“Forty percent of farmland in this country is owned by people of retirement age. Some of these folks have heirs who want to farm, while others do not. Regardless, plans need to be made to transfer some 370 million acres of land to the next generation in a fairly short period of time.” said executive director Michele Burns.
“The average age of a farmer in Ohio is 58 years old. Now is the time to start planning for land transitions and looking for ways for beginning and underserved farmers to get access to land,” she added.
Over the four years, TLT will host educational events, and create and distribute materials for those in the area who are starting to think about transitioning land.
“The goal of the program is to dramatically increase the transfer of farm and ranch land to a new generation of producers. The program will catalyze practitioners from across the country to support equitable farm and ranch transfers that work for both entering and exiting generations,” AFT officials said.
The TLT, founded in 1990, helps landowners preserve farmland, natural areas, water, historic sites, and promotes natural resources conservation. They have preserved more than 36,000 acres and 62 stream miles in Clark, Greene and surrounding counties, and brought in $35 million into the communities using state and federal grant programs to buy conservation easements on private lands.
For more information and events, visit www.tecumsehlandtrust.org.
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