Stories of the Farm Families Protecting Their Land

Farmers and ranchers protect their land for many reasons—some want to make it easier to pass their farms on to the next generation, others view it as part of their stewardship to protect the environment and the future of the land. Many simply don’t want to see the farms and ranches they love swallowed up by relentless development. Fortunately, there are voluntary conservation programs in place for farmers and agricultural landowners like these.

Since 1996, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) has been one cornerstone in the battle to preserve America’s agricultural land. Through securing permanent conservation easements, it ensured that land remains dedicated to agricultural use, shielding it from urban development. In the 2014 Farm Bill, FRPP was superseded by the Agricultural Lands Easement component of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP-ALE). 

These programs, in partnership with landowners, public programs, land trusts, and tribal governments, have preserved millions of acres of farmland, fostered on-farm conservation practices, and made land more accessible to new farmers. As the nation’s farmers and farmland face mounting pressures — from sprawling urbanization to weather-related disasters — the importance of agricultural land protection has never been clearer.

But the story of FRPP isn’t just about land — it’s also about the people who steward it. AFT, in partnership with NRCS, undertook a storytelling campaign to bring the experiences of participating farmers, ranchers, and landowners to the forefront. Their stories reveal not just the tangible benefits but also the deep emotional connection to preserving their legacy for future generations.  

These profiles underscore the vital importance of keeping America’s farmland and ranchland in the hands of those who cultivate it. In a world where the pressures on farmland are ever-increasing, conservation programs such as FRPP and ACEP provide hope and resilience for our nation’s farmers and ranchers.