A holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition. Biodynamics is rooted in the work of philosopher and scientist Dr. Rudolf Steiner, whose 1924 lectures to farmers opened a new way to integrate scientific understanding with a recognition of spirit in nature.

Land or resources belonging to or affecting the whole community.

A legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits certain uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. Landowners retain many of their rights, including the right to own and use the land, sell it and  pass it on to their heirs.

The consumer pays the farmer a fee in advance of the growing season and in return the farmer provides the consumer a variety of fresh produce every week during the growing season.

The act of voluntarily giving money, goods, services, or other assets, such as real estate, to a non profit organization without expecting anything tangible in return and for the intention to support the mission, programs, and activities of the nonprofit organization. Donations are a critical source of funding for nonprofits and are often used to cover operating expenses, fund specific projects or initiatives, or support the organization's overall mission and goals. Donors who make donations to nonprofits may be individuals, corporations, foundations, or other organizations, and they may receive tax benefits for their contributions depending on the tax laws in their jurisdiction.

Can mean the amount of money after debt that is able to be taken out or borrowed from the property. Can also mean needing to have fairness and justness in use, ownership, and tenure.

An agreement that allows for the leaseholder who is renting the land to maintain ownership of and build equity through infrastructure that resides on the land being leased.

Land is owned by one person or entity, and another person or entity is granted use to that land for an undefined amount of time.

Removing land from the speculative market so that it can no longer be bought and sold for profit.

The practice of centering ecological, social, and racial justice in decisions about how land is used, loved, and governed by people.

Land given as a gift to the future to meet the shared values and principles we all have around ecological stewardship.

The return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. The term, more commonly known as “land back,” acknowledges how colonization contributed to the theft and plunder of Indigenous land and communities—and has grown into an effort to help reclaim stolen lands.

Remuneration in the form of land to Black people. The term acknowledges how slavery, broken promises, and long-standing and existing systematic and institutional racism both historical and current, is the cause of the theft of land and the unproportionate land holdings between white and Black people we see today.

Land is owned by one person or entity, and another person or entity is granted use to that land through legal documentation, giving the non landowner right to the use of that land for a short, defined amount of time, usually 1-5 years. 

Land is owned by one person or entity, and another person or entity is granted use to that land through legal documentation, giving the non landowner full right and control to the use of that land for long-term, usually 15-99 years.

When ownership of land is transferred from one person or entity to another.

A community-based, nonprofit organization that actively works to permanently conserve land. In some cases, land trusts acquire land outright. In other cases, they partner to conserve land that remains the property of willing landowners. Land trusts can be local, state or regional in scope, working directly with private landowners and community partners to protect land that has natural, recreational, scenic, historical, housing, or agricultural values.

A contract outlining the terms under which one party agrees to rent land and/or real estate owned by another party

Organizations that do not operate for the purpose of making a profit for their owners. Instead, they exist to provide a benefit to the public, its members or its beneficiaries. There are five categories of nonprofits, including charitable, religious and church, private foundations and political organizations. Some types of nonprofits fall under miscellaneous, such as Federal Credit Unions. Within these categories, there are dozens of 501 tax-exempt statuses.

A labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced according to the USDA organic standards.

Ownership of land and buildings and other infrastructure by another individual. Private property can be broken up into rights owned privately by one individual, or separately by many.

Land and any structures or improvements attached to the land, such as buildings, houses, infrastructure, and above, on, and below ground improvements. Natural resources like minerals and water are also real estate that may be owned together or separately from land depending on location and state and federal laws. Real estate encompasses both the physical attributes noted and the rights associated with owning, using, and transferring the property by deed. Farmland is a specific land type based on soils.

Describes farming and grazing practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.

Used by Community Land Trusts, they consist of resident, leaseholder representatives (the people who live on the land owned by the community land trust), public representatives (people who are part of the community but not residents of the land owned by the trust), and public representatives (people who are local elected officials, nonprofit leaders, or others who are trusted to speak for the public interest).