Climate Connections – "Retiring farmers find a new way to pass on their land"

Host: Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz
Guest: Christina Villa, Co-founder of the Farmers Land Trust
Date: March 24, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores how retiring farmers are embracing innovative ways to ensure their land is passed on to the next generation of environmentally responsible growers. Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz delves into the aging farming community's desire to leave behind both productive land and sustainable values, highlighting the work of organizations like the Farmers Land Trust. The discussion connects this effort to issues of climate resilience, land access, and regenerative agriculture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Legacy and Land Stewardship

• Many retiring farmers seek successors who will protect and nurture the land they've spent decades cultivating.
• To ensure continued stewardship, some farmers are choosing to donate or sell their land at a discount rather than sell to the highest bidder.

00:01 – Dr. Leiserowitz:
"Farmers often spend decades caring for their land and when they retire, many hope to pass it on to others who will farm in an environmentally responsible way."

2. The Farmers Land Trust Model

• The Farmers Land Trust provides a solution by transferring farmland into communal, nonprofit ownership.
• This structure enables new farmers—especially those struggling with the high cost of land—to lease property at affordable, long-term rates.

00:30 – Dr. Leiserowitz:
"Christina Villa is co founder of the Farmers Land Trust, a national nonprofit. Her group helps landowners transfer their land into communal nonprofit ownership."

00:46 – Christina Villa:
"We see that helping that aging retiring population to find a new way and model to transition their farmland will actually help improve land access for young and beginning farmers."

3. Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Impact

• The lease agreements require new farmers to use organic, regenerative practices:
  • Planting cover crops
  • Using compost instead of synthetic fertilizers
• These requirements benefit both the environment and farm productivity by:
  • Building soil health
  • Reducing erosion during increasingly frequent extreme storms
  • Lowering reliance on fossil fuel-based fertilizers, thereby cutting climate pollution

00:58 – Dr. Leiserowitz:
"The new farmers pledged to use organic regenerative farming methods like planting cover crops and applying compost. This improves soil health without using fossil fuel based fertilizers that cause climate pollution and it can reduce erosion and runoff during extreme storms."

4. Climate-Resilient Farmland for the Future

• The Farmers Land Trust model demonstrates a practical, hopeful approach to climate adaptation.
• Not only are lands protected, but opportunities for beginning farmers are improved, making the agricultural sector more resilient overall.

01:12 – Dr. Leiserowitz:
"So Villa says the model protects climate resilient farmland and helps new farmers afford land."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Christina Villa (00:23):
  "It's not just the land that they're protecting, they're also trying to pass on this legacy of a farm that they've built."

Important Timestamps

• 00:01: Introduction & context for retiring farmers' desires
• 00:23: The broader legacy at stake in farm transfer (Villa)
• 00:30: Introduction to the Farmers Land Trust and its mission
• 00:46: How nonprofit land transfers help young farmers (Villa)
• 00:58: Regenerative practices required on leased land
• 01:12: Benefits: climate resilience and affordability for new farmers

Summary

This episode highlights a growing movement among retiring farmers to intentionally transition their land to new, environmentally conscious stewards. Through organizations like the Farmers Land Trust, a new generation gains access to affordable farmland with built-in incentives for sustainable management. The work offers hope for climate resilience and generational continuity in farming—demonstrating that land legacy can be about both heritage and the health of the planet.