AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act

AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act

Washington State 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up

Highlighting a recent policy update that offers a perspective on our work to advance farmland protection and support agricultural viability across Washington State in 2026.

A Deep Dive into the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026

How Crooked Porch Farm Built a Thriving Year-Round Vegetable Farm with High Tunnels and Soil Health Practices

Learn how Crooked Porch Farm in Virginia uses high tunnels, soil health practices, EQIP funding, and farm grants to grow vegetables year-round while building a sustainable family farming business.

How a Backyard Garden Sparked a Career in Soil Health and Conservation

Discover how a childhood garden inspired a career in soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation. Learn how biochar, composting, and land stewardship can help farmers build healthier soils and more resilient agricultural systems.

To Thrive, Farmers Need Conservation To Improve Their Bottom Line

Discover how regenerative soil health practices can improve farm profitability, resilience, and long-term sustainability while strengthening rural communities and food systems. Learn about the latest economic tools, research, and resources helping farmers make informed conservation decisions that support both their bottom line and the future of agriculture.

Rooted in Teamwork: Midwest Team Spring Training

This spring our Midwest team gathered in Wisconsin/Iowa driftless area to learn and grow together. Learning about adult education mental models, visually impactful demonstrations, and the full sensory experience of an operational dairy farm! Though the Midwest spans states, our team is taking our in-person connections to build a stronger, more resilient Midwest region, rooted together.

Building Farm Infrastructure That Works: Inside AFT's New Engineering Capacity

Discover how American Farmland Trust's (AFT) expanded engineering team is helping farmers and landowners turn infrastructure ideas into buildable, fundable projects. Learn how expert support for drainage, irrigation, water management, manure systems, permitting, and NRCS compliance can save time, reduce costs, and improve farm resilience across the Northeast.

Planning Ahead for Wildfires in the West

Chantel Welch and the Pacific Northwest team help farmers and ranchers increase their resilience on individual and community levels out West.

How Agrivoltaics and Solar Grazing Are Creating New Opportunities for Texas Farmers

Discover how agrivoltaics is transforming Texas agriculture by combining solar energy production with livestock grazing, hay production, and new opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Learn how innovative solar projects can improve land access, strengthen rural economies, and help preserve working lands across Texas.

Washington State 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up

Highlighting a recent policy update that offers a perspective on our work to advance farmland protection and support agricultural viability across Washington State in 2026.

Brewing Conversations: Coffee Chats Bring Illinois Farmers Together

This winter, I hosted a series of informal “virtual coffee chats” with farmers across Illinois. These conversations started with a simple goal: to provide ongoing agronomic support to farmers participating in ADM’s re:generations™ program in Illinois. Through its partnership with ADM, American Farmland Trust works directly with producers to offer agronomic advice and support as they adopt and expand their use cover crops, reduced tillage, and other soil health practices.

Returning to the Midwest, Finding Common Ground in Illinois State Policy

As the Midwest Policy Manager for American Farmland Trust, I work with a wide array of individuals and organizations, all bringing their own priorities and perspectives to the proverbial table. In a policy landscape where time, attention, and funding are limited, finding initiatives that resonate across that diversity can be challenging.

Keeping Farmland in Farming: Why Land Succession Demands New Tools — and How BPS plus+ Helps

Discover how innovative land succession strategies like Buy-Protect-Sell Plus are helping preserve farmland, support retiring landowners, and create affordable access for the next generation of farmers. Learn how conservation easements, public funding, and long-term farm viability planning can keep agricultural land protected and productive for generations to come.

Memories from a Farm Kid for Mother’s Day

American Farmland Trust’s Midwest Deputy Director, Jean Brokerish, honors the often-unseen women whose daily labor, resilience, and care keep family farms running generation after generation.

From Family Roots to Farmer Networks: Growing Soil Health in Illinois

Since starting with American Farmland Trust in June, I have worked with farmers across the state of Illinois through our Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH) program. Attending the FLASH group meetings, I’ve met many passionate conservationists dedicated to protecting farmland for future generations, a sentiment very personal and important to me. I grew up in Ramsey, a small town in south-central Illinois. My family has been farming in the area since around the 1850s; my great-grandmother grew up on the same farm as I did. My dad still farms the land, maintaining an operation of corn, soybeans, and beef cattle.

American Farmland Trust Applauds Introduction of Relief for Farmers Hit With PFAS

Five Years, One Farmer-Led Cohort: What Vermont Dairy Farmers Learned by Working Together

Over five years, seven Vermont dairy farmers built a tight-knit farmer-led learning cohort that became a practical space to compare approaches, troubleshoot challenges, and try new grazing and business-planning ideas.

Strengthen Your Farm: 2026 AFT Regenerate Virginia Grants Open Dec. 1–19

American Farmland Trust (AFT) has announced a call for applications for its 2026 Regenerate Virginia grant opportunities, open from December 1 to December 19, 2025.

AFT Applauds New NRCS Office of the Assistant Chiefs

Cultivating Wins for California’s Agricultural Lands and Farmers: American Farmland Trust’s 2025 Policy Report

During the first year of the 2025–2026 California State Legislature, AFT led coalitions to advance California agriculture policy that strengthens climate resilience, expands land access, protects farmland, and secures major investments through Cap-and-Invest, the SALC program, and Proposition 4 climate-smart agriculture funding.

Adapting to Meet the Needs of America’s Farmers and Ranchers

As agriculture evolves, American Farmland Trust is scaling its programs, research, and regional teams to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers across the country. Learn how AFT’s new leadership structure and expanded national initiatives are driving innovation, resilience, and farmland protection.

Growing Fertilizer in the Heart of Virginia: One Farmer's Story of Resilience

Virginia farmer Bob Waring is redefining agriculture by “growing fertilizer” through regenerative practices that boost soil health, resilience, and profits.

Getting Our Hands in the Dirt: Celebrating Five Years of Soil Health Stewards

Five years ago, American Farmland Trust launched the Soil Health Stewards program with an ambitious idea: if we could train the people protecting farmland to also champion healthy soils, the benefits would ripple far beyond property lines.

Vermont’s Scott Farm Orchard: Building Resilience in a Changing Climate

When a late frost destroyed most of Scott Farm Orchard’s 2023 apple crop, orchardist Erin Robinson and manager Simon Renault turned loss into action. Through the Planning for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (PARCC) project, they developed a climate plan focused on diversification, soil health, and community support. From frost fans to their best-selling ginger cider, Scott Farm shows what adaptation and resilience look like on the ground in Vermont.

Turning Conservation into Market Opportunities with USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) Initiative

In this third installment of our blog series, we analyze the labels, marketing channels, and environmental markets the PCSC projects proposed to pursue to attract customers who value farm and forest climate-smart conservation practices.

Remembering Peter Ten Eyck, a Leader in Farmland Protection and Innovation at Indian Ladder Farms

Peter Ten Eyck was a pillar of the farming community in New York state, and a trailblazer for conservation and stewardship.