California Farmland Trust

What California Farmland Trust does

California Farmland Trust (CFT) is a nonprofit, Land Trust Accreditation Commission-accredited land conservation organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Elk Grove, California. The organization's single core service is placing permanent agricultural conservation easements on California farmland: legal agreements in which landowners sell or donate their development rights to the Trust while retaining ownership and continued agricultural use of the property. CFT holds 88 such easements covering 19,449 acres across seven Central Valley and Bay Area counties (Contra Costa, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus).

CFT is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors with Theresa Kiehn as Board President and a four-member Trustee Council that includes former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. The paid staff of approximately 1-10 employees is led by Executive Director Charlotte Mitchell, Senior Operations Director Matthew Grizzle, and Conservation Director Quinn Mulrooney. The organization operates with no technology product, proprietary platform, or AI capability; its primary deliverables are legally-binding easement documents, annual easement monitoring visits, and community-facing programs.

CFT's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix: individual donations (one-time, monthly recurring, and planned/legacy gifts), corporate sponsorships at four tiers (Legacy, Visionary, Heritage, Guardian), a 5% stewardship fee on each easement transaction, and pass-through funding from government programs including the California Department of Conservation's California Farmland Conservancy Program, the Agricultural Land Mitigation Program (California High Speed Rail), USDA NRCS's Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, and the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (California Climate Investments / Cap-and-Trade). The organization's go-to-market operates through three direct pipelines: (1) outreach to landowners via educational programs, the Race to Slow the Pace annual 5K/10K event at Bokisch Vineyards, and the Friends of Farmland membership community; (2) developer partnerships for farmland mitigation compliance; and (3) municipal partnerships to support farmland protection ordinances. Supplementary products include the 'Orange You Glad We Have Farmland' K-5 curriculum (developed with Raley's and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom) and the 'Concrete California' short documentary.

Name

California Farmland Trust

Legal name

California Farmland Trust

Website

https://cafarmtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Farmland Trust is a nonprofit, accredited land trust that places permanent agricultural conservation easements on California farmland, having protected 19,449 acres across 88 farms in seven counties since 2004. It serves landowners, developers, and municipalities through donations, sponsorships, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural conservation easements
• Farmland protection services
• Land trust stewardship
• Farmland mitigation programs
• Agricultural land conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Gifts: The organization raises funds through various donation mechanisms including one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, and planned gifts. Donors can give directly through the website or via stock transfers.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support at various levels (Legacy, Visionary, Heritage, Guardian) in exchange for recognition and partnership benefits.
3. Conservation Easement Fees: Landowners who place easements on their property pay a 5% donation to help monitor and steward the easement. The California Farmland Trust also receives grants from government programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

California Farmland Trust is a nonprofit land trust that protects California farmland through agricultural conservation easements—permanent legal agreements in which landowners sell or donate development rights to the Trust while retaining ownership and continued agricultural use of the property. The Trust also delivers farmland mitigation services for developers and municipalities, K-5 educational curricula, community events, and donor stewardship programs that fund its conservation work.

Product overview

California Farmland Trust is a nonprofit land trust organization offering a single core service: Agricultural Conservation Easements that permanently protect California farmland from development. Their product portfolio consists of their easement program supplemented by educational initiatives (What's the Dirt and Orange You Glad curricula, Raley's Field Trips), membership community (Friends of Farmland), planned giving (Farmland Legacy Society), events (Race to Slow the Pace), and video content (Concrete California documentary). The organization connects farmers with developers and municipalities requiring farmland mitigation, while engaging supporters through donations, volunteering, and educational outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Conservation Easements Permanent legal agreements in which landowners sell or donate development rights to California Farmland Trust, ensuring farmland remains farmland forever while the landowner retains ownership and use of the property. The Trust conducts annual monitoring to ensure easement terms are followed.
• What's the Dirt Curriculum Interactive educational program introducing elementary students to soil composition and its importance for growing healthy food, featuring a jar experiment to explore soil layers (sand, silt, clay, and organic matter). Available in English and Spanish.
• Orange You Glad We Have Farmland Curriculum Hands-on educational curriculum for third to fifth grade students teaching what percentage of land is available to grow the food that feeds the world. Available in English and Spanish, developed in partnership with Raley's and California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.
• Raley's Field Trips on the Farm Hands-on learning program taking fourth to sixth grade students onto working farms, funded by Raley's Family of Fine Stores. Currently not offering tours; waitlist available.
• Friends of Farmland Membership Program Free membership program connecting supporters to the work of California Farmland Trust, providing updates about conservation projects, stories from farmers, and opportunities to engage with the organization through events and special announcements.
• Farmland Legacy Society Planned giving program allowing donors to leave a legacy gift to protect farms for future generations. Members join by making a planned gift and help ensure the prosperity and viability of agricultural land.
• Race to Slow the Pace Annual trail run event (5K/10K) held at Bokisch Vineyards in Lodi, CA to connect people with nature, the environment, and family farms while furthering the mission of farmland conservation. Presented in partnership with the John and Jeani Ferrari Family Foundation.
• Monthly Giving Program Recurring monthly donation program allowing supporters to provide consistent support for farmland protection efforts, educating future generations about farmland value and supporting farmers who steward natural resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19,449 acres protected on 88 farms in seven California counties
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Raley'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Educational partnership established in 2016 with Raley's Family of Fine Stores. Raley's provides funding for the Field Trips on the Farm program, allowing fourth through sixth graders to visit working farms. This partnership also includes the Orange You Glad We Have Farmland curriculum developed in collaboration with California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC).
• John and Jeani Ferrari Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting sponsor of the Race to Slow the Pace 5K/10K event. The foundation has been a long-time supporter of farmland protection and was recognized as the 2021 Vance Kennedy Award recipients.
• California Department of ConservationcoreOthersSupports the California Farmland Conservancy Program and Agricultural Land Mitigation Program. Provides grant funding for farmland conservation projects throughout California.
• California High Speed Rail / California Department of ConservationcoreOthersSupports the Agricultural Land Mitigation Program, providing funding for easements on farmland near high-speed rail corridors.
• United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)coreOthersAdministers the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) which provides funding support for agricultural conservation easements held by CFT.
• California Coastal ConservancycoreOthersProvides funding from Proposition 84 (Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006) for farmland conservation projects.
• Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC)coreOthersPart of California Climate Investments, SALC provides Cap-and-Trade funding for farmland conservation. Funded the Danbom River Ranch conservation easement in 2025. At least 35% of investments benefit disadvantaged communities.
• Bokisch VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the annual Race to Slow the Pace 5K/10K event, connecting runners with nature, the environment, and family farms that feed them.
• California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Orange You Glad We Have Farmland educational curriculum for third to fifth grade elementary students.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit that protects farmland, promotes environmentally sound farming, and works on agricultural conservation policy. Most directly comparable to CFT as a farmland-focused land trust, but operates at national scale rather than California-specific.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental nonprofit that acquires and manages conservation easements and preserves. Comparable as a land conservation nonprofit with permanent easement work, but operates at far larger scale and with broader environmental mission beyond farmland.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that conserves land for public use, including working lands. Comparable to CFT in land conservation mission and conservation easement mechanics, but broader in scope (parks, trails, urban) rather than focused on agricultural land.

Direct peers

• Sequoia Riverlands Trust: California-based land trust protecting natural and agricultural lands in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Directly comparable as a regional California land trust focused on conservation easements and farmland preservation, operating in overlapping geography.
• Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust: Statewide agricultural land trust focused on protecting working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Comparable to CFT in mission of protecting working agricultural lands through permanent easements, but operates in a different state with ranching/farming focus.
• Sacramento Valley Conservancy: Regional California land trust protecting agricultural and natural lands in the Sacramento Valley. Directly comparable to CFT as a Northern California land trust running conservation easement programs with government and community funding.
• Maine Farmland Trust: Statewide nonprofit protecting farmland in Maine through easements and farm support programs. Directly comparable to CFT as a state-level, mission-driven farmland conservation organization with easement, education, and donor programs.
• Vermont Land Trust: Statewide land trust focused on conserving farmland and forest land in Vermont through conservation easements. Directly comparable in business model as a state-level, farmland-focused land trust running an active conservation easement program with farmer engagement.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization representing land trusts and providing accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Comparable as the umbrella body connecting CFT to peer land trusts and providing the accreditation that CFT has held since 2008.

Regional players

• Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Bay Area-focused land trust protecting open space and working lands through conservation easements and acquisitions. Comparable in easement-based conservation model and California geography, but focused on San Francisco Peninsula rather than Central Valley farmland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cafarmtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKlEGdx_Z4RUPniOr02dMmg
• Facebookfacebook.com/cafarmtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/547414
• Instagraminstagram.com/cafarmtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 California Farmland Trust