USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently published a report analyzing the trends in U.S. farmland ownership and land tenure drawn from USDA’s 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey.

Amongst other findings, the report shows that one in three acres in the U.S. is rented, and that most (80%) of the land rented is owned by landlords who are not actively involved in farming.

We know 10% of the farmland will transition over the next five years. “However, the vast majority of these land transfers are projected to occur through gifts, trusts or wills – meaning that many young and beginning farmers will still struggle to rent or own farmland”  (NSAC).

SILT’s mission is to permanently protect land to grow healthy food. It will take land speculation out of the equation for future healthy food farmers through sole ownership of farmland and the stringent enforcement of sustainable ag conservation easements. Join us here: https://silt.org/donate/

Read a great summary of the ERS report on NSAC’s blog: https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/land-tenure-beginning-farmers/