our mission

The mission of American Farmland Trust is to help farmers and ranchers protect their land, produce a healthier environment and build successful communities.

Our Story

our history

American Farmland Trust is recognized as the nation's leader for saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting healthy farming practices and supporting farms and farmers. The organization and the national farmland conservation movement have come a long way since 1980, when AFT was founded. Following are significant milestones in the history of AFT:

• 1979: The National Agricultural Lands Study sounds the alarm with the report Where Have the Farm Lands Gone?
• 1980: A group of farmers and conservationists concerned about farmland loss found AFT  
• 1981: Passage of the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (PDF) in the 1981 Farm Bill
• 1982: Four states have authorized PDR/PACE programs
• 1985: AFT publishes Soil Conservation in America: What Do We Have to Lose? (PDF), which leads to the creation of the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the 1985 Farm Bill
• 1987: AFT publishes the first Farming on the Edge report, which analyzes the impact of suburban sprawl on farming
• 1988: With help from AFT, Pennsylvania enacts its state PDR program, which today is the most successful of its kind in the nation
• 1991: AFT holds its first national conference on farmland protection
• 1992: AFT opens its Center for Agriculture in the Environment (CAE) in partnership with Northern Illinois University to undertake research on land use and environmental subjects  
• 1994: AFT creates the Farmland Information Center (FIC)
• 1996: AFT’s efforts lead to the creation of a national farmland protection program in the 1996 Farm Bill
• 1997: The publication of Saving American Farmland: What Works, AFT’s comprehensive guidebook for farmland protection
• 1997: AFT awards the first Steward of the Land Award in honor of founder Peggy Rockefeller
• 2002: The federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (PDF) receives $600 million in funding in the 2002 Farm Bill
• 2005: Twenty-seven states (PDF) and more than 50 local governments (PDF) have authorized PDR/PACE programs
  
• 2008: The 2008 Farm Bill passes with many important improvements for conservation, renewable energy, the farm safety net, and local foods.
• 2008: Long-time AFT president Ralph Grossi retires; Jon Scholl becomes president of AFT.