Farms Fund (formerly Working Farms Fund)

The Conservation Fund's Farms Fund protects at-risk farmland near growing cities so it can keep serving rural and urban communities, and stays productive and accessible for the next generation of farmers.

The Fund acquires at-risk farmland before it is lost to development, places permanent agricultural protections on the land, supports farmers with access to markets, training and resources, and matches the land with committed farmers through a patient pathway to affordable ownership.

The program runs as four regional funds: the Georgia Farms Fund, Carolina Farms Fund, Chicago Farms Fund and NW Arkansas Farms Fund.

The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta, metro Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina. If your farm is serving another metro market, you are welcome to complete the Farmer Survey—your information will be kept on file for future pilots.

No lease rate, purchase price formula, lease length, down-payment requirement or award amount is published. The Conservation Fund describes the mechanism but not the numbers, and the numbers are negotiated farm by farm.

The published model, in the Fund's own words: "Buy: Acquire at-risk farmland before it's lost to development" → "Support: Farmers with access to markets, training, and resources" → "Protect: Place permanent agricultural protections on the land so it stays a farm forever" → "Sell: Match farmland with committed farmers and provide a patient pathway to affordable ownership." For a farmer that means renting from the Fund first with an option to buy later, at a price held down by the permanent agricultural conservation easement placed on the land — the Fund's stated way of making the eventual purchase affordable. No money comes to you; land access and business support do.

Expect to negotiate: lease term, lease payment and purchase price are all deal-specific and unpublished. Ask the regional fund staff for the actual figures before committing.

Geography note: the program is now organized as four named regional funds — Georgia, Carolina, Chicago and NW Arkansas — rather than the earlier Atlanta/Chicago/Charlotte pilot framing.

How it works (2026): The Conservation Fund buys at-risk farmland near a growing city, leases it to the farmer, places permanent agricultural protection on it, and sells it to the farmer at its affordable farming value in 3–5 years. Four regional funds: Georgia (Atlanta), Carolina (Charlotte), Chicago, Northwest Arkansas (launching 2026).

Apply by completing the Farmer Survey at https://www.tfaforms.com/5050841. The Conservation Fund will follow up directly with interested farmers.

Complete the Farmer Survey (https://www.tfaforms.com/5050841) from the Farmer Resources page and the Farms Fund team will follow up.

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