Putting Ideas Into Action!

I’m excited to announce that American Farmland Trust was voted one of the best Ideas for Change in America, taking first place in the Food & Agriculture category and making the Top Ten ideas overall in Change.org’s online contest. We couldn’t have done it without your support, and votes, for― No Farms No Food: Save the Land That Sustains Us

As authors of one of the Top Ten ideas in the contest, we’ll receive advocacy support from Change.org’s million-member strong community to help turn the tide on farmland loss in the United States.

I think this is particularly fitting as American Farmland Trust celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year. It’s a good time to look back and realize how much has been accomplished by the farmland conservation movement in three decades. When a small group of forward-looking farmers and conservationists launched American Farmland Trust in 1980, they were alarmed by how much of the nation’s farmland was being paved over for sprawling development, and equally concerned by how little was being done about it.

Since that time, we can be proud of American Farmland Trust’s role as the catalyst of a national conservation movement—one that has helped protect over three million acres of farm and ranch land and established environmentally sound farming practices on millions more.  Much has been accomplished all over the country by farmers working with conservationists, concerned citizens and elected officials during 30 years of effort to protect the nation’s working lands and promote environmental stewardship.

But lately, as I talk to officials in other countries—as I had the pleasure to meet recently with Nick Herbert, an agricultural leader in Europe and member of the British Parliament—I am reminded how the world is becoming ever more interdependent, and how important our farmland is.

Read MP Herbert’s “Farming Matters” speech at the annual NFU Conference in Birmingham, England where he underscores the importance of farmland as a resource for future generations and gives a shout-out for No Farms No Food!

A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provided a wake-up call for many recently; stating that global food production needs to nearly double by the middle of this century to feed an expected world population of nine billion. And this must happen on less land—as we continue to develop farmland around the world at an alarming rate.

Our efforts to help the nation achieve food security, environmental sustainability and economic growth through agriculture are needed more now than perhaps at any time in the past. It’s a job no single non-profit organization, company or government can tackle alone.  But American Farmland Trust has a very important role to play, and you along with members of communities such as Change.org will be key as we continue our work.

In the near term, we need your help to save the land that sustains us—making farmland conservation and environmental stewardship a public priority in every community, and a key-element of national farm policy.

If you’re not already receiving our e-newsletters, please be sure to subscribe today so you can stay connected and take action to support our farmland conservation and environmental efforts.

As we continue our work during the next 30 years to help farmers and ranchers protect the land, keep it healthy and grow food for their communities, the foresight of AFT’s founders—who had the wisdom to realize three decades ago, when so few others did, that our farm and ranch land is an irreplaceable resource worthy of protecting—looks more prescient than ever.

Thank you for your continued support.

About the Author: Jon Scholl is President of American Farmland Trust. Prior to AFT, he served as Counselor to the Administrator for Agriculture Policy at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Jon and his family operate a corn and soybean farm in McLean County, Illinois.