Tennessee ranks third in the nation for agricultural land loss... The Farmland Preservation Bill could help.
Lots to look out for... new veggies, updates from SeTNYF, and a little bit on The Farmland Preservation Bill and how to support it.
Last Minute Weekend Market Update
Bountiful Harvest is back early this week with select produce from their brand new, wood-fired greenhouse! That’s right! You can find Carrots, Radishes, Green Onions and Spinach in limited quantities at the SCFM shop right now! Hurry while supplies last!
The Southeast TN Young Farmers have been busy!
“Food, and cooking, and sharing meals… That is a really special thing about farming. Farmers are always so willing to share food, and sit down and, even though they’re tired, have these elaborate potluck feasts together. That's always kept me going.”
– Mattie Sienknecht, Sequatchie Cove Farm
The 2025-2026 CRAFT curriculum is ready to roll, packed with hands-on workshops on grants, greenhouse production, and sustainable farming. Plus, their collaboration with Food as a Verb will bring you inspiring stories from six young farmers who are redefining the future of agriculture!
But the biggest buzz around is about the Farmland Preservation Fund Bill (SB 0207/HB 1325). Introduced by Sen. Jack Johnson and Rep. Jeremy Faison, this bill would address the rapid loss of farmland by preserving farmland and forestland through a fund for the development and implementation of program initiatives, including a voluntary grant program for conservation easements. Farmers would continue to own and use their farms, and the land would be protected.
Jess Wilson from Southeast Tennessee Young Farmers Coalition writes about the bill:
“If passed in its current form and administered well, it could protect farmland from development, lower the costs for young farmers, and also benefit older farmers who might feel pressure to sell their land for development.”
Why does this matter?
Tennessee’s farmland is threatened by development and urban sprawl.
From 1997 to 2017, Tennessee lost 1.1 million acres of agriculture land to other uses. From 2017 to 2023, Tennessee lost farmland at a rate of 9.8 acres per hour, or 430,000 acres.
Tennessee ranks third in the nation for agricultural land loss.
The bill protects farmers and maintains their autonomy. Jess writes:
"This bill does not create a new bureaucracy to be managed by TDA but simply creates the fund and establishes a grant program in which farmers work with land trusts to put farmland into conservation easements"
If this bill passes, it could slow the rapid loss of farms, protect rural economies, support Tennessee culture, improve local food systems, and make farming more accessible and sustainable in the long term.
Contact your state legislators with the button below!