Farm families dream of passing their land from one generation to the next. For many, keeping land in farm production or in its natural state is just as important, if not more, as keeping it in the same family. That’s exactly what farmers choose to do when they protect their land with The Land Trust for Tennessee.
“Nearly 22 years after we got started, The Land Trust for Tennessee has protected more than 130,000 acres in 70 Tennessee counties, and I believe our mission has never been more important,” says Emily Parish, The Land Trust for Tennessee's vice president of conservation. “From family farms and historic landscapes to public parks and forests spanning thousands of acres, the work of The Land Trust has a lasting impact on people and places.”
The Land Trust for Tennessee works in partnership with landowners and communities across the state to protect and conserve land.
“We have helped hundreds of landowners conserve their family farms, partnered with local governments to protect open space, and have added tens of thousands of acres of land to local and state parks that we can all go out and enjoy,” says Emily.
In most cases, The Land Trust protects farmland with a legal tool called a conservation easement, which permanently limits how the land can be developed and subdivided in order to protect its conservation values. A conservation easement does not transfer ownership of a property. The landowner still owns the land and can use it, sell it, or leave it to heirs, but the easement stays with the land permanently.
“These agreements are written to be upheld in perpetuity,” explains Emily. “In other words, there is no end date or expiration to these agreements. If you want to sell or transfer the land, the conservation easement will still be in effect, and the terms of the agreement apply to all future owners of the property. A conservation easement ‘runs with the land.’ The Land Trust’s role is to ensure that the conservation easement agreement is upheld forever — not to own the land.”
Ensuring the future of farm and natural land in Tennessee is the main focus of The Farm Land Trust for Tennessee.
“Once land is gone, it’s gone forever,” says Emily. “That’s why we work year-round with landowners to protect irreplaceable landscapes we can’t afford to lose.”
Siblings Alicia and Steve Fitts, both of whom are United Farm and Home members, are among land owners who have protected their family farms.
“We knew what we and our parents wanted in passing this legacy onto our family or someone else who will love and nurture it like all those before them,” says Alicia.
The duo’s mother’s side of the family has been in Maury County for more than 200 years. The original farm was purchased by Alicia’s and Steve’s grandfather in the 1950s, and adjoining properties were bought throughout the coming years. Their parents, Bill and Alice Fitts, also added acreage to the farm holdings over the course their life.
Since the original easement in 2007 by their parents, Alicia and Steve have conserved several pieces of their beloved Cherry Ridge Farm in Spring Hill with The Land Trust for Tennessee. Alicia says it was always her parents’ dream to see the property remain a farm even though it is located in the growing area of Spring Hill.
“I cannot emphasize enough the peace of mind they each possessed, especially in their last days, knowing this land they loved was conserved in perpetuity,” says Alicia. “That no matter what happened, whether it stayed in the family or not, it wouldn’t become another subdivision, no matter how big and beautiful the houses might have been.”
Alicia and Steve lost their parents in 2017 and early 2020. However, they are happy that their parent’s legacy will live on with the land.
“We didn’t want to see a bunch of houses pop up on our family land,” says Steve. “Mom and Dad wanted to do it to be a part of nature, watch the birds, and keep the farm how it has always been, and we are happy we got to do that for them through the help of The Land Trust.”
Alicia and Steve maintain a herd of Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle on the farm and the property still belongs to them. They are able to build in approved areas, harvest lumber, and maintain their beef operation on the land, but the land is secured for the future.
“My brother and I have the same peace of mind that my parents had as we move into a new chapter for our family,” says Alicia. “We couldn’t do any of it without The Land Trust.”
If you or someone you know is interested in protecting land for future generations, The Land Trust's Project Managers are ready to begin the conversation. You can contact them by email at info@landtrusttn.org, call (615) 244-5263, or visit www.landtrusttn.org/protectland for more information.