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    Farms and ranches feed the nation... and so much more.

    Without working lands, we wouldn't have food for our table, fibers for clothing or timber to build homes. These lands also make up the green open spaces key to absorbing rainwater which prevents floods, alleviates drought, provides wildlife habitat and lessens wildfires.

    • In less than a generation, the United States lost 11 million acres of farmland to expanding cities and suburbs. Today, there are nearly 2 million fewer owners of agricultural lands than in 1945.

    • Approximately 40% of the nation’s farmland is owned by people over 65, which means that up to 370 million acres of farmland could change hands in the next 20 years.

    • Our nation is on track to convert more than 18 million acres of farm and ranch land by 2040 — an area the size of South Carolina.

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Land trusts are gaining ground for family farms and ranches.

    Land trusts work with farmers and ranchers to permanently protect their lands from development while remaining productive and in private ownership. By conserving their land, farmers and ranchers can maintain their way of life and pass it on to the next generation.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Land trusts at work

    Learn how land trusts across the country are gaining ground.

    “Once an unprotected farm has been broken by development, that land is forever altered and will never again return to agriculture. The opportunity of a permanent conservation easement can protect a family farm or ranch, allowing for future generations to continue in agriculture.”
    — Dean Fedde, a third-generation Nebraska farmer

    Learn more about the motivation behind why Dean Fedde committed to permanently protecting his family’s farmstead with a conservation easement.

    There is still a chance for us to apply trusted conservation solutions that keep our agricultural lands in production both for humans and nature, but only through transformative change.

    Making progress on today’s challenges might seem out of reach for one individual. Supporting your local land trust is an easy and tangible way to have a positive impact as part of a larger team.

    Join us in in working with our nation’s farmers and ranchers to protect working lands to provide local, sustainable food and other environmental benefits for generations to come.

    Make a lasting impact