Agrarian Trust catalyzes support for next-generation farmers by working with communities to acquire and steward land for equitable access, cultural reconnection, regenerative agriculture, and ecological restoration.
Two videos share our recent work through the voices of farmers and community members directly involved:
Agrarian Trust: A Gift of Land Justice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhOPsxyyMmI
Onward, and Upward: A Victory for Community Ownership - https://www.agrariantrust.org/onward-and-upward-a-victory-for-community-ownership/
We understand it to be in our collective interest to support the kinds of relationships, social and economic, that sustain the ecological integrity of land and a just, equitable food system. These principles represent our core values and guide us in our daily work to transform farmland ownership and tenure. We are committed to: The commons; racial equity and the just transition of land; openness, listening, and collaboration; and agroecological and regenerative practices.
Our latest project is focused on securing land for an innovative urban farming hub on 8.5 acres in Omaha as well as a large-scale agroforestry project on 305 acres near Lyons, Nebraska.
We are currently working in four new locations to form commons to benefit next-generation farmers, with two new commons forming in upstate New York, one in Texas, and another in Nebraska. As we prioritize projects that create opportunities for land access and secure tenure that benefit dispossessed people and communities, we are working largely with immigrant, displaced indigenous, and refugee farmers on these particular projects.
We are seeking support for a newly forming Agrarian Commons in Nebraska led by Agrarian Trust in partnership with Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim (CMPI). Since 2007, CMPI has built powerful relationships and partnerships within a multi-generational, multiracial coalition that will support the community in building a regenerative agriculture training center and agroforestry system on 305 acres near Lyons, NE.
This 305-acre land was formerly the home of a conventional soy and corn farm and will be transformed into a center for sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship working at scale.
The site will offer hands-on training in large-scale green infrastructure, including solar battery storage, composting, and low-tillage farming practices. By maintaining 305 acres with regenerative agriculture practices, the site will help sequester carbon, improve soil health, and protect water quality by reducing the runoff of harmful chemical fertilizers. Both the North Omaha and Lyons projects are designed to complement each other, offering urban and rural residents the chance to gain critical skills in climate resilience and sustainable practices.
This project would benefit tremendously from additional support as it is in its early stages of purchasing land. We are purchasing 305 acres at approximately $3.7M by December 2024.
We have raised 97% of the land costs and need to focus on raising funds to fill gaps related to the cost of land as well as infrastructure to support the development of agroforestry systems, regenerative practices, as well as PV and EV charging infrastructure to dramatically lower the carbon footprint of each farm.
By raising approximately $100,000 we will complete our fundraiser and secure this land as a beacon of regenerative agriculture and community stewardship in perpetuity by holding it in a trust.
Agrarian Trust currently participates in five federally funded grant programs, necessitating comprehensive regular reporting for financial and programmatic outcomes and utilizing both quantitative metrics and qualitative indicators. This evaluation includes extensive metrics on acreages under regenerative management, acres under conservation, farming practices used, numbers of farmers and community members served, and dozens more metrics. It is available to the general public online via the Results Verification System.
(For example, here are the metrics associated with a current Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant: Building Equitable Farmland Tenure Models for Northeast Farmers - https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/ene21-169/)
Our Executive Director, Jean Theron Willoughby, works with our team to catalyze community ownership and support for next-generation farmers. She was a founding advisor to Agrarian Trust starting in 2014, joined the Board of Directors, and was later Agrarian Trust’s first hired staff member. A long-time advocate for land justice in many forms, she sees community ownership and stewardship of farmland as essential to restoring the commons. As an example of her work beyond helping build Agrarian Trust's approach, she conducted a 6-month feasibility study for the Triangle Land Conservancy that resulted in this story finally coming to light in 2024:
Reclaiming a North Carolina Plantation -
https://gardenandgun.com/feature/reclaiming-a-north-carolina-plantation/
Our Commons Manager, Nathan Galaviz, serves on multiple Agrarian Commons boards to support existing Agrarian Commons land-based projects with real estate research, due diligence, transactional work, conservation easement, farm stewardship, management planning, and organizational as well as board administration. Nathan supports the development of emerging commons around the country in outreach, education, community engagement, and networking. His work has led directly to four new commons forming in the coming year.
Agrarian Trust's Board of Directors is also deeply engaged in land restoration and environmental projects. Our current Board President, Fran Miller, serves as Senior Staff Attorney from The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School. She regularly presents at conferences on major issues facing land regenerators, from the legal side of operating a farm and collectively owning/managing farmland to heirs' property, and other significant legal issues facing farmers and their families. Her wisdom, skill, and guidance have been invaluable in Agrarian Trust's development of the Agrarian Commons legal approaches to collective ownership and stewardship.