Kristina Villa featured on WKRN News: Farmland Preservation Act only ‘first step’ in addressing Tennessee’s dwindling farmland

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Shaking Up the Farmland Ownership Model (With Ian McSweeney and Juian Lauzzana)

October 8, 2025

Blue Rock Station’s Next Chapter

Welcome to the First Blue Rock Farmland Commons Newsletter!

You are receiving this message because you’ve either been part of the Blue Rock Station community or signed up to hear updates from The Farmers Land Trust about the future of Blue Rock Station.

As many of you know, Annie and Jay Warmke have spent the past three decades building Blue Rock Station into a living classroom for sustainability, resilience, and joy. Now, with the support of The Farmers Land Trust and many partners, Blue Rock Station is entering a new chapter: becoming part of the Blue Rock Farmland Commons.

This commons model will ensure that the land is forever protected for ecological stewardship, regenerative farming, and community benefit—while welcoming a new generation of farmers to carry the work forward.

In this first newsletter, you’ll hear directly from Annie about her reflections on this transition, learn about the new farm stewards, and find ways to support the next chapter of Blue Rock Station.

Thank you for joining us in this journey, 
The Farmers Land Trust team 

When you purchase an item from our shop, all profit goes towards helping us to fulfill our mission.

Thank you for supporting this work.

The Farmers Land Trust receives 15% of all purchases made by customers who enter their website from here!

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People

Community stakeholders and prospective board members who:

    • Include exiting and/or entering farmers
    • Include an in-state attorney
    • Willing to donate and/or provide discounted service to board and/or serve
  • Include community partners that may include representation from:
    • Land trusts
    • Food and/or Farm support organizations
  • Include at least five people committed to serving on volunteer board
  • Demonstrate willingness, skills, experience, and networks in legal, fundraising, communications, real estate transfer, agriculture, and farm viability/support

Community

Geographic location that is in a regional foodshed/farm to market based size and has:

  • Demonstrated need for improved farmland access and secure tenure
  • Opportunities for preserving legacy biodynamic, organic, and regenerative farms, for manifesting BIPOC land justice, and/or for community based regenerative food production based agricultural practices

Land

Viable Farmland Project must include:

  • Farmland and infrastructure to support “agrarian enterprises” (including, but not limited to diversified production of food, forage, fiber, medicine, and ecological stewardship)
  • Soils sufficient to support agricultural uses
  • Secure, sufficient quantity and quality water to support agricultural use
  • No existence or evidence of overly contaminated soil or water, or have the ability and capacity to remedy
  • Location and scale sufficient to support production that can provide economic enterprise viability and have community benefit
  • Housing and farm infrastructure onsite, possibility of developing housing and farm infrastructure onsite, or opportunity to legally tie housing and farm infrastructure to property
  • A landowner who demonstrates alignment and willingness to:
    • Enter into a Full Donation or Discounted Purchase Option agreement:
    • Within 8 months of initial conversations
    • That allows a minimum of 12 months but up to 24 months to closing
    • Collaborate to engage existing farm community to raise awareness and funding support