American Farmland Trust

Communications and media outreach -aft continuously engages the public through our direct communications with our members, donors, various publications and media outreach.

Public education -advocate - aft fights for programs and policies that save farmland, support farmers and enhance our environment.educate - aft educates the public about our nation's farms, farmland and farmers.innovate - aft pioneers cutting-edge techniques that protect farmland and protect natural resources.investigate - aft conducts respected research as the foundation of our programs.collaborate - aft builds coalitions to achieve large-scale solutions and lasting change.

In 2024, american farmland trust:- trained or supported 31,750 farmers, ranchers, and landowners nationwide as well as 12,835 professionals who work with farmers.- permanently protected more than 10,800 acres of farmland and ranchland in wisconsin, california, indiana, and wyoming. - worked with partners in idaho to enact important new farmland protection legislation: the agricultural protection area act. - grew our national agricultural land network to over 1,400 organizations and individuals from all 50 states to elevate agricultural land protection nationwide.- convened farmers and advocates in washington state to advance planning for agriculture and local food through our training on local advocacy: protecting farmland in washington.- celebrated success when the rhode island state passed critical legislation that we advocated to boost funding dedicated to farmland protection and other land conservation efforts.- served as the lead sponsor for the 2024 texas land conservation conference in austin, where we presented findings from a pilot study about prioritizing the conservation of agricultural lands important for wildlife habitat. - helped virginia farmer dustin watson protect his family's long acre farm with an agricultural conservation easement through our pioneering regenerate virginia plan. - launched the palmetto 2040: visioning session, a geospatial mapping and policy analysis to identify future threats to south carolina farmland.- created a massachusetts farmland of local importance screening tool used by state and local agencies, land trusts, and research institutions to help farmers evaluate their eligibility for farmland protection programs.- partnered with cultivate kansas city on a $6.5 million rcpp grant through usda's nrcs to support land protection for urban farmers in missouri.- advocated for $80 million in state funding for wisconsin farmers and secured an additional $1.9 million to expand farmland protection in missouri, illinois, and indiana. - partnered with the o'toole family to permanently protect 3,000 acres of grazing land on their wyoming ranch, our first agricultural conservation easement in the state and one of the largest in american farmland trust's history.- launched u.s. Farmed, a first-of-its-kind certification standard that verifies products contain at least 95% u.s.-grown ingredients, helping consumers make informed choices and supporting american farmers nationwide. - empowered farmers and aspiring farmers with the resources and networks needed to grow their businesses and lead in agriculture through our north carolina cohort training and released a guide, "preserving legacy," that helps north carolina landowners secure their farms.- awarded a record $954,850 to 117 farmers through our new england farmer microgrants program for projects that support farmland access, succession, and regenerative agriculture.- released a new national land transfer training curriculum, available in english and spanish, to help beginning farmers and ranchers navigate land transitions.- in partnership with the black family land trust, launched a yearlong program supporting 20 black and indigenous women farmers in virginia.- awarded over $700,000 to 139 farmers nationwide through this year's brighter future fund, supporting farm viability, land access, and regenerative practices while empowering farmers facing climate, economic, and disaster-related challenges.- solidified our growing leadership role as the leading national organization driving agriculturally compatible solar development by expanding our solar efforts in states such as california, colorado, illinois, massachusetts, new jersey, new york, oregon, texas, virginia, and washington. - promoted sound farming practices by creating a seven-part series for farmers and grazers called "a farmer's guide to soil health economics," including three row crop and four grazing guides.- trained staff from 127 land trusts and public agencies on the basics and benefits of farm soil health practices and developed plans to guide their work through our soil health stewards program.- enrolled over 225,000 acres in cover crops and 630,000 acres in emissions scoring through an illinois program that helps farmers adopt regenerative practices, such as cover crops and no-till, in order to improve soil health and water quality.- established an on-the-ground presence for the first time in new jersey, hiring two staff to advance agrivoltaics and agricultural land protection.- was the lead sponsor behind the 2024 solar farm summit in chicago, the largest cross-sector forum on agrivoltaics in the u.s., which brought together farmers and solar experts to discuss soil health, land access, agrivoltaics research, and livestock grazing. - produced 26 soil health case studies providing farmers from idaho to oklahoma with real-world examples that make the economic case for adopting regenerative practices.