Principles

About Agrarian Trust

We understand it to be in our collective interest to support the kinds of relationships, social and economic, that sustain the ecological integrity of land and a just, equitable food system.

These principles represent our core values and guide us in our daily work to transform farmland ownership and tenure.

We are committed to:

Racial equity and the just transition of land

Prioritizing projects that create opportunities for land access and secure tenure that benefit dispossessed people and communities,
Uplifting land justice work centered on reparations, healing, and land return to meaningfully address the legacies of colonialism and slavery, and
Supporting reconnection to land, wealth creation, and mutual care.

Equity and dignity for farmers

Creating opportunities for affordable access to land and infrastructure for farmers of diverse backgrounds,
Ensuring secure land tenure through transparent and fair lease agreements that allow farmers and land stewards to build financial equity through ownership of houses or other infrastructure, and
Supporting the self-determination of farmers through representation on local commons boards.

The commons

Transitioning land from private ownership to local, community-governed commons,
Collectively stewarding land, water, soil, and ecosystems for the benefit of all people and species, now and into the future, and
Freely sharing knowledge and information to support and inspire others in developing alternative approaches to holding land in common.

Community food sovereignty

Pursuing locally rooted land projects that strengthen regional food systems with community-led governance,
Supporting farmers and land stewards invested in providing fresh, healthy food affordably for their local communities, and
Cultivating resilience through diverse land stewardship practices that incorporate culturally important, nutritious, and climate-adapted varieties of plants and animals.

Openness, listening, and collaboration

Respectfully tracing the roots of our work and principles to variety of diverse perspectives, including Indigenous, Black, and feminist activists, abolitionists, visionaries, revolutionaries, and land reform movements,
Acknowledging that our work creating alternative models for land ownership is a radical solution that operates within the constraints of existing, and harmful, legal frameworks, and
Seeking to evolve new ways of stewarding and governing land in partnership with the many individuals and organizations who share the goal of changing the way land is held.

Agrarian land use

Keeping farmland in active use by farmers and stewards who provide food, fiber, and medicine to their communities,
Ensuring affordable and secure access and tenure, and
Using community-centered land ownership to decommodify land and remove the threat of development, speculation, and corporate ownership.

Agroecological and regenerative practices

Recognizing the inherent value and interconnectedness of land, water, people, and all living beings,
Facilitating farming practices that leave the whole farm ecosystem healthier year-to-year, and
Protecting farmland from damage and extraction so the earth can continue to care for future generations.

Principles

We understand it to be in our collective interest to support the kinds of relationships, social and economic, that sustain the ecological integrity of land and a just, equitable food system.

These principles represent our core values and guide us in our daily work to transform farmland ownership and tenure.

We are committed to:

Racial equity and the just transition of land

Prioritizing projects that create opportunities for land access and secure tenure that benefit dispossessed people and communities,

Uplifting land justice work centered on reparations, healing, and land return to meaningfully address the legacies of colonialism and slavery, and

Supporting reconnection to land, wealth creation, and mutual care.

Equity and dignity for farmers

Creating opportunities for affordable access to land and infrastructure for farmers of diverse backgrounds,

Ensuring secure land tenure through transparent and fair lease agreements that allow farmers and land stewards to build financial equity through ownership of houses or other infrastructure, and

Supporting the self-determination of farmers through representation on local commons boards.

The commons

Transitioning land from private ownership to local, community-governed commons,

Collectively stewarding land, water, soil, and ecosystems for the benefit of all people and species, now and into the future, and

Freely sharing knowledge and information to support and inspire others in developing alternative approaches to holding land in common.

Community food sovereignty

Pursuing locally rooted land projects that strengthen regional food systems with community-led governance,

Supporting farmers and land stewards invested in providing fresh, healthy food affordably for their local communities, and

Cultivating resilience through diverse land stewardship practices that incorporate culturally important, nutritious, and climate-adapted varieties of plants and animals.

Openness, listening, and collaboration

Respectfully tracing the roots of our work and principles to variety of diverse perspectives, including Indigenous, Black, and feminist activists, abolitionists, visionaries, revolutionaries, and land reform movements,

Acknowledging that our work creating alternative models for land ownership is a radical solution that operates within the constraints of existing, and harmful, legal frameworks, and

Seeking to evolve new ways of stewarding and governing land in partnership with the many individuals and organizations who share the goal of changing the way land is held.

Agrarian land use

Keeping farmland in active use by farmers and stewards who provide food, fiber, and medicine to their communities,

Ensuring affordable and secure access and tenure, and

Using community-centered land ownership to decommodify land and remove the threat of development, speculation, and corporate ownership.

Agroecological and regenerative practices

Recognizing the inherent value and interconnectedness of land, water, people, and all living beings,

Facilitating farming practices that leave the whole farm ecosystem healthier year-to-year, and

Protecting farmland from damage and extraction so the earth can continue to care for future generations.

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OUR MISSION

Agrarian Trust’s mission is to support land access for the next generation of farmers.

Agrarian Land Trust is a national 501(c)(3) land trust, EIN 47-5508054.

Agrarian Trust prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. Agrarian Trust is an equal opportunity employer.

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Mail:PO Box 86362 Portland, OR 97286

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PO Box 86362 Portland, OR 97286