RSF Social Finance Blog

March 24, 2024

Farmland Commons are developing!

May 8, 2024

Welcome to The Farmers Land Trust

Developing equitable, scalable, and inspiring solutions to protect and steward farmland and secure tenure for biodynamic, organic, regenerative, and agroecology-practicing farmers through creating and supporting non-profit community-centered land holding entities across the country and around the globe in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and other stewards of the land.

Dear <<First Name>>, 

We are grateful for your interest and support and we welcome you to The Farmers Land Trust. We founded The Farmers Land Trust on September 19th of this past year to create a sound and sustainable organization narrowly focused on farmland protection, ownership, tenure, equity and transitions, and to be an organization able to act as a commons land trust, able to offer resources and guidance to support other land trusts and the broader Farmland Commons movement building. 

We know land is the foundation of civilization, culture, and community and we know we are part of the land. We know new and beginning farmers identify land access as a primary barrier to farm viability and that existing and retiring farmers must destroy what they have built over their lifetime by selling their farms for development and speculation, simply to retire.

We know on average 37 mid-size farms close permanently every single day in this country and we know these farms’ successful generational transitions are what sustains agrarian culture and community resilience.  

We are deeply compelled to do something with this knowledge. We are compelled to act. We are compelled to challenge the status quo actions, beliefs, and systems, and to be brave in our actions and strong in our words. We are compelled to make permanent and tangible change for the benefit of regenerative, biodynamic, and organic agriculture, for the benefit of land justice, and for the wealth of communities and soils. We are compelled to take action to change the outcome of some of the upwards of 400 million acres of farmland in transition. We are compelled to act for the benefit of generations to come and for Earth.

We welcome you to The Farmers Land Trust and invite you to join us in taking action for farmland, farmers, communities, and Earth.

In gratitude,
The Farmers Land Trust team


Our Charter 
The Farmers Land Trust established our charter to identify common language, guiding principles, rules of engagement and to codify the organization’s purpose with the support, wisdom, and guidance of Sacred Futures

Recent Outreach Through Partnerships and Collaborations


Farmers Footprint hosted “Catalyze!”, celebrating the defining moments that have catalyzed will and built capacity to steward regeneration.
>>> Watch here!


Co-Executive Directors of The Farmers Land Trust, Ian McSweeney and Kristina Villa, share with Latitude Regenerative Real Estate
 >>> Watch here!


Women, Food, and Agriculture Network hosted Co-Executive Director, Kristina Villa, for a Land Commoning Workshop.
>>> Watch here!


“The three biggest hurdles to implementation and success in the U.S. are land access, knowledge transfer, and access to all types of capital, including funding, resources, and support.”
>>> Read the full article here!


Kristina Villa, Co-Executive Director of The Farmers Land Trust, delivers the keynote address at the 2023 National Biodynamic Conference>>> Watch here!


We look forward to sharing exciting announcements with you over the course of this year as land projects, organizational development, and opportunities for you to engage unfold! 

We are fully funded by donors just like you. 

Thank you for following our work!

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.