For decades, urban sprawl has been feasting on American farmland. A report by the American Farmland Trust states that between 1992 and 2012, nearly 11 million acres of land that had been used for “intensive food and crop production” were lost to development, with much of that taking place closer to major metropolitan areas. This hunger has not waned in recent years, nor has the appetite for such land shown signs of diminishing. The Conservation Fund is attempting to slow this loss with the creation of the Working Farms Fund, a program designed to acquire farmland near population centers and protect it from further development. The pilot program begins in 2021 in Atlanta with approximately five to seven farms involving approximately two dozen farmers. The ultimate goal is to eventually replicate the program in other cities nationwide.
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