AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST
1150 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW NO 600, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 www.farmland.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST IS TO SAVE THE LAND THAT SUSTAINS US BY PROTECTING FARMLAND, PROMOTING SOUND FARMING PRACTICES AND KEEPING FARMERS ON THE LAND.

STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS -AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST IS THE NATIONAL LEADER IN PROTECTING FARMLAND WITH AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. WE HELP TO CREATE PRIVATE LAND TRUSTS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT PURCHASE AND HOLD EASEMENTS AND PROVIDE THESE GROUPS WITH ESSENTIAL SERVICES. WE ALSO ARE THE PRIMARY GROUP ADVANCING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EASEMENTS. COMBINED, THIS WORK HAS PERMANENTLY PROTECTED OVER 6.5 MILLION ACRES. AFT ALSO ADVANCES TAX AND LAND-USE STRATEGIES THAT LESSEN DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON FARMS AND RANCHES. AS A RESULT, OVER 300 MILLION ACRES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND ARE LESS LIKELY TO BECOME HOUSING LOTS OR BIG-BOX STORES.A SAMPLING OF 2019 ACHIEVEMENTS:AFT LAUNCHED THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LAND NETWORK (NALN), WHICH STRENGTHENS THE COLLECTIVE CAPACITY OF PUBLIC AGENCIES, PLANNING ENTITIES, AND LAND TRUSTS WORKING TO PROTECT AGRICULTURAL LAND. NALN BUILDS THE MOMENTUM NEEDED TO ELEVATE THE CAUSE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND PROTECTION ACROSS AMERICA.AFT'S FARMLAND INFORMATION CENTER RELEASED A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT PRIVATE LAND TRUSTS PLAY IN PROTECTING FARMLAND AND RANCHLAND. "SAVING AMERICAN FARMLAND: 2017 NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF LAND TRUSTS THAT PROTECT FARM AND RANCH LAND" FOUND THAT 216 LAND TRUSTS HAVE PROTECTED 4.4 MILLION ACRES, A 45 PERCENT INCREASE FROM 2012. AFT CELEBRATED THE INCLUSION OF OUR GOAL TO REDUCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS BY 50 TO 75 PERCENT IN THE CALIFORNIA 2030 NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES AND REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. AFT CELEBRATED THE FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE HUDSON VALLEY FARMLINK NETWORK. SINCE LAUNCHING, THE NETWORK AND ITS PARTNERS HAVE HELPED MORE THAN 175 FARMERS FIND AND SECURE FARMLAND WHILE TRAINING NEARLY 10,000 FARMERS AND FARMLAND OWNERS. IN 2019, AFT EXPANDED THE INITIATIVE WITH FARMLAND FOR A NEW GENERATION NEW YORK, WHICH CONNECTS FARMS AND FARMERS AROUND THE STATE, HELPING TO KEEP THE LAND IN AGRICULTURE.PROMOTING SOUND FARMING PRACTICESFARMERS AND RANCHERS CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THEIR LAND, BUT THEY FACE CHALLENGES, BOTH FINANCIAL AND CULTURAL. AFT APPROACHES THESE CHALLENGES HEAD ON. WE HAVE SPENT DECADES PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND FARMING PRACTICES SUCH AS REDUCED TILLAGE, COVER CROPS, CROP ROTATION, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, AND ROTATIONAL GRAZING. WE CO-DEVELOPED THE FIRST REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CREDIT PROGRAM, PAYING FARMERS TO REDUCE NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS. WE LAUNCHED THE "BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CHALLENGE," INCENTIVIZING FARMERS TO CHANGE WHAT THEY DO. AND RECENTLY, WE LAUNCHED OUR WOMEN FOR THE LAND INITIATIVE TO HELP WOMEN LANDOWNERS BETTER ACCESS AND UTILIZE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. A SAMPLING OF 2019 ACHIEVEMENTS: AFT ACCEPTED AN INVITATION FROM THE U.S. CLIMATE ALLIANCE TO BE ONE OF THE COALITION'S FIRST NATIONAL "IMPACT PARTNERS. AND AFT'S CLIMATE INITIATIVE DIRECTOR, DR. JENNIFER MOORE-KUCERA, TESTIFIED BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS TO TELL LEGISLATORS THAT FARMLAND AND RANCHLAND OFFERS IMMEDIATE, LOW-COST WAYS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. AFT RESEARCH CONFIRMED THAT OUR LEARNING CIRCLES ARE A SUCCESSFUL WAY TO EMPOWER WOMEN LANDOWNERS WITH INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ABOUT CONSERVATION AND CARING FOR THE LAND. IN SEPTEMBER, OUR NATIONAL WOMEN FOR THE LAND INITIATIVE EXPANDED TO CONNECTICUT, WHERE WE HELD AN INAUGURAL LEARNING CIRCLE FOCUSED ON CLIMATE-SMART FARMING ON WORKING LANDS. AMERICA NEEDS TO EXPAND RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, BUT NEW SOLAR PANELS SHOULD NOT BE SITED ON OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND. AFT WORKED WITH PARTNERS IN NEW ENGLAND TO REDUCE CONFLICTS OVER THE SITING OF SOLAR FACILITIES BY REACHING AGREEMENTS ON SMART SOLAR SITING PRINCIPLES, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS. THESE EFFORTS WILL GUIDE THE EXPANSION OF RENEWABLE SOLAR ENERGY FACILITIES ONTO LAND WHERE IT HAS THE LEAST IMPACT. IN AUGUST, AFT RELEASED GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH PROVING THAT SOIL HEALTH BENEFITS GO RIGHT TO A FARMER'S BOTTOM LINE. AFT AND THE USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE PUBLISHED CASE STUDIES OF FOUR FARMING OPERATIONS IN DIFFERENT STATES, WHICH SHOWED THAT HEALTHIER SOIL ON FARMLAND BRINGS ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO FARMERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BOTH FARMERS AND SOCIETY. KEEPING FARMERS ON THE LANDAFT HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO THE PEOPLE WHO STEWARD THE LAND. WE PROTECT LAND SO IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AGRICULTURE. WE PROMOTE SOUND FARMING PRACTICES TO HELP FARMERS AND RANCHERS SUCCEED. BEYOND THAT, AFT HELPS AGING FARMERS AND RANCHERS TAKE STEPS TO KEEP THEIR LAND IN AGRICULTURE. WE ALSO HELP NEW FARMERS FIND LAND AND OBTAIN CRITICAL SERVICES. WE DO THIS DIRECTLY, THROUGH THE NATION'S MOST SUCCESSFUL "FARM-LINK" PROGRAM, AND BY TRAINING PROFESSIONALS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE NATION. OUR WORK ALSO EXTENDS TO TAX POLICY, WHERE WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR TAX CHANGES THAT HELP FARMS STAY FARMS.A SAMPLING OF 2019 ACHIEVEMENTS:AFT LAUNCHED A NEW INITIATIVE IN CALIFORNIA, THE UNDERSERVED FARMER OUTREACH PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES HANDS-ON TRAINING TO UNDERSERVED FARMING COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING VETERANS, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS, AND FARMERS WHOSE PRIMARY LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH. TO KICK OFF THE PROGRAM, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF FARMERS FOR A WORKSHOP ABOUT AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION. AFT CERTIFIED OUR FIRST GROUP OF LAND ACCESS TRAINERS, 25 EXPERIENCED AGRICULTURAL EDUCATORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHO LEARNED HOW TO DELIVER OUR PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED EXPERIENTIAL CURRICULUM TO TEACH BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS THE SKILLS TO MAKE INFORMED LAND-ACCESS DECISIONS.IN MASSACHUSETTS, AFT PARTNERED WITH USDA-NRCS TO LAUNCH A NEW PROJECT THAT WILL PROVIDE CONSERVATION PLANNING ASSISTANCE TO HUNDREDS OF FARMERS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, AS WELL AS GUIDANCE ON HOW TO MAKE SURE PUBLIC RESOURCES OFFER THE GREATEST POSSIBLE IMPACT. AFT AND CHOBANI YOGURT LAUNCHED A NEW PARTNERSHIP TO HELP DAIRY FARMERS. THE DAIRY FORWARD PARTNERSHIP OFFERS A RESOURCE CENTER AND MICRO-GRANTS OF UP TO $10,000 TO SUPPORT DAIRY FARMERS AS THEY PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THEIR FARMS.

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.

FARMER RELIEF FUND - THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PLACED UNPRECEDENTED PRESSURE ON AMERICAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE FORCED TO ADJUST RAPIDLY TO DISRUPTED MARKETS AND SUPPLY CHAINS. TO HELP, AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST ASSISTED THOUSANDS THROUGH OUR FARMER RELIEF FUND, WHICH AWARDED OVER $1.6 MILLION IN GRANTS TO RECIPIENTS DOING THE VITAL JOB OF PROVIDING HEALTHY FOOD TO OUR NATION. THE FARMER RELIEF FUND MAILED $1,000 GRANT CHECKS TO 1,000 FARMERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ALL THE FUNDS HELPED SMALL- TO MID-SIZE PRODUCERS WHO SELL DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS, FOOD BUSINESSES, OR INSTITUTIONS. THE MONEY WAS USED BY THESE FARMERS TO SUPPORT MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR BUSINESS MODELS THAT ALLOWED THEM TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC UNTIL THE RETURN OF NORMAL MARKETS. THE RANGE OF FARMERS ASSISTED WAS DIVERSE AND INCLUDED FARMERS WHO SELL SPECIALTY PRODUCE ITEMS TAILORED TO RESTAURANTS; FARMERS WHO DEPEND ON FLOWER SALES FOR WEDDINGS; SMALL GRASS-FED BEEF OPERATIONS THAT SELL TO LOCAL BUTCHER SHOPS; AND FARMERS WHO MARKET FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND DAIRY PRODUCTS TO SCHOOLS.

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