Agrarian Trust's Agrarian Commons initiative fosters community-centered land ownership and stewardship across the United States.
By establishing regional Agrarian Commons, the initiative aims to provide secure land tenure for farmers, promote sustainable agriculture, and support local food systems. Scroll down to see a map of all of our current commons members.
Agrarian Commons are community land-holding entities governed by farmers, community members, and Agrarian Trust. They permanently remove farmland from commoditized markets and provide farmers with long-term, affordable land security to operate independent farming enterprises that benefit their communities.
Agrarian Trust supports each commons by leveraging national resources and capital to strengthen local land stewardship and investment in agriculture.
If you’re interested in forming an Agrarian Commons (a community-based, land-holding entity affiliated with Agrarian Trust), click the button or scroll down to learn more about the process.
Starting a Commons means building the structure around long-term community stewardship of land.
Where a Commons Begins
Each Commons begins in its own way, but often with the same recognition: land is too important to be left only to the conventional market, and communities need stronger ways to hold it, steward it, and keep it in agricultural use over time.
What the Process Usually Involves
That process looks different in every region, but it often includes exploring a title-holding entity, developing governance, shaping stewardship commitments, securing long-term tenure for farmers, and identifying the legal, financial, and relational steps needed to move land into durable community care.
What Agrarian Trust’s Role Is
Agrarian Trust works with communities that are exploring this path. We help support the legal, organizational, and strategic groundwork that can make a Commons viable, accountable, and lasting.
To work with Agrarian Trust to launch an Agrarian Commons, a community first needs to have these things in place to get to the next stage of submitting documentation for evaluation:
Community stakeholders and prospective board members who are aligned with Agrarian Trust Principles and relationship to Land Return (at least 5 people committed)
Demonstrated willingness, skills and networks in legal, fundraising, communications, real estate transfer, agriculture, and farm viability/support
A geographic location that is in a region that does not already have an existing Agrarian Commons
An aligned and state-licensed attorney willing to donate and/or provide discounted service to board and/or serve as an Agrarian Commons board member
A farming community with demonstrated need for improved farmland access and secure tenure in the region and commitment to regenerative agricultural practices and commoning
A viable founding land project
We will respond to inquiries as quickly as possible.
LAND & INFRASTRUCTURE
Land and infrastructure to support “agrarian use” (including, but not limited to diversified production of food, forage, fiber, and/or medicine)
Soils sufficient to support agrarian useSecure, sufficient quantity and quality water to support agrarian use
No existence or evidence of contaminated soil or water, or the ability and capacity to remedy
Location and scale sufficient to support production that can have community benefit
Housing onsite, possibility of developing housing onsite, or opportunity to legally tie housing to AC/farm property
LANDOWNER
A landowner who demonstrates alignment and willingness to:
Enter into an Option and/or Purchase agreement that allows a minimum of 12 months (ideally 18+ months) to closing.
Transfer land as a donation or at a discounted price
General questions about the Agrarian Commons model.
Support the land rematriation project within the ancestral homelands of the Nipmuc People.
Raised :
$
1825754
Goals :
$
2000000
Help us build housing to create the basis for wealth and prosperity for a new generation of Black farmers in Virginia.
Raised :
$
400,000
Goals :
$
675,000
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of foundations, donor-advised funds, businesses, and individuals.
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