Land Access
Agrarian Trust, a national 501c3 agriculture land trust, is creating community-centered land holding commons (501c2 Agrarian Commons) to provide long-term lease tenure for chemical-free, regenerative, diversified agriculture that produces food for the surrounding community. This land holding model creates shared land stewardship through investment in pollinator habitats, soil fertility, ecosystem diversification and protection, farm viability, community food security, and agrarian engagements.
The Agrarian Trust will support the West Virginia Agrarian Commons in purchasing the 82 acre Whitlock farm in Fayetteville, West Virginia. Once acquired, the West Virginia AC will convey two equitable 99+year leases for New Roots Community Farm and an emerging agricultural producer cooperative. New Roots Community Farm will continue food access work, further develop models for producer and consumer education regarding food system issues, and continue aggregation and distribution of local food products as members of Turnow: Appalachian Farm Collective. The agricultural producer cooperative will collectively farm vegetables, flowers, fruit, meat, poultry and mushrooms. This multiple-leaseholder collaboration will serve as a model of a cooperative labor system and progressive agroecological production practices and the models set forth will be widely applicable across the region. New Roots Community Farm and the producer cooperative will work closely together to address identified barriers in the development of a just food system.