Farm Profile: Batalden Farms
In the wide-open midwestern states, especially in places like Lamberton, Minnesota, there is no danger of commercial development of farmland. Still, young agrarians like Ryan and Tiffany Batalden face the very real challenges of land access and land tenure. Ryan is a 5th generation farmer who now runs a successful 350-acre organic farm, but making […]
How Do We Trust?
As the Agrarian Trust project forges forward, it seems important to check back and define what this trust idea is really about. I remember my first reflections on mishearing our name as a growing trust, and all the connotations that came along with my understanding of what a trust is. In current language, as applied […]
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Speaks on The State of Farming
US Department of Agriculture studies have shown that the average age of farm operators is rising. The fastest growing group is those 65 or older, and in 2007 the average age was 58. In 1945 the average age was 39. Partner this with the prediction that the world’s population growth will cause a 50% increase […]
Broken economy breaking ground in Spain
In the small Spanish town of Marinaleda, some innovative villagers have found an agrarian solution to the country’s 27% unemployment rate. Giving every villager the opportunity to farm a 2500 acre community parcel has chiseled this small town’s unemployment rate down to a remarkable zero. The Collectivist model has offered a unique solution to a […]
Farmer Profile: Brittany Cole Bush
My name is Brittany Cole Bush and Iʼm a 28 year old self-deemed modern day shepherdess– of animals, people and projects. I am the project manager of Star Creek Co. Land Stewards, a contract grazing outfit in the Bay Area of California where we use prescription grazing with sheep and goats as as land management […]
Local Food Bills move forward in Texas
Three pieces of legislation that address small farm and food business are on their way to the Texas Senate. House Bill 970 would expand the list of low-risk value-added products that small producers can sell without going through a costly commercial kitchen. House Bill 1382 aims to make it easier for vendors to provide samples […]
Farm Profile: Tom and Irene Frantzen and their 300 acre Organic Farm in Iowa
AMES, Iowa —Tom and Irene Frantzen’s desire to preserve their New Hampton land for generations to come led them to bequeath the 300-acre certified organic farm to Practical Farmers of Iowa. They announced the transition plan at the recent PFI conference in Ames. Their voices choking with emotion, the couple offered the details of their […]
300 acre organic farm promised to Practical Farmers of Iowa
In a move inspired by one couple’s love of the land, 300 acres was entrusted into the hands of Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI). Tom and Irene Frantzen spent more than a year developing a generational plan to keep their 300 acre organic New Hampton farm in sustainable practice for years to come. Through help […]
National Family Farm Coalition Farmland Monitor
Farmland is increasingly becoming a financial asset. The National Family Farm Coalition has set up a resource for tracking and stopping groups from purchasing land out from under the feet of working small farmers. The Farmland Monitor is a place to share stories and take action to save small working farms.
Farm Profile: Burnt Rock Farm
When Justin Rich called Yankee Farm Credit to see about a loan for the $40,000 in improvements to one of his barns, he faced a complicated system not set up for small farmers. “They said they didn’t have a way to process such a small loan,” said Justin. “They’re set up for commodity loans. Real […]