Speaking Engagements
Available Workshops & Sessions
The Farmers Land Trust & The Farmland Commons
Hear about the history and work of The Farmers Land Trust, a national organization working to support farmland protection, transition, and secure access for farmers through the innovative Farmland Commons model, which decommodifies land by placing it in the ownership of local communities. Participants will:
- Gain understanding of background on TFLT and the need and opportunity for commons land trusts.
- Learn about the legal structures and tools used to create Farmland Commons, and the intricate ways the model works.
- Learn about current work and active Farmland Commons.
Overview of the Land Trust Movement: Conservation and Community Land Trusts
Learn about the history and an overview of the conservation land trust, community land trust and subscription / CSA based agriculture models. Also learn about the areas not serviced by them and the opportunities and needs for commons land trust models. Participants will:
- Learn about the first conservation land trust, first community land trust, first subscription farm and then the first CSA farms. The history, trajectory, strengths and limitations of these movements will be explored.
- Gain tools to engage with these movements and to advocate for cross-sector collaborations toward commons land trust and/or specifically Farmland Commons.
Deep Dive into Farm Transition Case Studies Drawn from Experience on Any of the Following Focus Areas:
- Bodynamic, Organic, and Regenerative Agriculture
- Land Justice
- Farm and School Connections
- Agrihoods
- Conservation and Affordability
- Communications and Marketing
- Cultivating Farm Projects and Opportunities
- Crowdsource Fundraising, and Farm Acquisition and Transition Campaigns
- Faithlands Commoning
Building a Local Farmland Commons
A focus on the structure, mechanics, and steps forward to develop, incorporate, and operate a Farmland Commons land trust model. Participants will bring forward and pre-share details on questions, status of work, overview of people, community, and land, and all other relevant material. A focus of time together will be tailored to meet participants where they are and to help equip everyone with knowledge, and move them and the project forward.
Panel Discussion
We are happy to serve on a panel discussion to share our work, services, knowledge, experience, insights, inspirations, and more.
Something else?
Have an idea for something we should be engaged in and it’s not on the list? Contact us! Or Reach out.
Speeches
Personal Journey and Current Work
Farmland, farmers, and our food system and climate are all in crisis. Land is power, justice, equity, and wealth, yet colonization and privatization create and perpetuate land injustices. Land trusts have a profoundly impactful history of defining and structuring land ownership, access, tenure, and connection yet, by and large, do not address justice and equity and only benefit a small portion of the population. In this presentation, you will hear either Co-Founder Kristina Villa's or Co-Founder Ian McSweeney’s life journey that brought them to this work, and how The Farmers Land Trust is innovating and creatively addressing farmland ownership, access, tenure, and justice for farmers and stewards growing food for their communities using regenerative and sustainable practices.
Call to Action for Landowners
Example from National Biodynamic Conference - Keynote Speech by Kristina Villa
Land: The Reparations Owed
We find ourselves at a moment where 98% of land is owned by white people, and that is not an accident or coincidence. Rather, this reality we find ourselves in was created by many acts of violence and oppression, and through a system of racism. Hear about how we got here, and what we can and should do to arrive at a more just and equitable future for all. Example from Rooted East in Knoxville, TN
Please contact us to discuss in-person or virtual speaking engagements, costs, and honorarium options.
