The American Farmland Trust (AFT) is a national non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. It works to protect farmland, promote farming methods that help protect the environment, and support farmers and ranchers across the United States. AFT was created in 1980 by a group of farmers and conservationists. It was one of the first agricultural land trusts in the United States and remains the only one with a national focus. The organization’s work includes helping shape laws and policies, conserving land, and providing guidance and support. Regional offices help with local projects.

AFT is managed by a board of directors and includes a team of farmers, scientists, policy experts, and researchers. In partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, AFT runs the Farmland Information Center. This center provides information and resources about protecting farmland and best practices for its care.

History

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) was established in 1980 by farmers and conservationists, including Margaret (Peggy) Rockefeller, Patrick Noonan, and William K. Reilly. Norm Berg, who previously served as Chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service), worked as a senior advisor for AFT for 25 years. Otto C. Doering III, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Jim Moseley, a former Deputy Secretary of the USDA, served on AFT’s board of directors.

AFT was one of the first agricultural land trusts in the United States and remains the only one with a national focus. In 1985, AFT protected Wolfe’s Neck Farm using an agricultural conservation easement, a legal agreement to preserve farmland.

In 2000, AFT started Smart Growth America, a national coalition that works to change development practices to support sustainable land use and protect farmland. The initiative, initially part of AFT, brings together stakeholders from environmental groups and urban planning organizations.

AFT helped create state and local land trusts across the country, including the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust in 1995 and the Texas Agricultural Land Trust in 2006.

In 2012, AFT, along with the Electric Power Research Institute and an expert advisory committee, launched the first and largest water quality credit trading program in the United States. This program aimed to improve water quality in the Ohio River basin and won the U.S. Water Prize in 2015.

AFT leads Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS), which connects New York farms to publicly funded institutions in the state.

AFT promotes farming practices that improve soil health, which helps the environment by storing carbon in the soil. In 2017, AFT became the first United States Climate Alliance Impact Partner, working to implement policies and programs that reduce greenhouse gases and improve farmland resilience and productivity.

In 2020, AFT launched the Farmer Relief Fund, which gave grants of up to $1,000 to small and mid-size direct-market farmers who needed financial support due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That same year, AFT became a national sponsor of the Leopold Conservation Award Program, which honors more than 100 voluntary conservationists each year for their achievements.

Federal policy

Since the 1980s, AFT has played a role in creating U.S. farm bills. In 1984, AFT released a report titled Soil Conservation in America: What Do We Have to Lose? AFT was also part of a group focused on conservation that helped create the Food Security Act of 1985. This act started the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). AFT supported the growth of government-funded agriculture programs, which led to the 2002 Farm Bill. This bill approved the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, which was later replaced by the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. AFT worked to increase funding for ACEP by helping pass the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This act would add $2 billion to ACEP’s funding over 10 years.