The Farmers Land Trust

"The only thing I am left to hang onto, is to see that there are these small farms out here, they exist, and they’re being supported by communities, people who are willing to invest significant amounts of money to help them buy land. Because of that dedication and support, these farms are going to survive. They are going to survive even if the society, the majority, doesn’t appreciate the value of farming. When it comes down to it the people would rather have cheap food than good farming. Knowing this is the challenge we face, I am committed to keep working on this essential initiative that supports the success of these small, wonderful farms." - Thomas Kliemt, "Kulturland: Fighting for Farmland in Germany" on The Farmers Land Trust blog In this latest blog post, Thomas shares on: - Uncommon Ground - A Needed Shift in Perspective - Different Thoughts on Ownership - Challenging the Law - Farmland Transitions - Supporting the Future with Incubator Farms - A Small Light in the Darkness  Read the full interview at thefarmerslandtrust.org https://lnkd.in/dBU_Mrrz #landaccess #communityland #landforfarmers

Surprise! A new episode of The Collaborative Farming Podcast is up this week with Ian McSweeney & Kristina Villa, co-directors of The Farmers Land Trust and it is so SO good. The Farmers Land Trust is responsible for creating and supporting farmland commons, a vehicle for preserving farmland and ensuring its dedication to regenerative agriculture in perpetuity while respecting both the farmers and the communities they feed. These two are wonderfully thoughtful folks and, along with host Jackson (@collaborativefarming), flesh out a way forward within the private property paradigm to create and preserve farms. Check out The Collaborative Farming Podcast wherever you check out podcasts or at notillgrowers.com! ⭐️This post was reposted from @notillgrowers ⭐️ #farmingpodcast #communitylandownership #landaccess

Looking for a lease template that values relationship and stewardship and that is easy to read and understand? All of the Farmland Commons template documents are available at thefarmerslandtrust.org for FREE, including the creative and unique lease! You can use all of the documents to create your own Farmland Commons community land holding structure, or you can use only the documents that are helpful to you in your situation - like maybe just the lease! With a team of lawyers, years of experience, and farmers, land owners, nonprofit leaders, attorneys, and other professionals from around the world, the Farmland Commons templates were created and crafted to give security and equity to land stewards and to be available for all. Go get 'em! #leasetemplate #farmlandcommons #leaseforfarming

When Jackson Rolett of No-Till Growers says your organization is "without a doubt their favorite agricultural institution ever." 🌼🙏🏽🥰 Take their advice: "If you have land and want to see it farmed or are a farmer looking for an alternative model to access land, The Farmers Land Trust is a great place to start." We are so honored and grateful to have The Farmers Land Trust and the Farmland Commons legal templates which are available as open resource lifted up in this way! Watch the full 15 minute video here: https://lnkd.in/eDpR37gv #notillgrowers #landaccess #farmlandprotection #churchland

"A big challenge we face is lack of imagination. And we really need that now." - Ian McSweeney, on the latest episode of "Hands in the Soil" podcast. This podcast conversation is inspiring and moving and fun and interesting and energizing and full of hope! Listen now on Spotify or Apple! https://lnkd.in/eF7QrRDn #farmingpodcast #landpodcast #landaccess #landtransition

Usually, we get interviewed just about our work, but not this time! Listen to the latest episode of the Barnyard Language podcast to hear not only about The Farmers Land Trust and the Farmland Commons, but also about Kristina Villa and Ian McSweeney's life as parents and land stewards, what category they would win at a fair competition, and more! https://lnkd.in/enecBkdq #farmlandcommons #farmlandtrust #farmlandpreservation #farmland

⭐️ ! We are so excited to announce that the Farmland Commons template documents are available for you, your community, and land trusts and food and farming organizations all across the country to use! These legal templates were created from decades and lifetimes of experience in farmland transfer, protection, and tenure work rooted in community. The Farmers Land Trust worked in collaboration with Sustainable Law Group's Land Clinic, and an extensive network of diverse reviewers to give valuable input, guidance, and feedback. We invite you to go to thefarmerslandtrust.org and dig in! Farmland Commons Process: https://lnkd.in/eS8jhjK7 Farmland Commons Legal Templates: https://lnkd.in/ePjEm4bi #legaltemplates #landcommons #openresource #communityownership

You can watch the full 20 minute speech, "Land: The Reparations Owed" that Co-Executive Director Kristina Villa gave at the most recent Rooted East Community event in Knoxville, TN by going to The Farmers Land Trust YouTube page! https://lnkd.in/e5NrWYBi "There are so many reasons to move land into the hands and hearts of those who have been excluded from it, and there are so many ways to do it. You see, this work is not just about looking backward at past harms. It is also about looking forward to what is needed to build beautiful communities, healthy food systems, healthy people, and thriving ecosystems." If the words move you, they may move others, too. Thank you for listening and sharing! Thank you to Rooted East for the invitation to come and be a part of your work and your community! So grateful to be in collaboration ❤️ 📸: @rootedeastknox #foodjustice #landjustice #reparations #landreparations

Thank you to the over 300 people who were interested in joining our team and who applied to the writer position! It was challenging to select only one among the many qualified applicants, but we are excited to share with you our newest team member, Darby Weaver! Darby Weaver is a farmer and writer, growing biodynamic food and cannabis on her small farm in Wolcott, Vermont. She attended school at Sterling College in Craftsbury, Vermont, where she received a degree in Sustainable Agriculture. She has been growing crops and raising livestock with her husband, Elliot Smith, for 15 years. As a writer, Darby is passionate about using storytelling to uplift the work of communities, reconnecting folx to the nourishment offered by regeneratively stewarded landscapes. Seeing nature as our ultimate teacher, Darby believes in transformation and knows that the Farmland Commons model has the power to revolutionize modern land tenure and ownership. She sees this work as essential and recognizes that it can only be achieved through a de-colonized, community-centered approach that values the sentience and spirit of the land and protects the rights of the people who share it. We are excited and grateful for the work ahead, and can't wait to share it with you! #sustainableagriculture #biodynamicfarming

⭐️Reposted from Not Only Farmers Podcast⭐️: New Episode with Ian McSweeney from The Farmers Land Trust is up! We talk about the framework around creating an Ag/Community based land trust to protect not only the land but also the farmer. There’s a lot of smart tools and approaches to keeping land as agricultural these days. I added a bunch of resource links in the show notes in case you would like to dig deeper. Great conversation! Check it out! 😎 Listen on Spotify! #farmingpodcast #landtrustpodcast #communitylandtrust