How Tennessee Farmers Are Navigating Farmland Preservation

In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Tennessee farmers are on a path to farmland preservation. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the United States is currently home to about 2 million farms – a stark contrast to more than 6 million in the 1930s. Tennessee, in particular, is forecasted to lose several million more acres in the coming decades. While there are dozens of causes for farmland loss, the biggest factors remain development, infrastructure, and aging farmer populations.

See more: Farmland Legacy Partnership Works to Keep Tennessee’s Farms in Business

This steady decline in farmland is an important, multilayered issue that affects us all, and many Tennessee farmers are taking steps toward safeguarding their properties. To aid in the process, there are initiatives ranging from conservation easements to assistance funds and a wealth of online resources.

Meet a few Tennessee farmers who share their thoughts on the nuances and intricacies of farmland preservation.

Educating Future Generations

Ben Moore of Dresden grows soybeans, corn, and wheat and raises cattle and hogs on a 4,000-acre family farm that goes back 100 years. The Tennessee farmer works alongside his wife, sons, nephew, and three employees, plus his parents are still active.

“In this county, we’re losing farmers,” Moore says. “Even in cases where the land is still productive, we don’t have as many farmers. The cost and work required to farm these days is more than people can comprehend.”

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Moore knows of other farmers who have opted to put their land in trusts, and while he doesn’t currently use any formal preservation efforts himself, he hopes to instill the importance of farmland preservation in future generations.

“I educate my kids on the importance of the land and that we should never sell our farmland,” he says. “We’re very conscious of the good farmland we have, and any time we build a structure – a house, barn, or grain bin – we build it in a place we’re not currently farming. We try to optimize all the land we’ve got because they’re not making any more of it.”

A Delicate Balance

Also in Weakley County, Keith Fowler owns a soon-to-be verified century farm dating back to 1894. He works with his son and three employees growing corn, soybeans, and wheat on about 6,000 acres.

The area around Martin hasn’t been impacted by development as strongly as high-growth areas like Nashville, but change is happening nonetheless.

When it comes to rising land prices, Fowler empathizes with young Tennessee farmers trying to break into the industry but understands the landowner’s point of view.

See more: Tennessee Farmers Use Cover Crops For Better Soil

“It’s easier to divide money than it is to divide land,” he says, especially if there are multiple heirs. “The money you can generate selling it to a solar company or developer is so much more than you get farming – it pales in comparison,” Fowler says. “A lot of people like to keep land open, but whoever owns it should have the right to do with it whatever is best for them.”

Fowler’s personal strategy for ensuring his land remains a farm is through intentional decision-making. “As a family, we’re estate planning to make sure we can pass down the land without having to sell the land to pay taxes,” he says. “We’re trying to make the business profitable and up-to-date to keep the farm together so that it can remain as a farm for generations to come.”

Family Dynamics

Hillsboro farmer Donald Willis works alongside his son and nephew managing 4,000 acres of corn, wheat, soybeans, and cattle. The farm has operated as a corporation since Willis’ father set it up back in 1978.

“So far, we’ve been able to hold onto what we have and continue to grow because of our business structure,” Willis says. “But we do know of friends who have turned to farmland preservation programs to hold off some development.”

Because most of the Willis family and extended family own stock, their farmland preservation efforts lie in being able to deal in stock rather than land.

See more: Programs In Place to Preserve Virginia Farmlands

“If someone wants their money and wants out, the corporation or the farming members just buys their shares of stock, so we don’t have to sell real estate,” Willis says.

Willis believes farmland preservation programs are also beneficial but points out that when it comes to passing land down to future generations, it’s not always an easy decision.

“If you enroll your farm in one of the farmland preservation programs, it does not benefit the nonfarming side of your family,” he says. “If they don’t want to farm and want to sell the real estate and reinvest the money in another area, I could see where it could cause some friction in a family.”

Tennessee Farmland Loss by the Numbers

» According to the American Farmland Trust, Tennessee is ranked third in the nation for farmland loss.

» From 1997 to 2022, Tennessee lost more than 1.2 million acres of farmland to development, equivalent to over 50,000 acres per year, or around 137 acres per day.

» 71% of retiring farmers in the U.S. have not created a succession plan.

» Tennessee counties most affected by farmland loss in recent years include Rutherford, Sevier, Williamson, Hamilton and Montgomery.

Farmland Preservation Resources

The USDA’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) helps landowners protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements.

Visit nrcs.usda.gov/agricultural-conservation-easement-program to learn more.

Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) programs compensate property owners for keeping their land available for farming. Learn more at farmlandinfo.org/statistics/pace.

For additional information and resources, visit the Farmland Information Center’s website at farmlandinfo.org and the American Farmland Trust website at farmland.org.