You’re likely reading this because, like us, you recognize America has a food security problem. The demand for local food is growing, while the average American farmer is getting older. Farms are being lost to development, and the next generation of farmers can’t afford the remaining farmland while expanding their production. At the same time, communities across the country are facing inequity issues that impact their health and daily wellbeing. These challenges are big, but they can be resolved with a unique approach to farm conservation and partnership. Our Working Farms Fund is building a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system.
The program permanently protects at-risk farmland, creates opportunities for ambitious, diverse farmers to scale up local food production, and through conservation easements and lease-to-own options, these farmers will come out of the program owning their own farms and building partnerships that will help them increase food production and market return.
1. Creating affordable and equitable farm ownership opportunities for diverse and ambitious next-generation farmers to build prosperous farm businesses and vibrant communities.
2. Growing a resilient food system that strengthens connections between farmers, markets, and consumers and increases the supply of locally grown and nutritious foods.
3. Ensuring permanent protection of critical farmland to grow our local food supply and secure the benefits of clean air and water for local communities.
4. Accelerating the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and incentivizing farmers to improve the environment and human health.
Historic and present-day injustice creates challenges to accessing land, capital, loans, program support, and educational tools for people of color, indigenous people, women, and other economically disadvantaged groups. Our program is committed to increasing opportunities for those farmers who have been historically marginalized.
Meet the Farmers
Farmers in the Working Farms Fund are not just entrepreneurial, but eager and willing to put in the work to scale up their community’s food systems. Currently, we’re working with several farm teams in the Atlanta-metro area to rise to these tough challenges. Let’s meet them!
We cannot do this work alone. Working Farms Fund builds a more resilient food system through long-term investments in next generation farm businesses. We anticipate protecting at least 20,000 acres of farmland, launching 200 farm businesses, and supporting strong rural farm networks through its Working Farms Fund in the next 20 years alone. Investment in one farm will roll forward into new projects every 3 to 5 years, multiplying the initial capitalization 5 times over the next 20 years and you can be part of this resilient future.
The Working Farms Fund’s initial revolving fund capital will be dedicated to:
1. Acquiring small to mid-sized farms (20 to 500 acres) facing development threat
2. Matching that farmland with the next generation of diverse and ambitious farmers who need a patient pathway to land access and support to grow their markets and businesses.
3. Permanently conserving the farmland with public funding through the purchase of a conservation easement.
4. Selling the protected, and more affordable farmland to the farmer.
Want to support the Working Farms Fund? Here are some ways you can contribute to a more sustainable food future:
- Donate to The Conservation Fund (write “Working Farms Fund” in your donation). A gift to the Working Farms Fund will help us buy and protect more working farmland, and invest in sustainable farm practices for our farmers.
- Become a corporate partner. Are you a business that is looking for food-related partnerships? Reach out to kvarsa@conservationfund.org to inquire.
- Meet our farmers, and support their farms directly. Or shop local and support your local farmers.
- Partner with us. We are interested in new models of collaboration, particularly with institutional and other market outlets.
Key Partner: Emory University
The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta, where we’ve built a partnership with Emory University. As an investment for the health of their students and hospital patients, Emory has agreed to purchase the food produced by Atlanta farmers in the Working Farms Fund program, ensuring equitable demand for the farmers. Learn more about our innovative partnership with Emory University.
Key Partner: Partnership for Inclusive Innovation
The Working Farms Fund works closely with the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN), a public-private partnership that guides efforts to help foster access, growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation throughout the state, with the ultimate goal of achieving inclusive innovation throughout Georgia. PIN aspires to define Georgia’s entrepreneurial identity as a national leader in technology research, development, and implementation.
Key Partner: common market
The Common Market is a mission-driven distributor of sustainable, local farm foods. They envision a nation composed of vibrant, regional food systems where interdependent urban and rural communities thrive while improving food security, farm viability, and community and ecological health. Through a collaborative partnership, The Common Market is helping the Working Farms Fund connect farmers to new markets by providing them access to a wide variety of wholesale and retail customers and connecting farmers with institutions and communities throughout the Southeast.
Farmers who are ready to expand their farm business will work with the Working Farms Fund to achieve landownership in 3 to 5 years. This patient pathway to land ownership allows farmers to invest in their business while gradually working toward purchase of the land.
Farmers in the Working Farms Fund have support from The Conservation Fund and network of farm resource partners who will invest in:
- Access to farmland at an affordable farming value
- A patient pathway to farmland ownership through a lease-to-own model
- Support in identifying and applying for farm business tools and federal programs
- Access to new and emerging markets
- Time to focus on investment in farm infrastructure and growing the farm business
Do you want to learn more? Complete our Farmer Survey and we will be in touch.
The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta and metro Chicago. If your farm is serving another metro market, you are welcome to complete the survey—we will keep your information on file for future pilots, and it helps us to know which geographies have interested farmers.
Resources
New Farm Support and Farm Business Planning - USDA Resources for New Farmers
- University of Georgia Small Business Development Center
- Georgia Organics Accelerator Program
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s Building a Sustainable Business Resource
Sustainable Agriculture and Land Protection
- Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Office
- National Young Farmers Coalition, A Farmer’s Guide to Working with Land Trusts
Loan Guidance
The Working Farms Fund will support a new and diverse generation of ambitious farmers who aim to expand food production, while permanently protecting significant farmland in critical locations across the United States that produce the highest return of food for people. We are actively fundraising for the Working Farms Fund program. Find out how you can help.
