Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America
An American Farmland Trust and Island Press webinar
How do we make farmland more affordable? What can conservation easements, land trusts and other farm transfer mechanisms do to open the market to others outside of the direct descendants of farmers themselves?
Beth Hoffman, author of the book, Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America, was joined by her husband John to talk about their transition into farming. After growing up on the east coast, Beth spent ten years in San Francisco reporting on food and agriculture, where she met John, an Iowa farm boy, trained chef and butcher. A few years ago, they moved to Iowa to take over John’s family’s farm. During this webinar Beth and John will discuss intergenerational farm transitions, the problem with “family farms” today, and the couple’s ideas about how to make land available to a new generation of farmers.
John Piotti, President and CEO of American Farmland Trust, moderated the conversation. Under John’s leadership, AFT has undertaken the most comprehensive study of American land use ever conducted, helped secure an additional $200 million per year in federal funding for agricultural conservation easements, and launched new initiatives that advance regenerative farming practices, combat climate change, and support next-generation farmers.
