IVOR FREEMAN
Emeritus board member
Ivor Freeman lives a life of giving-back. In fact, he has been involved in charity work since he was 11 years old. His mother was involved in many charities and often hosted benefit functions at their home. She would even take Ivor at any early age door to door in her efforts to fundraise for various causes. Decades later, Ivor's passions reflect that early exposure. When he was approaching retirement, his wife, the chair of their local nature conservancy chapter, encouraged him to get involved and use his skills as an administrator for social good.
A five-minute radio segment inspires action
Ivor first heard of SHI when SHI Founder Florence Reed participated in a program on New Hampshire public radio, where people from different charities spoke for five-minute segments about their efforts. SHI's work in agroforestry resonated strongly with Ivor, and he was immediately interested in supporting the organization’s efforts.
"My real interest is twofold," Ivor says. "One is ecology, and the other is education.” SHI's operating model combines his interests and is part of why Ivor has supported SHI over the years.
Since hearing Flo talk about SHI over public radio, Ivor has served on SHI's Board of Directors in multiple capacities, including Board Chair. He’s supported the organization over the years with "time and enthusiasm," introducing other major donors and hosting meetings at his farm in New Hampshire. In his various leadership roles on the board, Ivor helped steward SHI through significant growth and transition — to the organization it is today. Core to his leadership was an eye toward increased accountability and improved processes and systems.
Ivor has served on boards for other organizations, too, but sees something special about SHI. He’s especially impressed by Flo's ability to pass the torch to keep organizational leadership strong. "Flo's enthusiasm, networking, and ability to find new board members to keep the organization healthy sets SHI apart," says Ivor, who plans to continue supporting and providing leadership to charities like SHI that tackle climate change.
Ivor helping make cane juice on an SHI trip to Honduras in 2006.
Ancestral farming practices
Over the years, Ivor has had several opportunities to visit SHI’s programs. "Visiting and seeing the projects has been the most rewarding; seeing people actually doing what we recommend and benefitting from that is quite extraordinary," he says.
Ivor particularly admires how SHI promotes sustainable practices that reflect ancestral farming knowledge. For example, SHI's work with local agronomists involves terraced hillside farming for erosion control, which are ancient techniques.
"When we talk about regenerative agriculture, it can often be billed as new, but its roots are in traditional components from thousands of years ago," says Ivor. "People have been farming this way forever."
Ivor believes in the importance of incorporating these time-tested farming practices as a critical way to solve the world's problems. Ivor encourages prospective donors to recognize how SHI's work tackles climate change head-on.
“You can’t solve all the problems of the world but you still have to step forward and help solve some of them.”
