FARMLAND

America’s farmland and ranchland supplies us with bountiful food and a clean environment. But we’re losing farmland and ranchland at a dangerous rate.

In America, we're blessed with some of the most productive farmland in the world – from the fruit groves of the West Coast to the Midwest's amber waves of grain.

Our fertile farmland gave our nation the foundation to grow and prosper over centuries. But its abundance also allowed us to waste it.

We lose 175 acres of farmland every hour – and once farms are bulldozed and paved over, that land is gone forever.

Working together, we can stop the loss of this irreplaceable natural resource and save the land that sustains us.

175 acres of farmland and ranchland

developed every hour in the U.S.
31 million acres

of agricultural land developed between 1992 and 2012
37% of America’s developed land

converted in the last three decades
6.5 million acres

of farm and ranch land permanently protected since AFT's start

Why is farm and ranch land so important?

The Food We Eat

As we lose farmland at a rapid rate, we face a future where our ability to feed our families and ourselves is seriously compromised.
Rural Heritage

Our land is our legacy. What will we pass on to future generations?
Wildlife & Biodiversity

About half of the nation’s protected species use private working lands for 80 percent or more of their habitat.
Environmental Quality

The paving over of farmland has long-term negative impacts on clean water and air.

What are some of the challenges?

Development

Between 1992 and 2012, the United States developed more than 31 million acres of agricultural land – an area equivalent to developing most of Iowa or New York.
Poor Planning

Wasteful land use is typically the problem, not growth itself. Far more U.S. farmland is developed than is needed to provide housing for a growing population.
The Tax Code

For many farmers, rising real estate values can lead to a tax burden too high to be supported by agricultural production.
Farm Economics

It’s not enough to save the land – family farmers need to make a living so they can keep their land in farming.

Earth as an Apple from American Farmland Trust

AFT's Role

American Farmland Trust is the one national organization fighting to protect the land and people on the land.

When AFT began 38 years ago, few communities had taken action to stop the loss of their farm and ranch land to development.

We sounded the alarm and then led the way forward – by pioneering tools and techniques to help farmers and ranchers resist the pressure of development.

Today, 27 states and many local municipalities have programs on the books to protect farmland, and the federal government has an effective program as well.

As the nation's leading advocate for farm and ranch land, AFT:

Builds coalitions to advocate for programs and policies that permanently protect farm and ranch land
Supports the family farmers and ranchers who steward the land
Develops innovative policies and programs to protect the land on a large scale
Educates people across America about the need to save farmland and support family farmers

Our work is just getting started. Join us.

FARMLAND

Why is farm and ranch land so important?

The Food We Eat

Rural Heritage

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Environmental Quality

What are some of the challenges?

Development

Poor Planning

The Tax Code

Farm Economics

AFT's Role

Initiatives

Farmland Information Center

Protecting Farmland in New England

Protecting Farms in New York

Planning for Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems