Farmland Program

Protecting Local Family Farms

We build relationships with interested landowners, working with them to structure conservation easement transactions that protect their land and solve their financial challenges.

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In some cases, we can raise funds to bargain purchase conservation easements on farms to protect them from being converted from productive farmland to real estate development. Sale proceeds from these easement transactions provide capital to the landowner, which they can invest in their farm enterprise.

Gifts and Bequests of Farm Tracts

SAHC accepts the donation of farm tracts. This ensures permanent protection of a farm and can strengthen our Farmland Access Service.

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We also accept donations of farms with a life estate, so you can donate your farm to SAHC now and continue to live on it and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

Farmland Access

SAHC strives to permanently protect productive farmland from loss by conversion to real estate development. This ensures land will be available for farmers to grow food and earn a living.

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Through this work, we aim to make farmland more accessible to beginning farmers, for whom lack of access to farmland is a primary barrier to farming. SAHC partners with other organizations in the landscape – including Organic Growers School and NC Farmlink – to create networks that share educational resources and connect farmland owners with farmers seeking farmland.

Who Do I Contact About Protecting My Farmland?

SAHC Land Protection Associate Kyle Shute fields all of our new landowner inquires, and will be the best person to answer your initial questions about the land protection process. You can reach out via email to kyle@appalachian.org.

Please be patient. In addition to new inquiries, we are deep into the work of moving multiple land protection projects forward at various stages in the process, and collaborating with conservation partners across the landscape. We will follow up on your inquiry as soon as possible.

You can also find some answers to commonly asked questions on our Protect Your Land Page >>

Do You Offer Resources for Farmers?

Our Farmland Program includes projects to permanently protect farmland and to help support farmers in our area by providing educational workshops and networking with other organizations and agencies.

For example, the model silvopasture project at the SAHC Community Farm created opportunities for us to host multiple workshops with landowners and community members to learn about techniques to improve production and erosion control on their own farmland. Our Farm Incubator Program provides entrepreneurial farmers with land to use while they grow their operations and customer base. For information about programs at the SAHC Community Farm, reach out to farm manager Chris Link at chris@appalachian.org.

And, we network with agencies like USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to share information about cost-share programs available to local farmers.

Can I Continue to Farm Conserved Land?

Yes! That is the reason we work to protect farmland. To do so, we use agricultural conservation easements. SAHC’s Farmland Program Director will walk you through the land protection process, identify areas that should be excluded from a conservation easement, and discuss what you can expect when continuing to farm on conserved land.

What are Prime Soils?

Prime soils – the kinds of soils that are most productive for growing crops – are extremely rare in the mountains of NC and TN. They often occur along gentle terrain and have been deposited by rivers and streams over long periods of history. This also makes them prime areas for real estate development. Once these soils have been built over or carved away, they cannot be replaced.

Stories about the Farmland Conservation

SAHC Farm Incubator Program – 2026 Updates

The SAHC Community Farm has been blooming with life and bustling with activity this Spring! From volunteers in the gardens to birders along the trail to local farmers producing flowers and more, our ambassador property for education and community engagement...