Farmers Land Trust preserves farmland while providing land access to next-gen farmers

The Farmers Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that helps farmers transition their farmland to the next generation by establishing community-managed farmland. The nonprofit pays to own the title of the farmland, while the next farmer tends to the land through a 99-year lease. This model allows for affordable, equitable land access for next-generation farmers, ensuring that farmland remains in agricultural use and is not developed. The organization was founded by Kristina Villa and Ian McSweeney, who had witnessed the rising cost of farmland and its impact on the farming community. Through the program, farmers like Annie Warmke can ensure their land stays as farmland and is passed on to the next generation, like Sarah and Jason Ricks, who now manage Blue Rock Station, LLC in Ohio.