BFRDP Projects

The overall goal of "Securing a Future on the Land" was to connect beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) to land access options in Colorado and prepare them for secure land tenure to support a diverse agricultural future. There were four objectives for this goal: 1) increase the pool of certified Land Access Trainers (LATs) by completing American Farmland Trust's self-paced program, 2) improve and expand BFRs knowledge of land tenure options and how to execute secure land transfer agreements by offering LAT courses in various formats to increase participation, 3) improve land owner knowledge of BFR's land access issues and recruit more landowners/retiring farmers and ranchers to the Colorado Land Link database and, 4) establish a system for evaluating land link "matches: each year.

We accomplished the following project goals: 1) fulfilled the criteria for the LAT certification- Project Director Amanda Laban became the first self- paced certified Land Access Trainer in the American Farmland Trust Land Access Trainer Network,  2) 62 beginning farmer and rancher participants completed a land access training that was relevant to their current situation and improved their skills and knowledge of the tenets of secure land tenure, 3) strengthened partnerships with organizations to enhance recruitment of landowners, 4) initiated the formation of a Land Access Advisory Team for Colorado, 5) expanded the listings in the Land Link/Land Access online database for a total of 18 listings in 2022, a 125% increase from 2021, and 6) created a baseline matrix for evaluating land link "matches".