How the Farmland Commons integrates all Eight of Elinor Ostrom’s Principles for a Successful Commons

December 15, 2024

The Farmers Dinner and The Farmers Land Trust Partner to Champion Farmland Conservation and Community-Driven Agriculture

January 15, 2025

Gratitude, Last-Minute Gift, and More!

Dear <<First Name>>,

With appreciation for your support, we are closing out the year in gratitude and celebration!

Across the country, The Farmers Land Trust has developed several Farmland Commons to the contractual stage that details steps ahead for the creation of each local 501(c)(25) land-holding entity with landowners, farmers and growers, and communities.

The Farmers Land Trust team has been sustained and inspired by all of you – our many shared conversations and collaborations while working towards protecting land and securing equitable and affordable tenure for regenerative practicing farmers.

Our growth is only possible because all of you joined us to fulfill our mission! Thank you for your support which helped The Farmers Land Trust get this far, positioning us for the work and goals to be achieved in 2025!

A Last Minute Gift

Looking for a last-minute gift that makes a long-term difference and is available right now? The Farmers Land Trust is here to help!

When you make a gift in honor of a friend or loved one to The Farmers Land Trust, we will email you this holiday card that can be e-mailed to the recipient, or printed and gifted in person.

Please note that you will be prompted to make your gift in honor of someone on the second page after your gift amount is entered.

FRONT OF CARD

BACK OF CARD

Be part of protecting farmland and securing equitable and affordable land access for next generation farmers now by supporting The Farmers Land Trust and getting a unique holiday gift for friends and family!

*You will be prompted to make your gift in honor of someone on the second page after donation amount is selected.*


Listen, Read, and Connect

The longest-running regenerative agriculture podcast, Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast, recently hosted The Farmers Land Trust on an episode titled, “You can’t address food security, soil carbon sequestration or climate change without first tackling the crisis of land access.” 

>>> Listen here!

Read our latest blog post, “How the Farmland Commons integrates all Eight of Elinor Ostrom’s Principles for a Successful Commons” to learn exactly how the Farmland Commons utilizes Nobel Prize winning research into the creation and formation of community-centered land holding entites around the country. 

>>> Read or listen here!

The Farmers Land Trust has joined Bluesky, and we are so excited to share news, events and hear from you!

Prefer to keep in touch with another social media channel? Stay up to date with the latest happenings and follow us on FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube and LinkedIn!

We have the opportunity to do this work now. Every farm saved and preserved in active farming is a piece of the unraveling halted. Community-held land is the foundation for community strength and resilience for whatever the future may bring. Will you join us

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

The Founder

Julian Lauzzana

Julian Lauzzana is the founder of Earthen Heart and a community homesteader, land steward, and visionary advocate for regenerative rural living. Drawing from a diverse background in culinary arts, organizational development, media production, farm-to-school research, and intentional community design, Julian has spent decades exploring how people can live in deeper relationship with each other and the land. He generously donated the founding 19.9-acre Bangor farm and helped establish the Earthen Heart Farmland Commons to create lasting opportunities for community-based food production, land stewardship, and affordable access to farmland. Through his work, Julian seeks to cultivate resilient local economies, strengthen rural communities, and demonstrate replicable models of shared land ownership and regenerative living.

Read more about Julian's story →

The Steward

Julian Lauzzana

Alita is a farmer and leader connected to the Earthen Heart story, and a board member and leader of the West Michigan Young Farmers chapter. She now holds a 99-year lease on the land Julian donated, a long-term, community-rooted foundation for her work as a steward and grower.

Visit West Michigan Young Farmers →

Our online auction is LIVE! Browse the selection now to find super useful services, great products, unique experiences, and more! Your winning bid will help protect farmland and empower the next generation of farmers by supporting the acquisition of Blue Rock Station Farm into the Blue Rock Farmland Commons.