Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program (GFCP)

The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program, created by the Georgia General Assembly (established in 2023 by Senate Bill 220; O.C.G.A. Sections 44-10-40 through 44-10-47) and administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture at the direction of the Georgia Farmland Conservation Council, protects Georgia farmland. With Georgia estimated to lose upwards of 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040, the fund enables selected Georgia farmers to voluntarily protect their farms in perpetuity through conservation easements by providing financial assistance to qualified easement holders. Funds are made available annually to prospective qualified easement holders whose project proposals are reviewed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and selected by the Georgia Farmland Conservation Council. The program is funded by state legislative appropriations as well as public or private grants, dedicated gifts, and donations, and can leverage federal match dollars.

Landowners must work with a qualified easement holder - a state agency, federal agency, county, municipality, or nonprofit organization (a land trust), per O.C.G.A. 44-10-42(10) - to complete and submit the application. Landowners interested in the program need to reach out directly to a qualified easement holder. The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Farmland Conservation Advisory Council review applications, and the Council makes decisions on awards. The primary purpose is conservation of farmlands threatened by development and support of active farming and food production in Georgia.

The state pays at most half. The program application states: "Please note that GDA and GFAC are unable to fund more than 50% of the Total Project Cost through the Program," and the budget table has the applicant compute "Requested Matching Funding (Total Project Cost x 0.5)." The remaining 50% must come from somewhere else — the easement holder, a landowner donation, or another source such as USDA's ACEP Agricultural Land Easement program (the application asks specifically about NRCS and ACEP-ALE experience).

No per-award dollar ceiling or floor is published, and GDA declines to estimate one. Its FAQ answers "How much money could I receive?" with: "We cannot provide any type of estimate on the award amounts for the program. The program is a competitive application process, and each site will be unique."

What counts toward project cost. Two components: the "Cost of Purchasing a Qualified Agricultural Easement" and "Direct Costs of Acquisition" — the application lists "appraisals, title commitments and searches, closing fees, etc." as examples.

Term. The easement is perpetual: the fund "will enable selected Georgia farmers to voluntarily protect their farms in perpetuity."

Eligibility conditions that affect what you can get. No minimum acreage: the FAQ says "No, there is no minimum acreage requirement." No double-dipping: "If you are already received a financial benefit for a parcel of land, you are not able to also receive additional benefit from this program for the same parcel of land." Per the FAQ, "There are no limitations in the statute governing the GFCTF Program other than land being used for agricultural purposes and is not already receiving a benefit for conservation," though "Additional limitations can be determined by the qualified easement holder."

Who receives the payment. Funds go to the qualified easement holder, but "the landowner will be the end receiver of the funding in exchange for his/her development rights." A landowner cannot apply alone — a state or federal agency, county, municipality, or 501(c)(3) land trust must hold the easement and submit the application.

Verified 2026-09-04 against the program page, the program FAQ, and the program application PDF.

Landowners apply through a qualified easement holder, who completes and submits the application before the deadline. The first award cycle opened February 20, 2026 and closed May 20, 2026; selected applicants for the 2026 cycle are to be notified in August 2026. Application dates for the 2027 cycle will be posted to the program webpage. A program application, FAQ, program regulations, and a list of potential land trusts are provided as resources.