Farmland trusts preserve agricultural land through a range of methods and activities; they can be an integral part of farm succession planning.
American Farmland Trust – United States
Founded in 1980, the American Farmland Trust is recognized as the nation’s leader for saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting healthy farming practices and supporting farms and farmers. AFT offers a wealth of information, services, and studies on how to keep farmers on their land and protect the environment.
Community Farm Land Trust Toolkit – Stroud Community Wealth Company Ltd
This toolkit provides information on starting a community farm land trust. Although based on the United Kingdom much of the general information is directly transferable to B.C. (excluding legal aspects).
Equity Trust, Inc. – United States
Equity Trust, Inc. offers technical assistance to community loan funds, community land trusts, CSA farms, and other community-based groups working to develop sustainable, equitable, local systems relating to housing, food, economic development, and the environment.
Establishing your community farm trust: legal tools and comparative models. – UVic Environmental Law Centre Society
This report provides a legal framework for B.C. farmers interested in establishing a trust to protect their working landscapes. It also provides comparative information on selected North American land trusts.
Review of Farmland Trusts: Communities Supporting Farmland, Farming and Farmers – The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
Information about farmland trusts throughout Canada, United States and United Kingdom. Recommendations are provided for a B.C. provincial farmland trust and for new and established farmland trusts regarding goals, activities, governance, and financial structure.
Land Trusts and Agricultural Land: Protecting Farmland or Farming – Glynwood
This report supports land trusts in developing regional farmland programs.
The OFT works to protect and preserve farmlands and associated agricultural, natural and cultural features in the countryside for the benefit of both current and future generations. There is a wealth of information on their website about the importance of farmland protection. Farmland Preservation Land for Future Generations published in 2007 is a compilation of conference papers which address a broad spectrum of thought on farmland preservation.
