As US farmers age, up to 400 million acres of farmland will transfer over the next two decades. How can farmland be held centered in community to assure regenerative agriculture and food production in an equitable and just way? That’s the heart of the conversation between Agrarian Trust’s Ian McSweeney and Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep.
Today, the majority of US farmers don’t own the land they farm and less than 2% of land owners are people of color. The reality that land prices increase while returns to farming fall, makes it increasingly difficult for young, diverse farmers to gain ownership. In response, the Agrarian Trust has helped create a dozen local agrarian commons in 10 states in the US. The commons de-commodify land to address ownership and tenure issues while increasing both food security and sovereignty. The West Virginia Agrarian Commons, which is raising funds now, is an example of trying to return control to local farmers.
Ian and Erik discuss how the commons are created and managed, how farms cooperate and collaborate, and the differences between conservation, community, and agrarian land trusts. They talk about different dimensions of equity and how to get involved with Agrarian Trust whether it is opportunities to farm, offer financial support, or invest.
Links for Ian:
References:
- Food sovereignty
- more on food sovereignty – Erik’s interview with Simone Senogles
- Land trust
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