Land Transfer Navigators

As the average age of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners continues to rise, the working land they steward is at a moment of seismic transition. At least one third of the United States’ agricultural land is projected to change hands in the next two decades, and this point of ownership transfer is when agricultural land is most vulnerable to conversion and development. Farm and ranch transfers are complicated and take specific skills and knowledge to navigate. This is especially true for the increasing number of farm and ranch transfers that are not to family relatives, but to unrelated younger and more diverse producers. Successful land transfers are implemented over time, by building relationships within families and between diverse land seekers, landowners, support organizations, and service providers.  

Land Transfer Navigators is a national program developed by American Farmland Trust, with support from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to dramatically increase the transfer of farm and ranch land to a new generation of producers. The program catalyzes practitioners from across the country to support equitable farm and ranch transfers that work for both entering and exiting generations. Through a four-year program, AFT will provide training along with technical and financial assistance to support land trusts and public purchase of agricultural conservation easement (PACE) programs to serve as “Land Transfer Navigators,” while building an online resource hub and FarmLink Finder to support farmers and ranchers across the nation.