Farmland Preservation

June 25, 2025

A Case for Community Foodshed Stewardship

July 22, 2025

New possibilities for farmland access beyond just ownership

In this episode we cover the vast topic of land access, while touching on the history of land privatization and how so many groups of people have been systematically removed from land access, how land has become increasingly unobtainable, especially for farmers, traditional models of common land access and how the Farmland Commons offers a modern legal template for equitable land access for farmers in the modern context.

We really take the time to go into specifics here as we explore case studies of non-profits that have setup Farmland Commons in their communities, how those legal entities are organized and maintained, and how the basic structure can be adapted to the unique needs and focus of the communities that they serve.

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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