20,000 Acres and Growing

Celebrating 90 protected farms and a milestone made possible by California’s agricultural community
Twenty thousand acres. Ninety protected farms. More than two decades of working alongside agricultural families to keep some of California’s most productive farmland in farming.

This year, California Farmland Trust (CFT) reached an important milestone, surpassing 20,000 acres of permanently protected farmland with the completion of our 90th agricultural conservation easement. Today, we have protected 20,068 acres stretching from Elk Grove to Fresno.

The reason behind the work is simple.

Since our founding, we have partnered with farmers and landowners who have made the significant decision to permanently protect their land from development. Each conservation easement represents more than acreage. It represents a family, a working farm and a commitment to ensuring future generations have the opportunity to continue farming.

That work is becoming increasingly important. California loses approximately 50,000 acres of farmland to development each year. As communities grow and development pressures increase, protecting the state’s productive agricultural soils is critical to maintaining a strong future for California agriculture.

Reaching 20,068 acres is also a reflection of the many people who make our work possible. Farmers and landowners, donors, funding partners, public agencies and agricultural organizations have all played a role in helping CFT reach its 90th protected farm.

And while 20,000 acres is a milestone worth celebrating, the work is far from finished.

CFT continues to look beyond individual farms toward protecting larger agricultural landscapes and creating connections between working farms. With every property protected, those agricultural areas become stronger and more resilient.

Twenty thousand acres is something for all of us to celebrate. And together, we’re already working toward
the next 20,000.