Farm Leasing and Conservation Practices: Incentivizing Secure Tenure and Climate Resilience

This event was hosted by the PACE-NRDC Food Law Initiative and American Farmland Trust and made possible by the generous support of the Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation

Conservation practices on farms provide numerous benefits, including sequestration of carbon in soil, increased resiliency to extreme weather events, reduced soil erosion and nutrient pollution runoff, and improved soil health and long term productivity of land. However, due to obstacles presented by the nature of rental relationships, conservation practices are used far less frequently on leased land, which accounts for nearly 40% of U.S. farmland. This program addresses the tools and strategies for farmers, landowners, attorneys, and agricultural service providers to overcome barriers to implementing conservation practices on leased farmland.

Session 1: General topics in farm lease agreements (1 CLE credit)

Session 2: Incorporating conservation practices into farm lease agreements (1 CLE credit)

Session 3: Federal and state programs and other benefits of conservation farming practices

Session 4: Panel discussion on the challenges, solutions and opportunities presented by conservation practices on leased farmland