The Shared Landscape

This episode examines how a queer led cooperative farm in New York’s Hudson Valley has built a decade of shared governance, diversified revenue, and community rooted production on leased land. It focuses on: (1) the farm’s land tenure model, a ten year rolling lease negotiated to base payments only on infrastructure assets rather than land value, allowing Rock Steady to farm 5.5 acres while maintaining long term affordability and stability; (2) the evolution of the ownership team, from three experienced founding farmers to a four owner cooperative supported by a 13 member staff, with clear distinctions between hierarchical field operations and democratic ownership decision making; (3) the business model, which began with the purchase of equipment and customer lists from a previous farm and has grown into a mixed vegetable and flower operation supported by CSA sales, philanthropic funding, fiscal sponsorship, and consolidated loans through Seed Commons; (4) the governance systems that sustain the cooperative, including weekly owner meetings, quorum based voting, structured onboarding for new owners, conflict resolution protocols, and participation in the Webatuck Valley Farm Collaborative, a sociocracy inspired network of neighboring farms that share decision making through circle structures and ranked voting; and (5) the lessons learned over ten years of cooperative farming, including the importance of human resources support, the need for conflict management training in farmer education, the value of transparent decision making, and the benefits of combining cooperative governance with a flexible LLC and fiscal sponsorship structure that supports both business operations and nonprofit aligned programming.Transcript of complete interviewRock Steady Employee ManualWorker Owner Agreement OverviewOwner Rights and ResponsibilitiesRock Steady Decision Making MatrixRock Steady Farm website

This episode explores how a Black led urban farming collective in Birmingham is transforming abandoned neighborhood lots into a community rooted food system that blends land stewardship, cultural connection, and cooperative practice. It focuses on: (1) the cooperative’s land strategy, which has grown from a backyard garden into 11 farmed lots across Fountain Heights, acquired through neighbor relationships and city processes, with a long term goal of activating 119 lots to feed the neighborhood; (2) the collective of farmers, apprentices, and volunteers who steward the land, drawing on shared cultural experiences, a commitment to healing through the Earth, and a strong ethic of mutual care that supports both individual farm businesses and the collaborative as a whole; (3) the business model, where an LLC with fiscal sponsorship operates a joint CSA called We All Eat, collaborates with six other farms, accepts EBT and Double Up Bucks, and reinvests revenue into infrastructure, labor, and a forthcoming Heart of the Farm building that will include wash pack space, cold storage, a market, and apprenticeship housing; (4) the governance and conflict navigation practices, including a Neighborhood Advisory Council, annual healing workshops with the Aya Institute, shared systems for tracking farm tasks, and a culture that prioritizes direct communication, collective well being, and community accountability; and (5) the lessons emerging from urban farming at scale, including navigating restrictive ordinances and costly resurveying, building soil on former house sites, balancing ambitious food access goals with realistic capacity, and designing a long term cooperative structure that can support future farmers while keeping land in community centered production.Transcript of complete interviewFountain Heights Farm website

This episode explores how a Hispanic led cooperative farm in western North Carolina emerged from a community food distribution effort and is now building long term land security, shared governance, and culturally rooted agricultural production. It focuses on: (1) the cooperative’s land journey, beginning with informal shared space on a flood prone field, followed by a small leased church plot, and culminating in the 2024 purchase of a nine acre property supported by Equity Trust and the Persimmon Collective Fund; (2) the worker owners’ shared identity and values, shaped by their leadership in the Abundancia food distribution program and their commitment to creating stability, mutual support, and culturally relevant foodways for their Hispanic community; (3) the cooperative’s business model, which blends diversified crop production, sales to farmers markets and food access programs, technical assistance and Spanish language workshops through Transplanting Traditions, and a fiscal sponsorship arrangement that compensates the farm for food distributed through Abundancia; (4) the governance structure, where an LLC partnership operates with cooperative principles, democratic decision making, consensus based meetings, and intentional practices to help members find their voice and build trust; and (5) the challenges and lessons emerging from the cooperative’s growth, including the difficulty of sustaining fair compensation, the need to refine ownership and retirement models now that land is secured, the importance of supporting women in farming, and the long term goal of creating a stable, intergenerational farm that can one day be passed on to younger growers.Transcript of complete interviewTierra Fertil website

This episode examines how a long standing rural homestead community in western Wisconsin uses a land based condominium structure to share more than 300 acres of woods, fields, and common infrastructure while allowing each household to privately own a five acre parcel and home. It focuses on: (1) the origins of the land based condo model, beginning with a single family purchasing the land in the 1970s and later converting it into a condominium so multiple households could build equity while sharing 276 acres of common land; (2) the ways residents use the shared landscape for recreation, maple syruping, foraging, hunting, and small scale agriculture, including one farmer who operates a one acre flower and agritourism business supported by access to extensive common land; (3) the governance system defined by bylaws, twice yearly meetings, and a 70 percent vote requirement for major decisions, along with informal cooperation around tools, equipment, and land stewardship; (4) the financial and social dynamics of shared ownership, including equal responsibility for taxes on common land, shared decision making on improvements, and tensions that arise when individual owners invest disproportionately in common infrastructure; and (5) the lessons and challenges of collective landholding, such as the need for clearer shared values, the difficulty of aligning ecological priorities across diverse residents, and the potential for this model to support future agricultural enterprises by lowering land access costs while still allowing individuals to build equity in their homes and parcels.Transcript of complete interviewShared land management trackerLand-based condo bylaws

This episode explores how a Nashville nonprofit is expanding land access for immigrant, refugee, and beginning farmers through two shared land production sites, one on church property and one in a city park, while navigating the complexities of insecure tenure, intensive staff support, and evolving program design. It focuses on: (1) the dual site land access model: a long standing one acre lease with Christ Lutheran Church that supports five Bhutanese and Burmese or Myanmar farm businesses, and a five year renewable license with the City of Nashville for seven acres at Mill Ridge Park, where two additional farm businesses operate; (2) the program’s origins in community healing and cultural reconnection, where farmers, many from agrarian backgrounds, grow culturally significant crops, build belonging, and sell through CSAs and a new farmer led market; (3) the nonprofit’s operational role, including managing CSAs, procuring inputs, coordinating irrigation schedules, hosting weekly farmer meetings, and providing infrastructure such as greenhouses, cold storage, wash pack stations, and volunteer support; (4) the challenges of scaling a staff intensive model, especially language access, individualized CSA management, and the need to set clearer boundaries and expectations for future cohorts, alongside new strategies for partial cost recovery through markets, sliding scale education programs, and corporate volunteer partnerships; and (5) the broader lessons emerging from both sites, including the importance of clear SOPs and MOUs for shared resources, the limits of farming on insecure land, the need for city level policy change around water and land access, and the potential for TNFP to shift toward a hub and spoke model that supports farmer autonomy while expanding community agriculture across Nashville.Transcript of complete interviewMill Ridge Permit for use of park spacesCommunity Farm RulesMemorandum of Understanding for Farm in the CityGrowing Together Farmer AgreementLicense Agreement for Growing TogetherLicense Agreement for Mill RidgeLiability and Photo ReleaseCommunity Agriculture Network Webpage

This episode examines how a young, mission‑driven nonprofit in Baltimore is working to expand land access for Black and Brown communities through urban farming, nature‑based education, and a developing Farmland Commons partnership. It focuses on: (1) the organization’s origins in stewarding a 3‑acre parcel BLISS Meadows and managing an adjacent 7‑acre city‑owned forest, transforming both into community‑serving spaces for food production, education, and recreation; (2) the strategic effort to secure a larger, contiguous 10–50 acre property for commercial‑scale production, supported by a partnership with The Farmers Land Trust, GIS mapping, and ongoing landowner outreach; (3) the nonprofit’s operational model, where a small team manages production, education, and operations, and where farmers receive salaries, healthcare, and professional development funds that enable skill‑building in areas like beekeeping and season extension; (4) the governance structure: department‑based decision‑making, bi‑weekly staff meetings, board oversight focused on community impact, and a forthcoming 501(c)(25) Farmland Commons that will jointly hold land with at least three nonprofit partners; and (5) the challenges and lessons emerging from urban land stewardship, including slow city processes, legal barriers around livestock, the difficulty of acquiring affordable land near the urban core, and the tension of pursuing a mission‑driven model that must shift community habits while diversifying revenue beyond grants through agritourism, value‑added products, and direct sales.Transcript of complete interviewBackyard Basecamp website

This episode traces how a long‑running teaching farm in southeastern Ohio is transitioning into a Farmland Commons to secure its land in perpetuity and pass stewardship to a new farming family. It focuses on: (1) the Warmkes’ 30‑year evolution from private landowners hosting more than 100 interns into founders of a Farmland Commons, including their decision to transfer 38 acres and 17 structures into a 501(c)(25) model with the Farmer’s Land Trust; (2) the community‑based process for selecting new farmers, led by former interns who now serve on the Farm Board, using rubrics, interviews, and on‑farm work days to identify a family prepared to steward the land; (3) the Farmland Commons structure itself: a multi‑organization ownership model that holds land collectively, leases it to farmers, requires 70% agricultural use, and builds long‑term security through shared governance, bylaws, and collaborative stewardship; (4) the financial and legal components of the transition, including a discounted sale, the creation of an endowment, extensive fundraising, and the transfer of business assets to support the incoming farmers; and (5) the emotional, relational, and logistical challenges of transitioning a beloved homestead into a collective landholding, from the Warmkes’ grief in leaving the land, to the slow, consensus‑based governance process, to the fragility and promise of a model that depends on durable nonprofit partnerships and sustained community engagement.Transcript of complete interviewFarmland Commons BylawsProposal for transfer of land to commonsBlue Rock Farmland Commons webpage

This episode explores how a nonprofit in southeastern Massachusetts manages a large, privately owned property as a shared‑land site for multiple independent farm businesses, balancing farmer autonomy with the complexities of stewarding conserved land owned by a family trust. It focuses on: (1) the origins of the farm’s shared‑land model, including the 10‑year master lease between the landowners and the nonprofit, and the creation of 1–5 year renewable subleases that allow nine farm businesses and roughly 30 farmers to operate individual plots; (2) the nonprofit’s role in onboarding farmers, coordinating land allocation, and providing shared infrastructure such as irrigation, greenhouse space, equipment, and storage, while navigating persistent challenges around water access, limited cold storage, and unclear boundaries with landowners who live on site; (3) the financial structure that sustains the organization with farmer fees, earned income from events and pick‑your‑own operations, individual donors, and grants, alongside the strain created by limited staff capacity and shifting federal and philanthropic funding; (4) the governance and communication systems that support the community, including Slack channels, informal conflict resolution, a grievance process, and efforts to increase farmer participation in decision‑making through stipends, interpreters, and facilitated meetings; and (5) the major lessons emerging from seven years of operation, especially the need for clearer roles and boundaries with landowners, more time for infrastructure setup before inviting farmers onto the land, stronger systems for shared equipment and facilities, and the inherent tension of operating a shared‑land model on property the nonprofit does not own.Transcript of complete interviewOsamequin Farm website

This episode highlights how a nonprofit-led co‑farm in Georgia is expanding land access for BIPOC and immigrant growers through shared infrastructure, coordinated stewardship, and long‑term land protection. It focuses on: (1) Global Growers Network’s partnership with the Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund, including a lease‑to‑purchase arrangement that enabled the nonprofit to acquire 22 acres now permanently protected under a conservation easement; (2) the co‑farm’s shared‑land model, where 13 farmers operate nine independent businesses using common infrastructure, equipment, and water systems at below‑market rates; (3) the role of GGN staff in stewarding the land, onboarding farmers, coordinating complex plot layouts, and providing technical assistance, while anchor farmers offer peer mentorship; (4) the governance structure built around a detailed farm manual, annual leases, monthly check‑ins, and conflict‑resolution pathways that emphasize community care, responsible land management, and collaborative problem‑solving; and (5) the challenges and lessons emerging from the model, including the distance from GGN’s core community, the need for stronger farmer participation in decision‑making, the importance of early intervention in compliance issues, and the financial vulnerability created by reliance on federal grants and philanthropic stopgaps.Transcript of complete interviewGlobal Growers Network website

This episode examines how a multigenerational group of organic growers in Georgia built a cooperative farm business on leased‑to‑own land while navigating the complexities of shared governance, community investment, and long‑term land security. It focuses on: (1) the farm’s partnership with the Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund, including a 5‑year lease‑to‑purchase agreement shaped by regional land appreciation and conservation easement terms; (2) the cooperative’s transition from a long‑running LLC into a C‑Corp with cooperative bylaws, supported by a community‑driven capital campaign that enabled the farm to launch without debt; (3) the division of labor across five management teams, the farm’s diversified revenue model, and the role of H2A labor in sustaining a 34‑week CSA and wholesale seedling enterprise; (4) the consensus‑based governance structure, including the use of a facilitator to strengthen conflict navigation, align priorities across life stages, and build deeper trust among worker‑owners; and (5) the challenges and lessons emerging from this shared‑ownership model, especially the need for clearer upfront planning around values and expectations, the time demands of consensus decision‑making, and the importance of relationship‑building in sustaining a cooperative farm through growth, turnover, and major financial decisions.Transcript of complete interviewLove is Love BylawsLove is Love Subscription AgreementLove is Love Articles of IncorporationLove is Love Farm Business PlanLove is Love Pitch DeckLove is Love Website

This episode explores how a small, cooperatively owned farm in rural Iowa has built a long‑term, community‑rooted model of shared land stewardship, cooperative governance, and diversified production. It focuses on: (1) the multi‑year, community‑supported pathway through which farmer Hannah Breckbill gradually acquired the land from 20 neighbors who purchased it to prevent a CAFO; (2) the cooperative ownership structure developed with co‑farmer Emily Fagan, including worker‑owner pathways, capital accounts, and a Commons entity designed to hold the land in perpetuity; (3) the farm’s diversified production system: vegetables, fruit and nut orchards, and livestock supported by shared infrastructure and low debt; (4) the governance practices that sustain the partnership, including division of responsibilities, winter retreats, shared meals, and the use of non‑violent communication consultants; and (5) the challenges and bottlenecks the cooperative has navigated, especially conflict in shared living spaces, evolving life needs, the absence of a formal legal mechanism to secure the land as a Commons, and the complexities of expanding to additional worker‑owners.Transcript of complete interviewFarm BudgetHumble Hands Website