What Equity Trust does

Equity Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Amherst, Massachusetts, that develops and deploys alternative ownership models for farmland and community land. Its core programs are the Farms for Farmers initiative, the Equity Trust Fund (a revolving loan fund), and the Property and Values program, supported by a portfolio of open-source model legal documents including the Model Agricultural Ground Lease, the Model Agricultural Conservation Easement with Option to Purchase, and the Shared-Appreciation Second Loan. The technical foundation is not software but legal and financial architecture: shared-equity ownership structures that separate land ownership (held by community organizations or Equity Trust) from building/improvement ownership (held by farmers), combined with preemptive purchase rights and conservation easements to keep farmland affordable in perpetuity. The organization serves beginning and BIPOC farmers, community land trusts, conservation partners, and socially conscious lenders/donors across the United States, with a concentration of activity in the Hudson Valley, New England, and Southeastern Connecticut, and selective cross-border work in Central America. Revenue is generated through loan interest, charitable donations, and foundation grants (notably NoVo Foundation and, as of 2025, the #NoRegrets Initiative via ImpactAssets), with operational scale deliberately small (1-10 employees). The model has influenced state legislation, including New York's 2018 Working Farm Protection Act, and has been replicated by multiple land trusts nationally.

Name

Equity Trust

Legal name

Equity Trust, Inc.

Website

https://equitytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Equity Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that develops alternative farmland ownership models and operates a revolving loan fund, serving beginning and BIPOC farmers, community land trusts, and conservation organizations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Lending

NAICS

Lessors of Other Real Estate Property (53119), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799), Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Natural Resources — Farmland & Agriculture (FSAAAKAI), Natural Resources Funds (Timberland, Farmland, Minerals) (FSANAEAK)

Keywords

• Community land trust
• Farmland preservation lending
• Agricultural conservation easements
• Alternative land ownership
• Revolving loan fund

Headquarters

HQ city

Maussane

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: Equity Trust operates a revolving loan fund that provides loans to farmers, community organizations, and affordable housing projects. Interest payments on these loans form the primary revenue stream, enabling the fund to continue lending to new projects.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization receives tax-deductible donations from individuals, faith communities, and other organizations. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations support the loan fund and technical assistance programs.
3. Grant Funding: Equity Trust receives grants from foundations (such as NoVo Foundation for the Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program) to fund affordability restrictions, bridge loans, and technical assistance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Equity Trust is a national nonprofit that provides low-interest revolving loans, model legal documents, and technical assistance to keep farmland affordable in perpetuity. Its core work centers on alternative land ownership structures — including shared-equity ground leases, agricultural conservation easements with preemptive purchase rights, and bridge financing — that separate ownership of land from ownership of buildings and improvements so farmers can acquire land at agricultural value. The organization also partners with land trusts, community organizations, and foundations to deliver regional programs like the Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program and the Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity.

Product overview

Equity Trust is a small, national non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs, model legal documents, and educational resources focused on changing the way people think about and hold property. The core offerings include the Farms for Farmers Program, which promotes alternative farm ownership structures; the Equity Trust Fund, a revolving loan fund for community development projects; and the Property and Values Program for equitable property ownership education. Supporting these are downloadable Model Agricultural Ground Lease and Model Agricultural Conservation Easement documents, the Preserving Farms for Farmers Manual, and the Farmland Access in Urban Settings guide. The organization operates the Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program and the Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity as regional initiatives. This is not a technology product or software platform—it is a non-profit offering programs, lending services, and educational/published resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program: Multi-year regional initiative to preserve affordable working farms in New York State's Hudson Valley
• Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity
• Equity Trust Fund
• Farms for Farmers
• Property and Values

Products and services

• Farms for Farmers Program
• Equity Trust Fund (Revolving Loan Fund)
• Property and Values Program
• Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program
• Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 farms on over 2,100 acres permanently protected as affordable working farms in the Hudson Valley alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and minor.

• Persimmon Collective FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, Equity Trust entered into a partnership agreement with Persimmon Collective Fund to provide low-cost bridge loans to BIPOC farmers for land acquisition, and jointly implement a shared-appreciation financing tool to keep land affordable and under BIPOC farmer stewardship through successive transfers. Persimmon brokers a $1 million zero-interest investment from #NoRegrets Initiative into the Equity Trust Fund for zero-interest loans to Persimmon-identified farmers.
• American Farmland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023American Farmland Trust acquired River Haven Farm (287 acres) in April 2023 and now leases to West Branch Commons farmers. AFT serves as an interim landowner until the community land trust can complete fundraising to purchase the land. Equity Trust provides financing support to facilitate the eventual transfer to community ownership.
• Catskills Agrarian AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAA is a collaborative of over 50 farms that aggregates and delivers food across eleven New York Counties. They incubate West Branch Commons, a community land trust working to provide affordable land access for BIPOC, women, queer, and trans farmers. CAA identifies farmers and projects that benefit from Equity Trust financing.
• Black Family Land TrustimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Family Land Trust is a North Carolina-based conservation organization working to stem and reverse historical land loss among African American families and minority farmers. Equity Trust has made nine loans since 2017 to clients of their programs, providing operating capital and bridge financing to small farmers awaiting USDA reimbursement grants.
• Agricultural Stewardship AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA works with Equity Trust on farm preservation projects in the Hudson Valley region, holding conservation easements and affordability restrictions on protected farms. Together they've protected multiple farms including Lewis Waite Farm, Laughing Earth Farm, and Hepatica Farm.
• Columbia Land ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLC is a key partner for farm preservation in Columbia County, NY. They've worked with Equity Trust on projects including Thompson-Finch Farm, The Farm at Miller's Crossing, and Artemis Farm, holding conservation easements and affordability restrictions.
• Scenic Hudson Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScenic Hudson works with Equity Trust on farm preservation in the Hudson Valley, providing funding and holding easements on protected farms. They've partnered on multiple projects including Rooted Family Farm, Hearty Roots Community Farm, and Walt's Dairy.
• Orange County Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCLT partnered with Equity Trust on the Hudson Valley Farm Affordability Program, working on projects including Farmer's Daughter and Rooted Family Farm to protect farmland in Orange County, NY.
• Southeastern Connecticut Community Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSE CT CLT serves as the local contact and advisor to Equity Trust for the Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity (formerly Francis Fund). They help identify borrowers and provide local stewardship for affordable housing and community land projects.
• Saint Francis HouseimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaint Francis House helped found the Francis Fund (now Southeastern Connecticut Fund for Land Equity) and has been a key community partner in southeastern Connecticut, supporting grassroots organizations and affordable housing initiatives.
• Land For GoodimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity Trust was one of over 40 partner organizations in Land Access Project Phase 2 (LAP2), collaborating on farmland access initiatives. Jo Rosen of Equity Trust co-authored the 'Farmland Access in Urban Settings' guide with Kathy Ruhf of Land For Good.
• Lear CapitalminorOthersLear Capital is a precious metals company that offers Precious Metals IRA services through partnerships with Equity Trust for custody and Delaware Depository for storage. This represents Equity Trust acting as a custodian for self-directed IRA investments in precious metals.
• Open Space InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Space Institute holds conservation easements on Equity Trust-owned land (such as at Roxbury Farm) and played a key role in acquiring and protecting farmland for agricultural use by removing development rights.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on farmland preservation and farmer access. Directly comparable as both an advocacy and operating partner working on conservation easements, farmland affordability, and farmland acquisition — e.g., AFT acquired River Haven Farm in 2023 and partnered with Equity Trust on the West Branch Commons project.
• Land For Good: New England-based nonprofit focused on farmland access, tenure, and transfer. Direct peer collaborating with Equity Trust on the Land Access Project Phase 2 and co-authoring the 'Farmland Access in Urban Settings' guide; both serve beginning and underserved farmers.
• Black Family Land Trust: North Carolina-based nonprofit working to stem and reverse historical land loss among African American families. Equity Trust has made nine loans since 2017 to BFLT clients; both organizations are deeply aligned in serving BIPOC farmers with land access and capital.
• Local Farms Fund: Nonprofit that acquired farm properties on behalf of beginning farmers and leased to them until they could purchase. Direct peer working in the same farmland affordability/interim-ownership model, including a direct project partnership with Equity Trust and Saratoga PLAN on Featherbed Lane Farm.
• Institute for Community Economics: Founder Chuck Matthei served as its Executive Director from 1980-90, and the organization pioneered the community land trust model from which Equity Trust emerged. Direct peer in the community land trust movement, with overlapping mission and shared historical lineage.

Broad incumbents

• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing capital and financing to underserved communities, including for community land trusts and affordable housing. Broader incumbent peer in the same ecosystem of community-owned real estate and equitable development finance.
• RSF Social Finance: Mission-aligned financial intermediary providing loans and investment vehicles for social enterprises, including food and agriculture. Comparable as a values-aligned lender serving regenerative and BIPOC-led farm enterprises, but with a broader investment-product portfolio and much larger scale than Equity Trust's loan fund.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation organization, with significant U.S. farmland and easement programs. Operates broadly in conservation easements and protected-area acquisition, overlapping with Equity Trust's easement-based affordability approach but at vastly greater scale.
• Scenic Hudson Land Trust: Major regional land trust in the Hudson Valley that partners with Equity Trust on farm preservation projects (Rooted Family Farm, Hearty Roots Community Farm, Walt's Dairy). Holds conservation easements on Equity Trust-protected farms and provides project funding, making it both an ally and a larger incumbent in the same geographic niche.

Others

• The Wetlands Trust: Conservation organization focused on wetland protection. Partnered with Equity Trust on the 2023 Roxbury Farm land swap. Functionally comparable as a regional conservation partner and easement holder, though its core mission (wetlands rather than farmland) is adjacent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equity Trust