We Protect Farmlands

Supporting Land Access For
Next Generation Farmers.

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Commons Groundswell is a podcast that examines human relationships with land through inspiring conversations with leaders, change-makers, and Agrarian Trust collaborators.

Vision

Nationally supported, community-held land and agrarian property that supports sustainable food production, ecological stewardship, community vitality, and equitable land access for the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

Rationale

We are in the midst of 400 million acres of US land changing hands as thousands of farmers and ranchers retire, yet next generation farmers struggle to access land. Innovative models of ownership and stewardship are needed to support the next generation, heal the land, and grow food sustainably.

Work

We innovate in land ownership and access to transform our relationships to the land and each other, fostering regenerative agriculture and care for the earth. We build the issue and reframe solutions, collaborating with communities of stakeholders to create the Agrarian Commons in support of the next generation of farmers and ranchers. We work for racial and gender equity as an integral part of our efforts toward environmental and climate justice.

Impact

Initiatives

The Commons Alliance is an emerging learning network that will share support and resources to build collective power with farmers, land owners, land trusts, and communities seeking to hold land in common.

A necessary and innovative approach to address the realities of farmland owner demographics, wealth disparity, farm viability, and all who are excluded and marginalized from equity in land, food, and community.

FaithLands is a growing national movement to connect and inspire faith communities to use their land in new ways that promote ecological and human health, support local food and farming, enact reparative justice, and strengthen communities.

Our Most Recent Blog Posts

Food Systems and Security

Regenerative Farmers Need Land

By Noah Wurtz / May, 23 2023
Regenerative farming is on the rise. According to the 2022 survey by National Young Farmer
Agrarian Trust

Agrarian Trust and Partner Organizations Receive USDA Grant Funding

By Sarah Holdeman / May, 11 2023
Twelve organizations, including Rural Action on behalf of the Central Appalachian Network,
Agrarian Trust

Agrarian Commons Farmers go to DC

By Noah Wurtz / Feb, 21 2023
Agrarian Commons farmers Cam Terry, Duron Chavis, and Tyrone Cherry III joined the Nationa
Agrarian Commons

Introducing Commons Groundswell, the Agrarian Trust Podcast

By Noah Wurtz / Feb, 16 2023
Over the course of the podcast’s eight episode first season, Commons Groundswell will co
Food Systems and Security

Food Sovereignty & Regenerative Agriculture at COP 27

By Noah Wurtz / Feb, 12 2023
A growing body of evidence, including a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate C
Agrarian Trust

The Bhoodan Movement and Land Gifts as Revolutionary Practice

By Noah Wurtz / Feb, 04 2023
The Bhoodan movement serves as an example of the limitations of land-gifting, as well as i
Sustainable Farming

Butz’s Law of Economics

By Noah Wurtz / Jan, 23 2023
In 1977, two of the most influential figures in the history of American agriculture met at
Land Justice and Equity

What is the Dead Sea Declaration?

By Noah Wurtz / Jan, 04 2023
The Dead Sea Declaration comes at a critical moment in the movement for a more just and su
Agrarian Commons

New Roots Builds Connections Between Local Farms and Schools

By Noah Wurtz / Dec, 27 2022
For the past year and a half, every Wednesday has been West Virginia Wednesday. On these d
Agrarian Commons

Give the Gift of the Commons

By Noah Wurtz / Dec, 16 2022
As 2022 draws to a close, we want to take a moment from the bustle of the season to reflec
Agrarian Commons

Weaving Webs of Connection with the Tennessee Local Food Summit

By Noah Wurtz / Nov, 19 2022
When Poppen founded the Tennessee Local Food Summit in 2010, it was the latest in a decade
Op-Eds

What Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” Can Teach Us About Preserving the Land

By Noah Wurtz / Nov, 09 2022
One sight that has become conspicuously absent from modern life is the small, biodiverse f
Agrarian Commons

The Ogallala Aquifer, Water Depletion, and the Promise of the Commons

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 31 2022
In California and the Midwest, extended droughts have already caused farmers to draw heavi
Agrarian Trust

The Global Roots of Community Land Ownership

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 27 2022
A CLT, according to Center for Community Land Trust Innovation, “is a nonprofit corporat
Sustainable Farming

Combatting Climate Change

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 24 2022
The good news is, while emissions reduction is still the most important way to mitigate cl
Agrarian Commons

Agrarian Trust Co-sponsored the 2022 Food Week of Action

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 21 2022
Last week, food justice organizations around the country observed the Food Week of Action,
Land Access Stories

Global Spotlight: Community Land Scotland

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 12 2022
The Agrarian Trust is just one of many organizations across the world dedicated to the adv
Agrarian Commons

The Legacy of Land

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 09 2022
While these are the most common options donors use to transfer land into an Agrarian Commo
Agrarian Commons

Envisioning the Future of Black Seed Agroecological Farm and Village

By Noah Wurtz / Oct, 04 2022
Black Seed Agroecological Village and Farm is still in the beginning stages of development
Food Systems and Security

What is Agroecology?

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 30 2022
Agroecology is simply a continuation of these millennia of knowledge accumulation. Any one
Food Systems and Security

Key Findings From National Young Farmers Coalition’s 2022 Farmer Survey

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 29 2022
According to the survey, 59 percent of farmers surveyed reported that finding affordable l
Agrarian Commons

Rebuilding the Soil with Steve Normanton

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 23 2022
Rotational grazing is an exercise in balance and careful observation, requiring the farmer
Agrarian Commons

Ensuring Donated Land Gets Managed Equitably

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 12 2022
For Callie, successfully conserving agricultural land with issues of racial equity and env
Agrarian Commons

Building the Foundations for Food Sovereignty at Lick Run

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 07 2022
Community engagement and youth education play key roles in Terry’s vision for Lick Run F
Agrarian Trust

The Agrarian Commons, Land Stewardship, and the Racist History of Land Conservation

By Noah Wurtz / Sep, 05 2022
As a land conservation organization, it is important for Agrarian Trust to grapple with th
Agrarian Commons

Ostrom’s Eight Design Principles for a Successfully Managed Commons

By Noah Wurtz / Aug, 31 2022
Torbel came to international attention in 1990, when Ostrom published her groundbreaking s
Agrarian Trust

La Via Campesina

By Noah Wurtz / Aug, 29 2022
La Via Campesina coined the term food sovereignty in 1996, against the background of an in
Land Access Stories

What can we learn from Deshee Farm? A Visual History

By Noah Wurtz / Aug, 23 2022
While farms like Deshee failed to take hold in the United States and had significant limit
Agrarian Commons

Restoring Native Pollinator Habitats with the Agrarian Commons

By Noah Wurtz / Aug, 15 2022
In the past twenty years, habitat loss, pests, pathogens, a lack of genetic diversity amon
Agrarian Trust

What are the Rights of Nature?

By Noah Wurtz / Aug, 09 2022
An ecologically responsible, regenerative approach to land management is at the center of
Agrarian Commons

Enclosure: Old and New

By Noah Wurtz / Jul, 25 2022
The Agrarian Commons is part of a long history of innovative commoning practices that have
Agrarian Commons

Commodity or Commons: Finance Capital and the Commodification of Land

By Noah Wurtz / Jul, 13 2022
The first major entity to begin investing in farmland as an asset was Teachers Insurance a
Agrarian Commons

Oasis and Community in Petersburg, Virginia

By Noah Wurtz / Jun, 30 2022
“What it means for our community... it means a sense of hope,” said Cherry. “It’s
Agrarian Trust

Studies of the Agrarian Commons in the Higher Education Community

By Wendy Stevens / Jun, 24 2022
The Agrarian Commons model, now in its implementation phase, is being studied by researche
Agrarian Commons

Virginia, a Resettlement State

By April Jones / Jun, 22 2022

America has always been a mix of cultural food traditions. We enj

Agrarian Trust

Mark Lancaster Joins Agrarian Trust as Development Director

By Agrarian Trust / Jun, 21 2022
There is little doubt that over the next 5-10 years upwards of 400 million acres of land i
Giving and Fundraisers

Press Release: Announcing New Land Acquisition Project for the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons

By Kristina Villa / Jun, 16 2022
The Central Virginia Agrarian Commons (AC) is announcing its first land acquisition projec
Land Justice and Equity

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Black Resistance

By April Jones / Jun, 13 2022
Using land as a pathway for growth and upward mobility has always been an American traditi
Agrarian Commons

Healing the Land Through Community Collaboration in the Southwest Virginia Agrarian Commons

By Noah Wurtz / Jun, 02 2022
As the campaign to raise $426,250 to purchase Lick Run Farm gains momentum, the Harvest Co
Agrarian Trust

Fighting for Domestic and Global Food Sovereignty

By Noah Wurtz / May, 23 2022
The high cost of land, racial inequity and land grabbing that underpins agriculture in the
Agrarian Commons

Cultivating Resiliency in Roanoke, Virginia

By Briana Olson / May, 17 2022
As a recipient of Roanoke City’s share of American Rescue Plan funding, LEAP is working
Agrarian Trust

Equity & Justice Research Grant

By Katie Horner / May, 15 2022
The Gund Institute for Environment, based out of the University of Vermont (UVM), recently
Agrarian Trust

The Diggers Today: Enclosure, Manure, and Resistance

By Noah Wurtz / May, 13 2022
Such historical examples of commoning practices and resistance to land enclosures not only
Agrarian Commons

Explore the Farm and Fundraise with Frankie the Cat

By Noah Wurtz / May, 09 2022
The authors of Frankie Explores the Farm, Courtney Taylor and Harmony Marquardt, are donat
Land Access Strategies

The International Land Coalition Commits to New Strategy Centered on Restoring Land Rights to Dispossessed Communities

By Noah Wurtz / May, 07 2022
The International Land Coalition has released a new strategy that centers on securing land
Agrarian Commons

All Against All to All for One: Moving Beyond the Tragedy of the Commons

By Noah Wurtz / May, 02 2022
In April 1651, the political theorist Thomas Hobbes published his most well-known literary
Giving and Fundraisers

Press Release: Announcing New Land Acquisition Project for the Southwest Virginia Agrarian Commons

By Kristina Villa / Apr, 26 2022
The Southwest VA AC needs to raise $251,329 through a fundraising campaign to fully fund t
Food Systems and Security

Redlining’s Legacy: Disinvestment in Black Communities in Virginia

By April Jones / Apr, 18 2022
Redlining was a red mark against these robust neighborhoods, meaning that they could not c
Agrarian Commons

Defending Workers and Supporting the Commons: A Q&A with Sam Petsonk

By Briana Olson / Apr, 08 2022
Sam Petsonk has spent his career challenging injustices in the courts and the legislature,
Agrarian Commons

Creating Land Access & Tenure for Black Farmers in Virginia

By Kristina Villa / Mar, 28 2022
While securing land tenure is a challenge facing farmers of every race in this country, Ag
Commons Alliance

Beyond Protection: New River Land Trust Builds on Conservation Successes to Pave the Way Toward Farmer-Led Stewardship

By Janna Siller / Mar, 06 2022
The New River Land Trust has been protecting parcels of land in the New River region of so
Agrarian Commons

Black-led Modest Family Solutions has been selected as the long-term leaseholder and steward for the Puget Sound Agrarian Commons farmland

By Kristina Villa / Feb, 21 2022
The Puget Sound Agrarian Commons (AC) has chosen Adasha Turner, founder and director of Mo
Agrarian Commons

A Community Land Trust Seeds the New Hampshire Agrarian Commons

By Briana Olson / Feb, 08 2022
In June 2021, the first farm was transferred into the New Hampshire Agrarian Commons. The
Agrarian Commons

Changemaker Profile: Renard Turner and the Central Virginia Agrarian Commons

By Briana Olson / Jan, 25 2022
A Q&A with Renard Turner, co-owner and operator of Vanguard Ranch and founding board membe
Land Access Strategies

Muhidin Libah and Ian McSweeney Share a Recounting on America’s Test Kitchen

By Wendy Stevens / Jan, 19 2022
America's Test Kitchen Reporter Ashia Aubourg recently produced a story about the successf
Agrarian Commons

Principles of the Commons

By Tao Orion / Dec, 03 2021
Farmer, permaculturist, and author Tao Orion writes about the commons as a means to land s
Press Releases and Announcements

Building Equitable Farmland Tenure Models for Farmers in the Upper Midwest

By David Harper / Nov, 19 2021
We are thrilled to announce that Agrarian Trust has been awarded a grant from the North Ce
Agrarian Commons

West Virginia Farmland Fundraiser Paints a Picture of Connection

By Wendy Stevens / Oct, 26 2021
Agrarian Trust fully funded its third fundraiser on October 12th, 2021. Working together w
Commons Alliance

Foodlands Cooperative of British Columbia

By Taylor Plett / Sep, 27 2021
If you drive east from Vancouver for about an hour and a half on a Saturday morning, you c
Agrarian Commons

Changemaker Profile: Jillian Hishaw and Systemic Land Theft

By Jillian Hishaw / Aug, 11 2021
A reflection from author, attorney, and landowner advocate Jillian Hishaw as she discusses
Agrarian Commons

Changemaker Profile: Adam Hodges and the West Virginia Agrarian Commons

By Briana Olson / Jul, 09 2021
A Q&A with Adam Hodges, founding board member of the West Virginia Agrarian Commons, Commu
Faithlands

Reparative Justice: From Theory to Reality

By Briana Olson / Jun, 14 2021
In celebration of Juneteenth, we’re posting an excerpt from the FaithLands Toolkit. Whil
Giving and Fundraisers

Food, land, and farm businesses are working together to transform land ownership in the US

By Agrarian Trust / Dec, 06 2020
Businesses recognize our collective stake in the earth and are willing to direct energy an
Agrarian Commons

Vermont Agrarian Commons – A New Model of Community Land Partnership for Regenerative Farms

By Agrarian Trust / Nov, 23 2020
Corie Pierce of Bread and Butter Farm on why the Agrarian Commons offers a strong and vibr
Giving and Fundraisers

Tito’s Vodka and Greenleaf Restaurant in NH raising funds to support Agrarian Trust

By Agrarian Trust / Nov, 16 2020
Greenleaf in NH has announced that they are joining with Titos Vodka to support Agrarian T
Agrarian Commons

Press Release: Local Agrarian Commons Co-founders Honored with Food Sovereignty Prize

By Agrarian Trust / Oct, 17 2020
Please join us in congratulating the Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine (SBCA), c
Commons Alliance

Agrarian Trust featured in Catalytic Capital and Agriculture

By Agrarian Trust / Oct, 16 2020
The team at Agrarian Trust is thrilled to see the Agrarian Commons model of community-held
Food Systems and Security

The Fault in Our Farming

By Frankie Wallace / Sep, 23 2020
Humanity can no longer afford to ignore the myriad ways in which monoculture is unsustaina
Agrarian Commons

How we fundraised $367,000 in 8 weeks for land justice

By Agrarian Trust / Aug, 26 2020
Together, we’ve just finished our first farm acquisition fundraiser at Agrarian Trust in
Land Justice and Equity

Action & Commitment for Racial Equity

By Agrarian Trust / Aug, 19 2020
The recent uprisings are shaking the world. We are again at a tipping point that is a long
Agrarian Commons

Agrarian Trust & Patagonia Invest in Pollinator Habitat Design & Implementation at Two Agrarian Commons Farms

By Wendy Stevens / Aug, 18 2020
Agrarian Trust and Patagonia are both investing to support ecological stewardship on two A
Agrarian Commons

Agrarian Trust’s First Farm Fundraiser

By Agrarian Trust / Aug, 11 2020
Agrarian Trust, with the support of our incredible community has launched ten Agrarian Com
Food Systems and Security

Harnessing the Power of Local

By Frankie Wallace / Aug, 03 2020
Agrarian Commons farms, which operate under the joint stewardship of farmers across a comm
Agrarian Commons

Could Putting Farmland in the Commons Support Land Justice and Sustainability?

By Agrarian Trust / Jul, 15 2020
The Agrarian Trust aims to help farmers access land and stay on it, while fostering a syst
Sustainable Farming

Guest Post: Teaching the Next Generation Through Sustainable Agriculture

By Frankie Wallace / Jul, 15 2020
One of the most important gifts we can pass on to future generations is the reconnection t
Commons Alliance

New Report: “Driving Dispossession: The Global Push to “Unlock the Economic Potential of Land”

By Agrarian Trust / Jul, 14 2020
Driving Dispossession: The Global Push to “Unlock the Economic Potential of Land,” sou
Agrarian Commons

Press Release: Somali Bantu Community Association Finds Dream Farm – Little Jubba Central Maine Agrarian Commons

By Agrarian Trust / Jun, 23 2020
The Little Jubba Central Maine AC found their dream farm (107 acres in Maine). Agrarian Tr
Land Justice and Equity

Antiracism Resources

By Agrarian Trust / Jun, 16 2020
Do the work to become antiracist. Continually seek to educate yourself and your community.
Food Systems and Security

Guest Post: How Farmers’ Markets Have Been Affected by COVID-19

By Frankie Wallace / May, 28 2020
The struggle to legitimize farmers' markets as essential services has been a hard-fought b
Agrarian Trust

Press Release: Agrarian Trust Selected for the Chipotle Aluminaries Project 2.0 Accelerator Program

By Agrarian Trust / May, 28 2020
Agrarian Trust has been selected to participate in the Chipotle Aluminaries Project 2.0 wh
Agrarian Commons

Agrarian Commons: A New Model for Community-Owned Farmland

By Agrarian Trust / May, 13 2020
On May 4th, 2020, Agrarian Trust announced the launch of a transformative new model for co
Agrarian Commons

Vernon Family Farm: Joining the New Hampshire Agrarian Commons

By Darby Weaver / May, 13 2020
Situated on 33 acres in Newfields, NH, Vernon Family Farm is a pastured poultry operation
Press Releases and Announcements

Press Release: Agrarian Trust Launches the Agrarian Commons, A National Model for Community-Centered Farm Ownership

By Agrarian Trust / May, 04 2020
Today Agrarian Trust announces the launch of the Agrarian Commons, a transformative new mo
Agrarian Commons

Reflections from Agrarian Trust on the Coronavirus Crisis & Our Food System

By Agrarian Trust / Apr, 14 2020
Ian McSweeney “While the crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic is significant,
Food Systems and Security

Resources for Farmers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Agrarian Trust / Apr, 14 2020
In moments of crisis, immediate interventions and resources offered by service providers a
Food Systems and Security

Globalize the Struggle! Globalize Hope! Course Held

By Agrarian Trust / Apr, 14 2020
A reflection on participation in the U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance first national Politic
Agrarian Commons

Guest Post: Idaho is Losing Farmland Fast

By Frankie Wallace / Apr, 07 2020
Could Sustainable Agriculture Save It? As farmland in Idaho begins to disappear in favor o
Commons Alliance

How to Win Land Justice in a Decade

By Agrarian Trust / Jan, 17 2020
By Neil Thapar, Food and Farm Director, Sustainable Economies Law Center Originally p
Agrarian Commons

Struggles and Strategies of the Farmland Trust Movement Across Europe

By Sarah Holdeman / Dec, 16 2019
In September, I participated in a convening on land access alongside a group of 90 partici
Agrarian Commons

A Landscape in Transition

By Darby Weaver / Dec, 02 2019
Frost and early snow over the last month and the last of the brown and yellow leaves are s
Agrarian Commons

Sweet Land: The Story of a Collaborative Farming Model that Saved Two Dairies

By Eliza Spellman Taylor / Nov, 17 2019
This is the story of the revival of two dairy farms as a result of regenerative farming pr
Agrarian Commons

The 100 Year History of the San Pedro Commons

By Agrarian Trust / Sep, 30 2019
2018 marked the hundred-year anniversary of the privatization of the San Pedro Land grant,
Agrarian Commons

Land in Common: A Bold and Patient Model for Agrarian Reform in Maine

By Eliza Spellman Taylor / Sep, 30 2019
Land in Common is a Community Land Trust in Maine, born out of a community-focused, land j
Agrarian Commons

Portraits of the Agrarian Trust Collective: #Inktober

By Agrarian Trust / Sep, 30 2019
This October, Agrarian Trust is spotlighting the farmers and ranchers who put food on our
Agrarian Trust

Using Multiple Community-based Land Trusts to Save Farmland

By Darby Weaver / Sep, 23 2019
Agrarian Commons closely resemble community land trusts, but they are unique in that they
Commons Alliance

For a Greener New Deal and Cooler Climate, Focus on Food and Agriculture

By Agrarian Trust / Sep, 03 2019
A successful Green New Deal will integrate what we know about carbon, emissions, and pollu
Commons Alliance

Nos Robaron La Tierra / They Stole the Land From Us

By Agrarian Trust / Aug, 07 2019
by Vanessa García Polanco What do you want the future of your land to be? “Nos robaron
Faithlands

Certified Naturally Grown Matches the Stewardship Practices Faith-Based Institutions Are Looking To Adopt

By Jillian Hishaw / Aug, 07 2019
By Jillian Hishaw, Esq. According to a 2015 Consumer Report, 67 percent of Americans are w
Food Systems and Security

Let’s talk about the land!

By Agrarian Trust / Jul, 29 2019
by Vanessa García Polanco When you’re driving in rural America and pass a farm, do you
Land Justice and Equity

Going Beyond Diversity and Inclusion in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources

By Agrarian Trust / Jul, 22 2019
by Vanessa García Polanco In many of my roles as a food, agriculture, and natural resourc