Join us for this deep-dive conversation with the Co-Founders of The Farmer’s Land Trust, Ian McSweeney and Kristina Villa, as we discuss the origin story of the important work they are doing to secure land tenure for young farmers while creating a solution for working farms that want to preserve their legacy. Learn about the 501(c)25, a non-profit structure that catalyzes community, collaboration and regenerative agriculture for the next generation.
Kristina Villa is a farmer, communicator, and community coordinator who believes that our connection to the soil is directly related to the health of our bodies, economy, and society. Kristina has spent the last several years of her professional career saving farmland from development and securing it in nonprofit land holding structures that give farmers, stewards and ranchers long-term and affordable access and tenure to it. Most of her work in the land access space has focused on equitable land security for BIPOC growers, addressing the inequities and disparities in how land is owned and accessed in this country.
Ian McSweeney has helped develop innovative approaches to farmland ownership, stewardship, and access for next-generation farmers. Over his career, Ian has worked with more than 100 land trusts and communities to support over 100 farms, protect more than 12,000 acres of farmland, and raise over $24 million for agricultural land access and conservation.
