|
LAt t�RlG is: aservice'ofAmerican
<br />Farmland Trust. Subscriptions are
<br />$125 per year and include quarterly
<br />issues of American Farmland..
<br />magazine and bt RPM
<br />Connection,`free:research assistance;:
<br />e- mail'delivery of news briefs and
<br />.action. alerts; access :.to•:an. exclusive
<br />Web site: reports and''discounts on
<br />:AFT publication& and conferences.'.
<br />Julia Ar edgood
<br />Managing Editors,.
<br />-`A Beth Holt' f. .
<br />zm
<br />Writer /Editor
<br />-`'
<br />:.Yalerie`Berton
<br />'Coritn ting _rites
<br />t
<br />� fenriifer Dem,�se j► -
<br />LandV�orks`'MaaAager:'::'
<br />Doris Mttas_eh`.
<br />'LandWork's..�..
<br />Seryices Coordinator.
<br />Tor 'subscription`irformation and'';.,='
<br />�ublicatioi`orders�: �oiitact: .; <. : r::':;;=
<br />yAND.Tf .
<br />•t.'A.irierican,Farmland:Trust .
<br />One Short Street; Suite 2.:`:
<br />Northam'
<br />p�on:MA'01060��
<br />(800) 370= 487�. - :4;: :�� •; .
<br />LandWorksC farnlad:org
<br />- � �Ame'ritaii �Farinl... : ;. :;: ;; ;,' �,, ..: ; -• ;:'. .
<br />and.'Trust,s a'private';:, . .
<br />nonprofif'eoriservation: grgaiizauon;:::`..`
<br />;'dedicated to:protectng the nation's =
<br />,.
<br />strategic:'agricultural` resoi tcds ,pounded
<br />m I980, AFT works to stop the loss of :..
<br />., productive fairilland and o promote
<br />:£azming:piacuces..�l at leadjq,, -J lh .. thy
<br />enviro. nment.
<br />asic.memberslrip'`is
<br />:; For rn'embership or general uiformaaon .
<br />bout AFT ,.conrace.zhe`N.;L uonal `
<br />fJffice at 12Q0 18th Street; W; vti
<br />Washirigton, DC, 20036;
<br />(202) -:331 7300, or connect to our
<br />Web page'at "wwwfarmland org
<br />© 2002-'Am
<br />gicaq, armlarld Trust
<br />r
<br />All rights reserved:
<br />Printed' on recycled paper
<br />For more Information:
<br />Equity Trust, Inc,
<br />Info @equitytrusLarg
<br />Gloria and Stephen Decater
<br />livepower@ige.org
<br />Keeping Farmland Accessible & Affordable continued from page 1
<br />with conservation restrictions at prices far greater than what agricultural income can
<br />support. Farms on which significant public investment has been made through the
<br />purchase of development rights are in danger of being removed from agricultural
<br />production. "If we are interested in there being another generation of farmers in this
<br />country and a supply of wholesome, nutritious, locally grown food, then we have to
<br />make a commitment, not only to take care of the land, but that it has to be available
<br />to farmers at a price they can afford."
<br />Matthei maintains that traditional land protection tools used by conservation land trusts
<br />are effective at protecting the environmental resource but don't address the social and
<br />economic dimensions of farming as a land use. "if the goal is simply open space, then
<br />the traditional conservation tools are adequate. But if our goal is the preservation of
<br />agriculture as responsible land use, as a way of life and as a sector of the economy, then
<br />the traditional tools, while useful and important, are not adequate by themselves. They
<br />need to be augmented."
<br />Equity Trust helps farmers, community organi-
<br />zations, land trusts and others structure the eq ui ty.
<br />legal framework that balances the interests of
<br />all parties. In some cases, the farmer owns the
<br />land, and the land trust owns an easement I., a financial interest
<br />that includes an option to purchase the land
<br />at agricultural value. In others, the land trust . in property, 2. a moral
<br />retains ownership and offers the farmer a life-
<br />time, inheritable lease (the farmer would also ' principle of
<br />own the farm business and any improvements
<br />he or she makes).
<br />"We work to 9 ive individuals the essential benefits of ownership — lifetime use, fair
<br />equity on investment and a legacy for their heirs," Matthei says. "At the same time, we
<br />want to guarantee that the farm will remain available and affordable to other farmers."
<br />With a slender annual operating budget and a staff of eight, the Connecticut -based
<br />Equity Trust works on both affordability issues in housing and agriculture. It offers
<br />educational services, information,. .advice and technical assistance (including sample
<br />legal documents and other publications) to individuals, community organizations and
<br />government agencies. Its Equity Trust Fund, now at about $8 million, provides financ-
<br />ing for land acquisition, capital improvements, equipment purchases and other needs,
<br />particularly for farms where there are mechanisms already in place to preserve the land
<br />as active farmland. In a few cases, when no local land trust was available, Equity Trust
<br />has played that role, holding property interests in partnership with a farmer.
<br />On average, says Matthei, Equity Trust receives a call a day from a farm or community
<br />group seeking help acquiring or protecting farmland. In the early 1990s, one of
<br />those calls came from Gloria and Stephen Decater, operators of the California's oldest
<br />community supported agriculture (CSA) farm located in Covelo. After farming as
<br />"caretakers" for nearly 20 years, the Decaters felt it was time to purchase the land.
<br />Like many small farmers, the Decaters could not afford to pay the full market value
<br />of the property with only farm income. Their CSA members were willing to raise the
<br />money to purchase a conservation easement to be held by a land trust. But the
<br />Decaters wanted two provisions that the local land trust was reluctant to accept:
<br />that the land would be continually farmed by resident farmers using organic or
<br />biodynamic methods, and that all future purchase prices would be limited to the
<br />agricultural value of the land to ensure that the land would be perpetually affordable
<br />and available to farmers.
<br />The, project had come to a standstill when they called Equity Trust.
<br />"When we talked with Chuck it was like coming home," Stephen Decater recalls of that
<br />first, hour -plus telephone conversation. "He said, 'Send us a copy of what you've got and
<br />a brief description of your goals and we'll have the board look at it.' It was a tremendous
<br />support and relief." Adds Gloria: "He really understood what we were trying to do,
<br />and believed it should be done and wanted to work with us to find ways to do it."
<br />Ultimately, Equity Trust agreed to play the "land banking" role by holding the
<br />easement until local stewardship becomes available.
<br />................... .
<br />
|