Spring 1996 (v8n2)
	Sharing the Cost of Land Tenure and Stewardship   By Luanne Warnock, SAREP Standing at the edge of a field looking far across an expanse of corn to the horizon, the question of ownership arises: Can what is mortal "own" that which is perpetual? Many believe that the responsibility of stewardship outweighs the power of ownership. While ownership confers the right to do as one pleases with what one owns, stewardship suggests that despite ownership rights there is an incumbent duty to temper one's pleasure with a consideration for others-both those present and those yet to come. In 1994 SAREP funded a project based on ideas such as these, designed by a group in Covelo, Mendocino County. which want-ed to create a model for conserving and protecting agricultural land. Specific issues the project aimed to address were: 1) the preservation of farmland from conversion to non-agricultural development and housing uses; 2) the promotion of biological/sustainable farming practices that would enhance biological life and the integrity of agricultural soils; and 3) eliminating the speculative value of farmland so that it becomes and remains affordable for farming. The model that emerged was an innovative arrangement where the farmer owns the productive agricultural value of the land while a nonprofit organization owns all the land's additional speculative or market value. Although not the first open space conservation easement plan, this new model, based on the concept of shared-equity, was developed to more fully address agricultural issues in the preservation of land. In fact, unique to this approach are the legally binding deed restrictions that ensure the land will be kept in active farming use; that it will be farmed with either organic or biodynamic methods; and that the resale value is based solely on the land's agricultural value. Steve and Gloria Decater of Live Power Community Farm and members of their community, notably the Live Power Community Farm CSA (community supported agriculture project or subscription farm), worked for four years to turn these concepts into a reality that would secure the integrity and agricultural future of their farm. Through donations, $81,000 was raised for the land trust's equity, while the Decaters purchased the agricultural value of the land and the building improvements for $69,000. The progressive public and private partnership in Live Power Community Farm became official in the summer of 1995 when the sale was completed. SAREP's involvement with the project began in October 1994. A $5,000 grant was awarded to the proposal Sharing the Costs of Land Tenure and Stewardship, which outlined the preparation of a manual on shared-equity. "It is critical that the process as experienced by the Decaters be documented in order to establish precedent, enabling other communities and farmers to pursue similar actions," says Jered Lawson, principal investigator of the project. The manual is intended to be a tool of empowerment and introduction to shared-equity, with particular emphasis on the elements developed by the people of Live Power Community Farm. Specifics such as where to find a nonprofit partner, how to go about raising necessary funds, and drafting the Easement or Option are covered in practical "how to" instructions. With enough information to allow the methods to be adapted to individual needs, the manual is a handbook for farmers, landowners and investors who have at heart a concern for the future existence of family farms and the promotion of farming methods that will sustain the integrity and productivity of the land. A draft of the manual will be available at a workshop on the legal and financial mechanics of land tenure options for community supported projects May 3-5 at the Headlands Institute in Sausalito, Calif. For more information, contact Jered Lawson at CSA West, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064; Tel: (408) 459-3964. [ Back | Search | Feedback ]