUND ONLY IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA THAT IS GOING EXTINCT. THIS WAS THE LATEST IN A BURGEONING PARTNERSHIP WITH PACIFIC STANDARD, A PUBLICATION THAT IS REALLY DOING SOME GREAT JOURNALISM. WE HAD OVER 1.6K SOCIAL SHARES FOR THIS STORY, INCLUDING A TWEET FROM THEIR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WHO STATED, "THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECENT FEATURES IN @PACIFICSTAND. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT. AND THANKS, AS ALWAYS, TO THE @FERNNEWS TEAM FOR HELPING MAKE THIS ONE HAPPEN." ON THE WEB, THE PIECE WAS PICKED UP BY SOURCES INCLUDING MINNPOST, MOTHER NATURE NETWORK, AND LONGFORM. "CAN FARMING SAVE PUERTO RICO'S FUTURE?" BY AUDREA LIM, IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES FERN IS HELPING TO PRODUCE WITH THE NATION ON PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THESE WERE CONCEIVED AS ONLINE-ONLY PIECES, BUT THE EDITORS WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH THIS FIRST ONE THAT THEY INCLUDED IT IN THE PRINT MAGAZINE. THIS STORY WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY INFLUENCERS WHO WORK TOWARD GLOBAL CHANGE IN FOOD SYSTEMS. THESE SHARED INCLUDED FOOD TANK, CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY, AND SIANI (THE SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE NETWORK INITIATIVE). "THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET AND EVERYTHING CHANGED," BY JOHNNY SAIN, IS A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT, BY A FORMER CONTRACT HOG FARMER FOR CARGILL, OF THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS THAT CAFOS HAVE HAD ON THE ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT, AND CULTURE OF RURAL ARKANSAS COMMUNITIES. THE FIRST-PERSON NATURE OF THE PIECE IS ATYPICAL FOR FERN STORIES, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE ARTICLE'S STRENGTHS. WE WORKED WITH ARKANSAS LIFE, A REGIONAL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE. WHILE IT LACKED THE REACH OF MANY OF OUR PARTNERS, IT GOT FERN'S WORK INTO RURAL AMERICA IN A WAY THAT MANY OF OUR PARTNERS CANNOT. "HOW'S ORGANIC FARMING FARING IN THE FARM BILL?" BY BARRY YEOMAN, IS AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE FUNDING OF THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT IN THE 2018 FARM BILL DEBATE. LIKE THE VIDEO EXPLAINER LISTED ABOVE, THIS IS PART OF A BROADER EFFORT BY FERN TO DEEPLY COVER THE STORY OF THIS SPRAWLING AND POORLY UNDERSTOOD PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT DETERMINES HOW OUR FOOD IS PRODUCED, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO IT AFTER IT'S PRODUCED. AND LIKE THE STORY WITH ARKANSAS LIFE, WE PARTNERED WITH NEBRASKA PUBLIC BROADCASTING ON THIS PIECE, WHICH AGAIN GETS OUR WORK TO AN IMPORTANT AUDIENCE WE DON'T TYPICALLY REACH. THE STORY WAS ALSO PICKED UP AND SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH THE ISSUES RELATED TO RURAL AMERICA, SUCH AS THE CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION (CFSA), WHICH SUPPORTS FARMING THAT IS GOOD FOR CONSUMERS, FOR FARMERS AND FARMWORKERS, AND GOOD FOR THE LAND. A SECOND STORY PUBLISHED WITH NEBRASKA PUBLIC RADIO LOOKED AT PUERTO RICAN FARMERS IN THE AFTERMATH OF MARIA. NOTABLY, WE HAD A MAJOR SUCCESS RECENTLY WHEN JANE BLACK AND LEAH DOUGLAS, IN A FERN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST, BROKE NEWS ON HOW AN ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR SNAP BENEFITS AT FARMERS MARKETS WAS FLOUNDERING. A KEY VENDOR IN THIS CHAIN OVERSEEN BY THE USDA WAS ABOUT TO EXIT THE BUSINESS, LEAVING 1,700 FARMERS MARKETS NATIONWIDE WITH NO WAY TO PROCESS ELECTRONIC SNAP BENEFITS AND MANY LOW-INCOME RECIPIENTS WITHOUT ACCESS TO FRESH, LOCAL FOOD. AFTER OUR STORY RAN, A NON-PROFIT FUNDER STEPPED INTO THE GAP, HELPING THE PROVIDER CONTINUE IN BUSINESS UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST. POLITICIANS ALSO DEMANDED THAT THE USDA COME UP WITH A NEW SOLUTION TO AVOID SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS. FOURTEEN DEMOCRATIC SENATORS WROTE A LETTER TO THE USDA, ASKING THE DEPARTMENT TO "EXPLORE EVERY POSSIBLE OPTION TO ENSURE THERE IS NO DISRUPTION IN EBT [ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER] SERVICE AT FARMERS MARKETS DURING THIS CRITICAL MARKET TIME." NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO WROTE A SCATHING LETTER TO THE USDA, AND SEVERAL U.S. REPRESENTATIVES ALSO WEIGHED IN. BUT THIS WAS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE; MANY CONSERVATIVES SUPPORTED THE PROGRAM AS A MARKET-BASED APPROACH THAT HELPS BOTH FARMERS AND LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS. GOV. CUOMO LATER ANNOUNCED A FUNDING PLAN TO ENSURE MARKETS CAN CONTINUE ACCEPTING SNAP BENEFITS THROUGH THE END OF THE MARKET SEASON.
FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A CONTINUATION:	THE WASHINGTON POST HAS A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF 90.2 MILLION. MODERN FARMER WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT OUR STORY AND WHEN WE SHARED THEIR ARTICLE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, IT PERFORMED NOTICEABLY WELL WITH OUR AUDIENCE. OVERALL, THE STORY WAS SHARED WIDELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ESPECIALLY VIA ORGANIZATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOCUSED ON NUTRITION AND ENSURING THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS. THIS LIST INCLUDED FAIR FOOD NETWORK, OREGON FOOD BANK, FOOD POLICY ACTION, TUFTS NUTRITION, AND TISCH FOOD CENTER. @WAPOFOOD'S TWEET OF THE STORY REACHED NEARLY 124,000. IN LATE OCTOBER 2018, WE RELEASED TWO STORIES ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON FARM COUNTRY. FROM THE DAIRY FARMS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW YORK TO THE COMMODITY GROWERS IN THE MIDWEST AND THE PRODUCE FIELDS OF CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY, THE FARM-COUNTRY VOTE IS VERY MUCH IN PLAY AS THE MIDTERMS APPROACH. WE TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT A HANDFUL OF CONTESTS THAT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS CAN FLIP THE FARMERS WHO HELPED ELECT DONALD TRUMP. BRIAN BARTH OFFERED A SURVEY OF EIGHT CLOSE RACES IN FARM COUNTRY, HOW THE CANDIDATES' STRATEGIES ARE PLAYING OUT AND WHAT'S AT STAKE WITH TRADE, IMMIGRATION, SNAP, THE FARM BILL, WATER RIGHTS, AND ETHANOL. WE PRODUCED A SHAREABLE INFOGRAPHIC TO GO ALONG WITH THIS STORY. IN ADDITION, LEAH DOUGLAS WENT TO LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE JESS KING IS WITHIN SINGLE DIGITS OF INCUMBENT REP. LLOYD SMUCKER. KING'S CAMPAIGN, BUILT ON DOOR-TO-DOOR VISITS AND A LOT OF PUBLIC EVENTS, IS WINNING CONVERTS AMONG THE DAIRY FARMERS STRUGGLING WITH LOW PRICES AND A GROWING SENSE THAT THE REPUBLICANS THEY'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED ARE MORE ABOUT BIG AG THAN SMALL FARMERS. THESE PIECES WERE DISTRIBUTED BY MOTHER JONES AND NEW FOOD ECONOMY. LATE IN THE YEAR, WE PUBLISHED KIMON DE GREEF'S INVESTIGATION OF SEA-CUCUMBER SMUGGLING IN MOROCCO. THIS WAS OUR LATEST "FOOD CRIMES" PIECE WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, AND PROVED TO BE A DIFFICULT AND LENGTHY PROJECT. KIMON, AND PHOTOGRAPHER WILLIAM DANIELS, SPENT MANY MONTHS TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT FIXER TO GET THEM ACCESS TO POOR FISHERMEN WHO ARE AT THE HEART OF THIS SENSITIVE ISSUE. IT WAS AN EXPENSIVE STORY, BUT THE END PRODUCTA POWERFUL STORY ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY A GLOBAL BLACK MARKETIS THE KIND OF PIECE THAT FERN WAS CREATED TO PRODUCE. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HAS 26 MILLION MONTHLY READERS ON THEIR WEBSITE. THEY ALSO HAVE A MASSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE STORY HAD EXTRAORDINARY REACH AND APPEAL ON TWITTER. OUR TWEET OF THE PIECE HAD NEARLY 370,000 IMPRESSIONS AND 8,400 ENGAGEMENTS. WE FOLLOWED THAT PIECE UP WITH A CLASSIC DOCUMENT-DRIVEN INVESTIGATION. "SCIENTISTS WARNED THIS WEEDKILLER WOULD DESTROY CROPS. EPA APPROVED IT ANYWAY," FROM LIZA GROSS DETAILED HOW THE EPA IGNORED DECADES OF INDEPENDENT SCIENCE AND EFFECTIVELY TOOK MONSANTO'S WORD THAT ITS NEW VERSION OF DICAMBA WOULD NOT DRIFT OFF TARGET AND DAMAGE NEIGHBORING CROPS. THIS WAS OUR FIRST PIECE WITH REVEAL, A MAJOR NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR INVESTIGATIVE STORIES. A RADIO VERSION WILL BE OUT IN SPRING 2019. THE STORY WAS LINKED TO BY POLITICO IN THEIR MORNING AG BRIEFING. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE PIECE WAS SHARED FAR AND WIDE BOTH BY GROUPS FOCUSED ON PESTICIDES/PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES AND PUBLISHERS AND JOURNALISTS INVOLVED WITH INVESTIGATIVE SCIENCE JOURNALISM. SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE GM WATCH, GMO FREE USA, NATIONAL ORGANIC COALITION, ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT, CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK, FOODPRINT, INVESTIGATE MIDWEST, NEW FOOD ECONOMY, AND THE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM. "HOW OAKLAND BECAME A LEADER IN CUTTING SCHOOL FOOD WASTE," BY JONATHAN BLOOM, TOLD THE STORY OF HOW THE HEAD SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT USED COMPOSTING, SHARE TABLES AND DONATIONS TO EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATE FOOD WASTE. THIS WAS A STRONG SOLUTIONS STORY ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT COSTS AMERICAN SCHOOLS $5 MILLION A DAY AND PUBLISHED WITH GRIST. THE STORY WAS FEATURED ON REDDIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS BITS (WRITTEN AND MAINTAINED BY LAURA L. BARNES, WHO IS THE SUSTAINABILITY INFORMATION CURATOR AT THE ILLINOIS SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY CENTER). THE PIECE WAS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN FOOD SECURITY ISSUES, SUCH AS FOODPRINT, FAIR FOOD NETWORK AND SLOW FOOD USA. "THE AIR THEY BREATHE," BY LEAH DOUGLAS, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A NEWSY PIECE THAT WE PLACED WITH MOTHER JONES, THAT EXPLAINS HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND ITS ALLIES IN CONGRESS EXEMPTED CAFOS FROM AIR-POLLUTION MONITORING. THE STORY WAS RE-PUBLISHED ONLINE BY THE NEW FOOD ECONOMY AND INVESTIGATE MIDWEST. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE PIECE WAS SHARED BY FARM FORWARD AND JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR A LIVEABLE FUTURE. LEAH'S TWEET FOR HER STORY GOT NICE ENGAGEMENT FROM FOLKS LIKE ANNA LAPP AND KCRW'S GOOD FOOD. AN INVASIVE, ELUSIVE 20-POUND RODENT THREATENS CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE, IS ANOTHER IN OUR ONGOING RADIO PROJECT WITH LISA MOREHOUSE AND KCRW'S CALIFORNIA REPORT, WHICH HAS 330K LISTENERS IN THE STATE. LIKE SO MANY OF LISA'S STORIES, THIS ONE BLENDS THE ODD WITH THE IMPORTANT, COLORFULLY EXPLAINING HOW THE NUTRIA, A FECUND, VORACIOUS, BEAVER-LIKE RODENT FROM SOUTH AMERICA, IS TEARING UP CROPS, BURROWING INTO FIELDS AND IRRIGATION CANALS, AND GENERALLY MAKING LIFE MISERABLE FOR CENTRAL VALLEY FARMERS. ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE NUTRIA STORY HAD WIDE REACH AND APPEAL. OUR POST FOR THE STORY RECEIVED REACHED OVER 25,000 AND HAD OVER 3,000 ENGAGEMENTS. OUR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING PROGRAM CREATED THE FOLLOWING CONTENT AND SERVED THE FOLLOWING AUDIENCES: OUR WORK JANUARY 2018 AN UNLIKELY CLIMATE CRUSADE IN TRUMP COUNTRY WORLDPOST FEBRUARY 2018 WAS YOUR SEAFOOD CAUGHT WITH SLAVE LABOR? NEW TOOL TRIES TO HELP RETAILERS. NPR'S THE SALT FARM FUMES ARE HARMING OUR HEALTH. HERE'S WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. ENSIA $40 MILLION LATER, A PIONEERING PLAN TO BOOST WILD FISH STOCKS SHOWS LITTLE SUCCESS. NPR'S THE SALT BUILDING A BACKUP BEE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN IS 'SEED TO TABLE' THE NEXT BIG FOOD TREND? ONE TOP CHEF HOPES SO. THE WASHINGTON POST MARCH 2018 A SLOW-MOTION CATASTROPHE THREATENS 350-YEAR-OLD FARMS THE ATLANTIC APRIL 2018 CAN AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE CO-EXIST? RICE FARMERS THINK SO.KQED'S THE CALIFORNIA REPORT THE JAMN WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA EATER HOMES OR GARDENS?NPR'S THE SALT MAY 2018 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EATCOOKING LIGHT SYRIAN SEEDS AND THE FUTURE OF WHEATYALE ENVIRONMENT 360 JUNE 2018 A DEMOCRAT IN FARM COUNTRY HOPES TO FLIP A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN DISTRICT MOTHER JONES WHAT IS THE FARM BILL AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? THE END OF THE 'PANDA OF THE SEA' PACIFIC STANDARD CAN FARMING SAVE PUERTO RICO'S FUTURE? THE NATION WILL HIGH-TECH INDOOR AGRICULTURE TRANSFORM LOCAL FOOD? EDIBLE BROOKLYN THIS MINE THREATENS AMERICA'S LARGEST WILD SALMON RUN MOTHER JONES JULY 2018 SOME FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS MAY SOON LOSE ACCESS TO FARMERS MARKET BENEFITS THE WASHINGTON POST DRINKING PROBLEMS HARPER'S MAGAZINE TOXIC OVERSIGHT HUFFPOST AUGUST 2018 THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET AND EVERYTHING CHANGED ARKANSAS LIFE HOW'S ORGANIC FARMING FARING IN THE FARM BILL? NET'S ON THE TABLE AFTER A CENTURY'S ABSENCE, A GLIMMER OF POSSIBILITY FOR A NATIVE NEW YORK SALMON ADIRONDACK LIFE SEPTEMBER 2018 INDIA IS AWASH IN PALM OIL, AND HEALTH TAKES A HIT THE NATION A YEAR AFTER HURRICANE MARIA, PUERTO RICO'S FARMERS CLAW BACK NET'S ON THE TABLE OCTOBER 2018 'EVERY DAY YOU BECOME MORE DESPERATE' WEATHER.COM CAN JESS KING FLIP THE FARMERS OF LANCASTER COUNTY? THESE RACES WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE BLUE WAVE IN FARM COUNTRY NOVEMBER 2018 SEA CUCUMBERS ARE BEING EATEN TO DEATH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SCIENTISTS WARNED THIS WEEDKILLER WOULD DESTROY CROPS. EPA APPROVED IT ANYWAY. REVEAL HOW OAKLAND BECAME A LEADER IN CUTTING SCHOOL FOOD WASTE GRIST DECEMBER 2018 AN INVASIVE, ELUSIVE 20-POUND RODENT THREATENS CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE KQED'S THE CALIFORNIA REPORT IS THE EGG TOAST? THE NEW FOOD ECONOMY THE AIR THEY BREATHE MOTHER JONES
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 CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH THE GOVERNING BOARD. AFTER DISCLOSURE, AN INVESTIGATION IS HELD DURING WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL MUST RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM VOTING ON THE MATTER. IF THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY ACTUAL OR POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST, APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. 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.
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 2018.
FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19	THE ORGANIZATION'S FORM 990 AND THE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENT ARE 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 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	SPECIAL PROJECTS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 179,593. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 3,100. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 182,693. WRITERS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 96,595. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 96,595. EDITORS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 54,700. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 1,750. TOTAL EXPENSES 56,450. DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 43,379. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 18,955. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 62,334. COMMUNICATIONS: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 45,170. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 19,500. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 7,000. TOTAL EXPENSES 71,670. MULTIMEDIA: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 35,376. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 5,850. TOTAL EXPENSES 41,226. PHOTOGRAPHER: PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES 24,672. MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL EXPENSES 0. FUNDRAISING EXPENSES 0. TOTAL EXPENSES 24,672.
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.

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Cat. No. 51056K

Schedule O (Form 990 or 990-EZ) 2018

Additional Data

Software ID:
Software Version:

1	Briefly describe the organization’s mission or most significant activities: OUR ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE IS TO EVALUATE, COMMISSION AND DISTRIBUTE INVESTIGATIVE NEWS ARTICLES OF BETWEEN 1,500 AND 5,000 WORDS IN LENGTH. THIS INCLUDES PLANNING, CONTRACTING WITH PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS FOR WRITING SERVICES, PROVIDING EDITORIAL OVERSIGHT, AND COPY EDITING, FACT CHECKING AND PROVIDING PRE-PUBLICATION LEGAL REVIEWS OF SUBMITTED STORIES. WE THEN DISTRIBUTE OUR REPORTS AT NO CHARGE TO MAINSTREAM PUBLICATIONS.
2	Check this box
3	Number of voting members of the governing body (Part VI, line 1a) ........	3	8
4	Number of independent voting members of the governing body (Part VI, line 1b) .....	4	7
5	Total number of individuals employed in calendar year 2018 (Part V, line 2a) ......	5	7
6	Total number of volunteers (estimate if necessary) .............	6	7
7a	Total unrelated business revenue from Part VIII, column (C), line 12 ........	7a	0
b	Net unrelated business taxable income from Form 990-T, line 34 .........	7b	0

		Prior Year	Current Year
8	Contributions and grants (Part VIII, line 1h) .........	639,205	1,004,498
9	Program service revenue (Part VIII, line 2g) .........	109,921	107,277
10	Investment income (Part VIII, column (A), lines 3, 4, and 7d ) ....	357	23
11	Other revenue (Part VIII, column (A), lines 5, 6d, 8c, 9c, 10c, and 11e)	-18,737	-10,747
12	Total revenue—add lines 8 through 11 (must equal Part VIII, column (A), line 12)	730,746	1,101,051
13	Grants and similar amounts paid (Part IX, column (A), lines 1–3 )...	0	0
14	Benefits paid to or for members (Part IX, column (A), line 4).....	0	0
15	Salaries, other compensation, employee benefits (Part IX, column (A), lines 5–10)	510,689	526,266
16a	Professional fundraising fees (Part IX, column (A), line 11e) .....	0	0
b	Total fundraising expenses (Part IX, column (D), line 25) 54,523
17	Other expenses (Part IX, column (A), lines 11a–11d, 11f–24e)....	547,486	681,726
18	Total expenses. Add lines 13–17 (must equal Part IX, column (A), line 25)	1,058,175	1,207,992
19	Revenue less expenses. Subtract line 18 from line 12.......	-327,429	-106,941
		Beginning of Current Year	End of Year
20	Total assets (Part X, line 16).............	188,926	141,547
21	Total liabilities (Part X, line 26).............	73,647	133,209
22	Net assets or fund balances. Subtract line 21 from line 20.....	115,279	8,338

Sign Here

	Signature of officer	Date

	Type or print name and title


4a	(Code: ) (Expenses $ 775,649 including grants of $ ) (Revenue $ 76,650 )
	SEE SCHEDULE O

4b	(Code: ) (Expenses $ 131,719 including grants of $ ) (Revenue $ 30,627 )
	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

4c	(Code: ) (Expenses $ including grants of $ ) (Revenue $ )












4d	Other program services (Describe in Schedule O.)
	(Expenses $ including grants of $ ) (Revenue $ )
4e	Total program service expenses907,368

(A) Name and Title	(B) Average hours per week (list any hours for related organizations below dotted line)	(C) Position (do not check more than one box, unless person is both an officer and a director/trustee)		(D) Reportable compensation from the organization (W- 2/1099-MISC)	(E) Reportable compensation from related organizations (W- 2/1099-MISC)	(F) Estimated amount of other compensation from the organization and related organizations
(A) Name and Title
(1) JOANNE KELLEY...................................................................... CHAIR	5.00 .................	X	X	0	0	0
(2) NATHANIEL BROWN...................................................................... TREASURER	5.00 .................	X	X	0	0	0
(3) SAMUEL FORMARTZ...................................................................... SECRETARY/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF	40.00 .................	X	X	87,550	0	24,500
(4) DANIEL PULLMAN...................................................................... BOARD MEMBER	5.00 .................	X		0	0	0
(5) SUSAN WEST...................................................................... BOARD MEMBER	5.00 .................	X		0	0	0
(6) LORRAINE FONTANES...................................................................... BOARD MEMBER	5.00 .................	X		0	0	0
(7) LESLIE WILLIAMS...................................................................... BOARD MEMBER	5.00 .................	X		0	0	0
(8) AILEEN BURDICK...................................................................... BOARD MEMBER	5.00 .................	X		0	0	0
(9) THOMAS LASKAWY...................................................................... EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40.00 .................		X	84,183	0	4,209

1b	Sub-Total................
c	Total from continuation sheets to Part VII, Section A....
d	Total (add lines 1b and 1c)...........	171,733	0	28,709

(A) Name and business address	(B) Description of services	(C) Compensation





2 Total number of independent contractors (including but not limited to those listed above) who received more than $100,000 of compensation from the organization 0

1a	Federated campaigns..		1a
b	Membership dues..		1b
c	Fundraising events..		1c	23,564
d	Related organizations		1d
e	Government grants (contributions)		1e

f	All other contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts not included above		1f	980,934

g	Noncash contributions included in lines 1a - 1f:$ 30,203
h Total. Add lines 1a-1f.......		1,004,498

		Business Code
2a	EDITORIAL FEE	511110	76,650	76,650
b	SUBSCRIPTIONS REVENUE	519130	30,627	30,627
c
d
e
f	All other program service revenue.
g	Total. Add lines 2a–2f ....		107,277

3 Investment income (including dividends, interest, and othersimilar amounts) ......			23			23
4 Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
5 Royalties...........
		(ii) Personal	(i) Real
6a	Gross rents
b	Less: rental expenses
c	Rental income or (loss)
d	Net rental income or (loss)......
		(ii) Other	(i) Securities
7a	Gross amount from sales of assets other than inventory
b	Less: cost or other basis and sales expenses
c	Gain or (loss)
d	Net gain or (loss).....
8a	Gross income from fundraising events (not including $ 23,564of contributions reported on line 1c). See Part IV, line 18 ....
	a		10,677
b	Less: direct expenses ...b		24,404
c	Net income or (loss) from fundraising events..			-13,727			-13,727
9a	Gross income from gaming activities. See Part IV, line 19 ...
	a
b	Less: direct expenses ...b
c	Net income or (loss) from gaming activities..
10a	Gross sales of inventory, less returns and allowances ..
	a
b	Less: cost of goods sold ..b
c	Net income or (loss) from sales of inventory..
Business Code			Miscellaneous Revenue
11a	REIMBURSEMENT		900099	2,980			2,980
b
c
d	All other revenue ....
e	Total. Add lines 11a–11d ......			2,980
12	Total revenue. See Instructions......			1,101,051	107,277	0	-10,724

1	Grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments. See Part IV, line 21
2	Grants and other assistance to domestic individuals. See Part IV, line 22
3	Grants and other assistance to foreign organizations, foreign governments, and foreign individuals. See Part IV, line 15 and 16.
4	Benefits paid to or for members
5	Compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees ....	200,442	146,130	42,546	11,766
6	Compensation not included above, to disqualified persons (as defined under section 4958(f)(1)) and persons described in section 4958(c)(3)(B) ....
7	Other salaries and wages	284,488	207,403	60,385	16,700
8	Pension plan accruals and contributions (include section 401(k) and 403(b) employer contributions) ....
9	Other employee benefits .......
10	Payroll taxes ...........	41,336	28,083	10,992	2,261
11	Fees for services (non-employees):
a	Management ......
b	Legal .........
c	Accounting ...........	28,250		28,250
d	Lobbying ...........
e	Professional fundraising services. See Part IV, line 17
f	Investment management fees ......
g	Other (If line 11g amount exceeds 10% of line 25, column (A) amount, list line 11g expenses on Schedule O)	535,640	479,485	41,555	14,600
12	Advertising and promotion ....
13	Office expenses .......	49,836	12,874	29,188	7,774
14	Information technology ......
15	Royalties ..
16	Occupancy ...........
17	Travel ............	53,543	33,393	18,728	1,422
18	Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state, or local public officials .
19	Conferences, conventions, and meetings ....	2,299		2,299
20	Interest ...........
21	Payments to affiliates .......
22	Depreciation, depletion, and amortization ..
23	Insurance ...	12,158		12,158
24	Other expenses. Itemize expenses not covered above (List miscellaneous expenses in line 24e. If line 24e amount exceeds 10% of line 25, column (A) amount, list line 24e expenses on Schedule O.)
a
b
c
d
e	All other expenses
25	Total functional expenses. Add lines 1 through 24e	1,207,992	907,368	246,101	54,523
26	Joint costs. Complete this line only if the organization reported in column (B) joint costs from a combined educational campaign and fundraising solicitation. Check here if following SOP 98-2 (ASC 958-720).

1	Cash–non-interest-bearing ........		102,770	1	76,676
2	Savings and temporary cash investments .........		17,687	2	3,670
3	Pledges and grants receivable, net ......		60,000	3	52,500
4	Accounts receivable, net .............		8,469	4	8,701
5	Loans and other receivables from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and highest compensated employees. Complete Part II of Schedule L .............
				5
6	Loans and other receivables from other disqualified persons (as defined under section 4958(f)(1)), persons described in section 4958(c)(3)(B), and contributing employers and sponsoring organizations of section 501(c)(9) voluntary employees' beneficiary organizations (see instructions) Complete Part II of Schedule L ..............
				6
7	Notes and loans receivable, net ....			7
8	Inventories for sale or use ........			8
9	Prepaid expenses and deferred charges ......			9
10a	Land, buildings, and equipment: cost or other basis. Complete Part VI of Schedule D	10a
b	Less: accumulated depreciation	10b		10c
11	Investments—publicly traded securities .			11
12	Investments—other securities. See Part IV, line 11 .....			12
13	Investments—program-related. See Part IV, line 11 ..			13
14	Intangible assets ...............			14
15	Other assets. See Part IV, line 11 ...........			15
16	Total assets. Add lines 1 through 15 (must equal line 34)...		188,926	16	141,547

17	Accounts payable and accrued expenses .....	56,256	17	70,411
18	Grants payable ...		18
19	Deferred revenue .........	17,391	19	17,798
20	Tax-exempt bond liabilities .........		20
21	Escrow or custodial account liability. Complete Part IV of Schedule D		21
22	Loans and other payables to current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, highest compensated employees, and disqualified
	persons. Complete Part II of Schedule L..		22
23	Secured mortgages and notes payable to unrelated third parties ..		23
24	Unsecured notes and loans payable to unrelated third parties ..		24	45,000
25	Other liabilities (including federal income tax, payables to related third parties, and other liabilities not included on lines 17 - 24). Complete Part X of Schedule D		25
26	Total liabilities. Add lines 17 through 25..	73,647	26	133,209

	Organizations that follow SFAS 117 (ASC 958), check here and complete lines 27 through 29, and lines 33 and 34.
27	Unrestricted net assets	-54,147	27	-168,007
28	Temporarily restricted net assets ...........	169,426	28	176,345
29	Permanently restricted net assets		29
	Organizations that do not follow SFAS 117 (ASC 958), check here and complete lines 30 through 34.
30	Capital stock or trust principal, or current funds .....		30
31	Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building or equipment fund ...		31
32	Retained earnings, endowment, accumulated income, or other funds		32
33	Total net assets or fund balances ...........	115,279	33	8,338
34	Total liabilities and net assets/fund balances ........	188,926	34	141,547