Leigh Youngblood
Leigh Youngblood
Real Estate Manager
Leigh Youngblood is a nationally recognized conservation professional who brings over two decades of nonprofit collaboration, land access innovation, and equitable farmland protection experience to The Farmers Land Trust. Her work has long centered on transforming who participates and how land is conserved, shared, and stewarded—with a deep commitment to a broad range of community voices, social justice, and climate and biodiversity resilience.
Leigh has supported and led dozens of landmark real estate transactions and public-private conservation initiatives, including the historic Tully Valley Private Forest Lands Initiative, which conserved 9,000 acres with 100 landowners across four towns in just two years. With modest humble family roots in itinerant farming and organic urban gardening, at the heart of her work is a dedication to equitable land access and partnering with farmers, particularly through models that expand conventional land ownership options and center long-term affordability.
As Real Estate Manager, Leigh oversees farm real estate transactions, due diligence, and post-transition stewardship, ensuring every step reflects The Farmers Land Trust's values, adheres to best practices, and centers the people and communities involved. She supports local Farmland Commons with lease and management plan development, works closely with attorneys, contractors, and farmers, and stewards land records to align with Land Trust Alliance Standards & Practices.
Leigh is a lifelong learner whose training includes mediation, equity-centered leadership, and interpersonal neurobiology. Her background in farmland and homestead conservation, land use policy, and nonprofit development aligns her well with The Farmers Land Trust’s mission to redefine land access and ownership through cooperative, just, and regenerative models. When not immersed in land files or real estate conversations, Leigh can be found walking or running the trails in all seasons near her home in rural Warwick, Massachusetts.
