Faith Commons
A NEW VISION FOR WHAT MINISTRY CAN BE
Together with faith and religious communities, we create Faith Commons to hold, protect, and steward land for community and ecosystem health and prosperity.
Faith Commons holds land as an active example of creation care, regeneration, and healing.
Faith communities have an incredible opportunity to positively impact the future of food, farming, humanity, the planet, and the beliefs we hold using the immense power they possess in the land they own, the stewardship they value, and the land based decisions they make.
Through a Faith Commons, religious and faith communities can save and create land legacy with farmland, deeply engaging community through food, land, spirit, and the connections between them. Grounded in the past, the present, and the future of land and community, this happens through seats on the Faith Commons board.
Restoring land and strengthening relationships with land and community.
"If you have land and want to see it farmed or are a farmer looking for an alternative model to access land, The Farmers Land Trust is a great place to start." - Jackson Rolett, No-Till Growers, co-founder
Photo courtesy of Jackson Rolett
Faith Commons Structure
Legal Structure
A Faith Commons uses the same legal structure as a Farmland Commons and is also centered around and co-created by the faith or religious community or communities and partners involved. A nonprofit affiliate land holding entity is co-created and incorporated; either a 501(c)(25) or a 501(c)(2). These affiliate landholding entities are connected to the faith or religious community and/or also to other existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit community partner organizations and the multi-generation invitation for other 501(c)(3) nonprofit community partner organizations to join.
Ownership
A Faith Commons transitions land out of sole ownership and possession by the faith or religious community or institution, and places it into shared community ownership to be protected as farmland and used for regenerative agriculture and earth care in perpetuity. A community or institution representative can be a member of the board of the nonprofit affiliate land holding Faith Commons entity. This allows for decision-making power to still reside within and/or be connected to the faith or religious community, thus allowing for greater community collaboration and earth care to be shared.
Stewardship, Use, and Tenure
A food-producing farmer, farm business and/or community organization (LLC, nonprofit, collective, cooperative, or other) is then given a 99-year equitable lease to regenerate soil and ecosystem, grow food, engage the community, and operate a farm business. The board members of the Faith Commons collaboratively develop the terms and conditions of the lease, hold and steward the leaseholder and earth relationship. This partnership is centered on long-term security, tenure and stewardship, and a new relationship and love within the community-held land and the relationships it holds.
Starting the Conversation
We are honored to start the exploration of what is possible through conversation. Please reach out to connect, share your situation, and explore ways we can support you and your faith community in creating and managing a Faith Commons.
