Alaska Farmland Trust

What Alaska Farmland Trust does

Alaska Farmland Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 2005 and headquartered at 248 E. Dahlia Ave., Palmer, Alaska. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and is governed by a board with over 100 years of collective Alaska farming experience. Its mission is the permanent protection of Alaska's farmland, particularly in the Matanuska Valley, which produces over half the state's agricultural output and faces intense development pressure. Since founding, the trust has permanently protected 300 acres across 9 properties — most recently the 115-acre Grover Farm in 2025 — through legally binding agricultural conservation easements that restrict development while allowing continued farming and ownership.

The organization's core offerings are Agricultural Conservation Easements, the FarmLink matching platform, and Planned Giving programs. Conservation easements are legal instruments that limit land use in perpetuity, providing landowners with federal income tax deductions, property tax relief, and estate tax reduction. FarmLink is a web-based matching service connecting landowners of available farmland with farm seekers and beginning farmers; the organization describes this as a registration-based matching platform rather than a proprietary AI system. Supporting this core work are educational products (the Toolbox for Farmland Seekers, Succession Planning guides) and community events including the Farmland Forever Fest fundraiser, Drive Your Tractor to Work Day, and food security workshops co-hosted with Alaska Pacific University and the UAF Cooperative Extension Service.

Alaska Farmland Trust generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit model: individual donations (one-time and recurring monthly at $10/$20/$40 tiers with donor perks), business sponsorships from 50+ local Alaska businesses, planned giving vehicles (bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, gifts of stock), Pick.Click.Give. Permanent Fund Dividend donations, Fred Meyer Community Rewards, and federal funding partnerships with USDA NRCS for easement acquisition. The organization sells no products or services in the commercial sense, but rather stewards charitable contributions toward permanent land conservation. Its primary customer segments are Alaska farmland owners seeking estate planning and land preservation, beginning farmers seeking land access, Alaska residents concerned with food security (only 5% of food consumed in Alaska is grown locally), and the Alaska business community supporting local agriculture. The trust is a member of the National Land Trust Alliance and a founding participant in the Land Trusts of Alaska consortium with five peer organizations and The Nature Conservancy of Alaska.

Name

Alaska Farmland Trust

Legal name

Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation

Website

https://akfarmland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alaska Farmland Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 2005 that permanently protects Alaska farmland through agricultural conservation easements and connects beginning farmers with landowners via its FarmLink matching platform, serving Mat-Su Valley landowners, farm seekers, and Alaska residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Land Conservation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Farmland Brokerage (Row Crops, Specialty Crops) (BPAJADAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Farmland preservation
• Farm linking services
• Nonprofit land trust

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals. Monthly donors receive perks including embroidered cow keychains, wool socks, neck gaiters, hoodies, and harvest bags at various donation levels.
2. Business Sponsorships: Local Alaska businesses sponsor events, provide general organizational support, or support conservation easement acquisition. Over 50 business sponsors listed.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, gifts of stock, and remainder interest in land donations.
4. Pick.Click.Give. Alaskans can donate a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend to Alaska Farmland Trust through the Pick.Click.Give. program.
5. Conservation Easement Donations: Landowners may donate conservation easements (development rights) which can provide tax benefits. Some easements may involve purchased development rights through partnerships with NRCS.
6. FarmLink Program Fees: The FarmLink platform connects landowners with farm seekers. While registration appears free, there may be nominal fees associated with the service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Alaska Farmland Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that permanently protects Alaska farmland through agricultural conservation easements and connects landowners with farm seekers via its FarmLink matching platform. The organization funds its conservation work through individual donations (including monthly recurring tiers), business sponsorships, planned giving, and grants, and supports its mission with community events such as Farmland Forever Fest.

Product overview

Alaska Farmland Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on protecting Alaska's farmland for future generations. The core offerings include Agricultural Conservation Easements (legal tools for permanent farmland protection), the FarmLink platform (a land matching service connecting farmers with landowners), and Planned Giving programs (legacy giving options). Supporting these are educational resources including the Toolbox for Farmland Seekers and Succession Planning guides, plus annual events such as Farmland Forever Fest and Drive Your Tractor to Work Day. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather service-based programs centered on farmland conservation, land access facilitation, and agricultural community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Conservation Easements Legal agreements that permanently limit uses of privately owned land to protect its agricultural conservation values. Landowners continue to own and farm the land while permanently restricting development. Provides federal income tax deductions, property tax savings, and estate tax benefits. AFTC holds easements in perpetuity in partnership with USDA NRCS for purchased development rights.
• FarmLink

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 acres of farmland permanently protected through conservation easements
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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, major and minor.

• Great Land TrustcoreOthersHolds conservation easement on Alaska Pacific University's Spring Creek Farm (77 acres). Both are Alaska land trusts working on conservation in the state.
• National Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFTC is backed and monitored by LTA, a national membership of over 1,000 land trusts. Standards and practices are modeled after and in compliance with the highest national standards set by LTA.
• Land For GoodmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource partner providing educational materials on farmland access, leasing, and farm transfer. AFTC uses Land For Good's guides, worksheets, and tools for FarmLink program and landowner resources.
• American Farmland TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing Farm Transfer Toolkit and farmland information center resources. AFTC links to their materials for succession planning and farm transfer guidance.
• Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, Great Land Trust, Interior Alaska Land Trust, Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, Southeast Alaska Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy of AlaskaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Land Trusts of Alaska network - collaborative land conservation organizations in the state.
• Center For Agriculture and Food Systems / Farmland Access Legal ToolkitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides legal resources and library on leasing, farm transfer, and farmland access for AFTC to share with landowners and farm seekers.
• University of Vermont Extension's New Farmer ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides resources for beginning farmers including business planning and land tenure guides that AFTC shares with farm seekers.
• Alaska Farm BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState farm bureau organization supporting Alaska agriculture. Mat-Su Chapter is a business sponsor.
• Back Country Horsemen of Alaska, Dirt Divas, Manna Foods Co, Matanuska Greenbelt Trails, Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, Raven's Ridge Rentals, Singletrack Advocates, Valley Mountain Bikers and HikersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy partnerships for protecting Matanuska Experiment Farm from gravel pit development. Community coalition for farmland preservation.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kachemak Heritage Land Trust: Alaska land trust serving the Kenai Peninsula and listed Land Trusts of Alaska network partner. Comparable peer running parallel conservation easement programs in a different Southcentral Alaska geography from AFTC's Mat-Su focus.
• Interior Alaska Land Trust: Alaska land trust serving Interior Alaska and a listed Land Trusts of Alaska network partner. Comparable as a state-level peer running parallel land conservation programming in a complementary Alaska geography.
• Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust: Alaska land trust serving the Bristol Bay region and listed Land Trusts of Alaska network partner. Comparable as a peer land trust applying parallel conservation approaches in a complementary Alaska geography.
• Southeast Alaska Land Trust: Alaska land trust serving the Southeast/Panhandle region, formally listed as a Land Trusts of Alaska network partner alongside AFTC. Operates parallel conservation easement and land stewardship programs in a different Alaska geography, making it a regional mirror of AFTC's model.

Direct peers

• American Farmland Trust: National 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting environmentally sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. Directly comparable mission to AFTC at national scale; AFTC explicitly relies on AFT's Farm Transfer Toolkit and farmland information resources to deliver its landowner education programs.
• Great Land Trust: Alaska-based land trust holding conservation easements across Southcentral Alaska, including the 77-acre Spring Creek Farm easement (in partnership with AFTC). Most directly comparable peer: same state, same Alaska Land Trust Alliance membership, parallel conservation easement programs serving similar landowners.

Others

• Land For Good: New England-based 501(c)(3) that produces the farmland access, leasing, and farm transfer educational resources that AFTC adapts for Alaska's FarmLink program and landowners. Not a competitor, but a resource-adjacent peer whose outputs directly feed AFTC's content library.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy of Alaska: Global conservation nonprofit's Alaska chapter, also listed as a Land Trusts of Alaska network partner. Operates land conservation and easement programs across Alaska at a far larger scale with broader environmental mission; comparable in core land-protection activity but operates across multiple conservation priorities beyond farmland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/akfarmland
• Facebookfacebook.com/akfarmlandtrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/akfarmlandtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-farmland-trust-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Alaska Farmland Trust