Texas Agricultural Land Trust a Reality

Each year 870,000 acres—equaling the size of the historic King Ranch—succumb to development and fragmentation. To address this challenge, leaders of Texas’ statewide agricultural and landowner organizations came together to create the Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT). Facilitated by American Farmland Trust and modeled on agricultural land trusts in Colorado, Wyoming and California, TALT promotes the conservation of productive private working lands and wildlife habitats.  The creation of this new land trust enhances both public and private efforts to conserve Texas’ vital natural resources, and will augment efforts across the state to stem the loss of rural lands.  Contact Blair Fitzsimmons for more information.

A new farm bill, what’s in it for Texas?

After years of work, we have a new 2008 Farm Bill. What does it mean for you and your community? From the foods we eat, to protecting farms from development, to helping keep our drinking water clean—the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 has many programs that affect all of us everyday.

• What’s in the new farm bill and why is it important?
• Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the promises made in the legislation are turned into programs on the ground.
• Get an in-depth look at Texas' agricultural profile from a state and district level including production and payment information.

texas farm and ranch lands conservation program

In 2005, Governor Perry signed Senate Bill 1273 establishing the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program. Thanks to the perseverance of many, many people, most notably Senator Mike Jackson and Representative Charlie Geren, the Texas Farm & Ranch Lands Conservation Program will help stem the fragmentation and loss of agricultural lands and natural resources in Texas. By awarding grants for the sale of agricultural conservation easements, TFRLCP provides landowners with a voluntary, free-market alternative to sub-dividing or selling for development. more

Rural land fragmentation

A recent report from Texas Cooperative Extension of the Texas A&M University System and American Farmland Trust, entitled Texas Rural Lands: Trends and Conservation Implications for the 21st Century, assesses the extent of land fragmentation in Texas and identifies predictors that warn of areas around the state most at risk for fragmentation. The report also examines how effective a purchase of development rights program may be in stemming the tide of land fragmentation in Texas. More Projects

Contact Us
Bob Wagner
Managing Director, Field Programs
1 Short Street, Suite 2
Northampton, MA 01060
(p) 800-370-4879 (f) 413-586-9332
bwagner@farmland.org