December 11, 2023
(press release)
–
Nearly 300 million acres of American farmland are expected to change hands in the next twenty years. As aging farmers exit the field, the future is uncertain for about one third of the country's farm and ranch land. "Farmland is most at risk of conversion during generational transition," says
Farmland transfer is a delicate process, one that involves a complex and often emotional combination of legal, economic and social factors. For many exiting farmers and ranchers, retirement can be a challenge, especially if they do not have heirs who are interested in taking over the farm business. For aspiring and incoming farmers, particularly those who do not come from farming or ranching families, accessing affordable land is their biggest barrier. Land Transfer Navigators will build bridges between these two groups, leveraging land protection as a strategy to facilitate successful, affordable land transfer. Over the next four years, AFT will train three dozen land protection organizations and their staff to serve as "Navigators" in communities across the country to aid exiting and entering farmers in the land transfer process. The trusting relationships these land trusts and PACE programs have nurtured with conservation-minded landowners can serve as a foundation for the successful transfer of land between generations. With this new training, Navigators will connect with one another and gain additional skills, tools and resources to bring unprecedented support to help transfer farmland. "With millions of acres of farmland likely to transition over the next decade, NRCS sees a pivotal opportunity to help landowners identify transfer strategies that keep land in active agriculture," says
This collaborative, capacity-building approach is tested and proven, explains
Agencies and organizations that have formally joined the program underwent a thorough and competitive application process to become Navigators. They are hopeful about the project's impact. "We sit at kitchen tables with our farmers, discussing their hopes and dreams for their land as we work together to secure their conservation legacies. Farm transfer is a natural progression of that conversation, and a critical next step to ensure protected lands stay in production," says
In addition to training dozens of organizations and AFT staff to serve as Navigators, the project will offer regional support for landowners and land seekers. AFT will build and expand communities of practice for service providers--such as attorneys, appraisers, real estate agents, financial planners and lenders, among others--who specialize in agriculture and are key figures in the transfer process. AFT staff and Navigator partners will work directly with landowners and land seekers, as well as distribute grants to farmers, ranchers and landowners to help them develop and implement farm transfer plans. AFT will create and host an online "Land Transfer Resource Hub" on the
As the average age of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners continues to climb, the working land they steward is at a moment of seismic transition. It matters how--and to whom--that land transfers. The collective components of the Land Transfer Navigators project will work to get more land in the hands of next generation farmers and ranchers. With support, they can flourish--putting our nation on the path to a stronger, brighter, and more equitable agricultural future. * * * Interested in learning more about the project and seeing the roster of Land Transfer Navigators? Check out this page: https://farmland.org/land-transfer-navigators/ * * * Original text here: https://farmland.org/new-land-transfer-program-to-help-nations-farmers-protect-and-access-farmland/
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