American Farmland Trust

We're excited to share that we've awarded over $90,000 to 20 farmers in New England through our Brighter Future Fund! This fund provides grants of up to $5,000 to support beginning farmers, those socially disadvantaged, limited resource, women, and veteran farmers and ranchers to support greater equity and opportunities. Over $700,000 was awarded to farmers across the nation through this grant in 2024. Vermont farmer Nella Cargioli Coe of Ledgenear Farm received funding to aid in the purchase of a 100-acre parcel of farmland adjacent to her family’s diversified 40-acre farm, which helped them expand their sugar maple operation and increase the viability of their farm. “It’s an honor to be selected as a recipient of a Brighter Future Fund grant from the American Farmland Trust,” Cargioli Coe said. “As a first-generation farmer, the ability to make a lasting impact on the landscape is important to me. These funds will help preserve farmland for agricultural use for many years to come.” ?? Read more: https://bit.ly/4g7aPLj

We salute Tim & Laurie Munns of the Flying M Ranch. Their efforts to improve #soilhealth, water quality and wildlife habitat have earned them the Utah Leopold #Conservation Award. This $10,000 recognition is made possible with support from American Farmland Trust, Western AgCredit, Utah Farm Bureau, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, The Nature Conservancy, Producers Livestock Marketing Association, Utah Association of Conservation Districts, and others!

Explore our newly released Guide to ACEP-ALE for Heirs' Property Landowners developed in partnership with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Landowners can use the guide to inform conversations with family members, and farmland and ranchland protection professionals can use it to better understand NRCS policy to help landowners participate in Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements component (ACEP-ALE). The guide describes what #HeirsProperty is, challenges that come along with this form of ownership, and opportunities for participating in ACEP-ALE. It presents key considerations and program requirements, including ownership documentation. The guide also provides examples showing how landowners can use the federal program to achieve landowners' goals and includes steps and additional resources for getting started. ?? See the guide at our Farmland Information Center here: https://bit.ly/3ZlcVle.

The Monis family, whose roots in Wisconsin date back to 1847, are protecting their land’s legacy for future generations with help from Tall Pines Conservancy and the Wisconsin Farmland Protection Partnership. We're honored to be a partner in protecting Wisconsin's vital farmland forever! The Wisconsin Farmland Protection Partnership Project seeks to address the need for increased agricultural conservation easement funding in the state. The partnership, funded by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), plans to slow the loss of vital agricultural land by accelerating permanent Wisconsin farmland protection statewide. ?? Learn more about how we're working to protect Wisconsin's farmland: https://bit.ly/3YZm3KV.

?? Sale! “No Farms, No Food - Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture" by Don Stuart, former PNW Regional Director at AFT, is both an inspiring history of agricultural conservation and a practical guide to creating an effective advocacy organization. This is an essential read for everyone who cares about the future of our food, farms, and environment! Get your hardcover copy 50% off through 11/24 from Island Press! https://lnkd.in/eA85yi8h #ReadingList

“We’re not just farming for our generation, we’re farming to leave the land better for the future,” shares fourth-generation farmer Olivia Fuller of Fuller Acres Farm in New York. Learn how Olivia employs conservation practices like rotational grazing on her farm in a video from Farm Journal's America's Conservation Ag Movement. ??

For Erinn Roberts, it all started with a green bean. ?? Now, 20 years later, as an Implementation Specialist at American Farmland Trust, Erinn helps farmers in Southeastern Massachusetts adopt more environmentally friendly practices and secure federal funding to implement them through a partnership with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. What’s a day like for her? Find out: https://bit.ly/412eVA7.

? There's still time to apply for our current grant opportunities in Virginia and New England! Regenerate Virginia ● Grants up to $10,000 (farm vitality) and $50,000 (healthy soils) ● Location: Virginia ● Deadline: November 15 ● Info: https://bit.ly/3APtImD Brighter Future Fund New England Regenerative Livestock Grants ● Grants up to $10,000 ● Location: select counties in VT, NH, MA, & CT ● Deadline: November 29 ● Info: https://bit.ly/3BZerzT

There's still time to register for our webinar, "Practical Opportunities to Use Biochar in Composting" tomorrow. Join us and bring your questions: https://bit.ly/48t7KlR. Can't make it? Register to make sure you receive the recording.

Last week, we hosted an event with partners in Evansville, Wisconsin to celebrate the permanent protection of 190 acres of prime farmland through the Wisconsin Farmland Protection Partnership. This agricultural conservation easement, which will provide public access for outdoor recreation in Rock County and permanently secure Wisconsin farmland into the future, was funded with support from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Congratulations to Groundswell Conservancy for the tremendous achievement! ?? ?? Learn more about how we work with partners to protect our nation's valuable farmland: https://bit.ly/3UkMKZ6.