Taking Action for America’s Local Food

Why it Matters

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural supply chains and markets were showing signs of weakness. At the same time, the rural areas outside of cities are suffering unprecedented losses of farmland as development expands outward. The Working Farms Fund is a program that stops farmland loss before it is too late and invests in the future of our food system to secure long-term outcomes for healthy food production, climate, economic justice, and conservation.

“When I was growing up here in Morgan County, Georgia there were 150 some odd dairies. Today there are eight. We’ve lost most of the agriculture that was here. No one has stepped up yet and figured out how do we not be a part of this industrial food system and still farm.”

– Keith Kelly, Multi-generational farmer, owner of Farmview Market in Madison, GA

Taking Action for Americas Local Food 800 x 600

^{© Stacy Funderburke}

Our Role

The Conservation Fund is piloting the Working Farms Fund in metro Atlanta and in early stage development in metro Chicago to build a healthier, more equitable and resilient food system. The program permanently protects at-risk farmland across the region, 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 with developed markets to sell products.

HERe's How you can help

Working Farms Fund is raising $10 million in revolving capital to acquire critically threatened farmland in the metro Atlanta foodshed and provide ambitious, diverse farmers access to land and a pathway to land ownership. Over 90% of all donations go directly to our projects. If you cannot contribute at this time, please consider simply sharing this information with your network.

In metro Chicago, the Working Farms Fund is enrolling interested farmers and producers who are seeking area farmland to grow their local food businesses. We are also developing partnerships to help build connections between Working Farms Fund farmers and their markets and consumers. Please direct inquiries to ebrawley@conservationfund.org.

The Working Farms Fund takes an innovative approach to growing the future of local food by:

Creating AFFORDABLE AND EQUITABLE FARM OWNERSHIP opportunities for diverse and ambitious next-generation farmers to build prosperous farm businesses and vibrant communities.
Growing a RESILIENT LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM that strengthens connections between farmers, markets, and consumers and increases the supply of locally grown and nutritious foods.
Ensuring PERMANENT PROTECTION OF CRITICAL FARMLAND to grow our local food supply and secure the benefits of clean air and water for local communities.
Accelerating the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and incentivize farmers to IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH.

Our Pipeline

27 farmers in the program
6 women farmers
50% minority farmers
125 years of collective farming expertise
6 working farms
1,238 total acres of farmland
$7,700,000 total acquisition cost of farms

Meet some of the incredible farmers in our diverse pipeline that we hope to match up with farms in need of protection:

Global Growers, a local nonprofit, is seeking to expand its farm and market opportunities for refugee and immigrant families. It manages 20 acres of land and supports a network of farms and gardens throughout metro Atlanta. After losing their primary production facility to a destructive flood, Global Growers is prepared to re-establish a new, larger permanent home for their farmers.

Georgia Korean American Farmers Association Currently, the farmers from the Georgia Korean-American Farmers Association are cultivating fruits and vegetables and selling them to local restaurants and H Mart. Acquiring a larger farm would allow five of their farmers to grow their businesses by expanding their production and market opportunities. The Working Farms Fund investment in this new farm will leverage $300,000 for equipment and infrastructure on the farm from the Association.

We are proud to be helping these and other farmers in the Working Forest Fund pipeline with a pathway to farm ownership—helping them grow their farms, their businesses and more fresh sustainably-grown food.

Here’s How You Can Help

“You’re always being challenged by mother nature or markets. There’s always something to learn out here. Growing up in Atlanta, you want to be close to home, you want to feed the people you’ve been around the most. In order to scale up, there’s going to have to be a lot of capital put into the farm. Coming in at 24 years old, most people at this age have not built the capital to have access to land.”

– Demetrius Milling, next-generation farmer, Atlanta, GA

“If you farm irresponsibly, you’re a contributor to climate change. But if you farm in a way that follows simple, smart agricultural practices you’re contributing to a solution. Emory is not only committed to creating a market for farmers in the Working Farms Fund, we are committed to ensuring the future of farming is sustainable and open to a diverse group of people.”

-Ciannat Howett, Associate Vice President, Resilience, Sustainability, and Economic Inclusion, Emory University