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Keesa V. Johnson, MDes
01
Jul 2026
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A national Land trust
Agrarian Trust works with communities to permanently remove farmland from speculative markets, giving next-generation farmers secure, affordable land access.
of farmland secured
In funds raised
across 8 states
The Agrarian Commons initiative is working to develop community land ownership to support next-generation farmers.
Agrarian Commons are community land-holding entities governed by farmers, community members, and Agrarian Trust. They permanently remove farmland from commoditized markets and provide farmers with long-term, affordable land security to operate independent farming enterprises that benefit their communities.
Agrarian Trust supports each commons by leveraging national resources and capital to strengthen local land stewardship and investment in agriculture.
10 Agrarian Commons across the US.
Restoring indigenous lands.
Providing locally grown food to communities.
Support the land rematriation project within the ancestral homelands of the Nipmuc People.
Raised :
$
1825754
Goals :
$
2000000
Help us build housing to create the basis for wealth and prosperity for a new generation of Black farmers in Virginia.
Raised :
$
400,000
Goals :
$
675,000
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of foundations, donor-advised funds, businesses, and individuals.
Cam Terry’s work with the Southwest Virginia Agrarian Commons illustrates how the Agrarian Trust model can transform land access for farmers and communities.
Cam, founder of the urban farm Garden Variety Harvests in Roanoke, spent years growing vegetables on borrowed backyard plots across the city with the dream of bringing food sovereignty back to his local community and reducing the miles from field to table.
But he lacked secure land to expand his farm.
Through partnership with Agrarian Trust, a community effort was launched to acquire farmland that could be held in trust and leased affordably to Cam. The project identified and began fundraising to purchase Lick Run Farm, a 3.5-acre property that would become the founding farm of the Commons and provide Cam with a 99-year lease, giving him long-term security to grow food, build soil, and create a community farm hub. With stable land access, Garden Variety Harvests is able to expand production, increase access to fresh food in an area facing food insecurity, feed community members, and host markets, workshops, and educational programs.
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