What Sustainable Iowa Land Trust does

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in November 2014 to protect working Iowa farmland in perpetuity and expand access to healthy food. SILT's core mechanism is the agricultural conservation easement — a voluntary, recorded legal restriction that limits non-agricultural development and prioritizes land suitable for fruits, vegetables, and other crops for human consumption. The organization serves beginning farmers, farmland owners seeking permanent protection, and the Iowa food system, and operates as an accredited land trust. SILT has protected more than 1,200 acres across approximately nine properties, with cumulative land protection value reported at $2.7 million.

SILT's program surface includes the Working Buffers Initiative in Dubuque County, which integrates riparian buffer strips with food production on marginal land, and the Story County Circle Our Cities expansion extending activity into central Iowa. The organization runs a Sustainers Circle donor program with tiers from $104 to $5,000+ annually, accepts membership dues and one-time gifts, and partners with Practical Farmers of Iowa, Oneota Co-op (which runs a Round Up program that raised approximately $31,625 for SILT), USDA NRCS, NCR-SARE ($50,000 grant), and Earthjustice for legal advocacy. Staffing is small, including Executive Director Breanna Horsey, State Coordinator Katie Das, Eastern Iowa Regional Coordinator Daryl Parker (hired August 2022), and Farm Specialist Joe Klingelhutz (hired September 2018).

The business model is philanthropic: SILT generates operating support through individual donations, recurring Sustainers Circle gifts, corporate partnerships, membership dues, and foundation or government grants. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. In March 2026 the USDA terminated SILT's ILCMA grant with only two business days' notice, directly affecting six properties, and in May 2026 SILT joined a federal lawsuit — represented by Earthjustice — challenging that termination. This grant loss and litigation constitute the dominant near-term operational and financial risk to the organization.

Name

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust

Legal name

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust

Website

https://silt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) accredited land trust founded in 2014 that uses perpetual agricultural conservation easements to protect Iowa farmland for healthy food production, serving beginning farmers and landowners across Iowa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farmland Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural conservation easements
• Farmland protection services
• Beginning farmer access
• Land trust stewardship
• Sustainable food production

Headquarters

HQ city

West Branch

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting farmland protection mission
2. Monthly Giving Program: Monthly Sustainers Circle memberships providing reliable annual funding at various tiers ($104-$5,000+ per year)
3. Planned Giving/Bequests: Estate planning vehicles including bequests, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder unitrusts for long-term support
4. Government Grants: Federal grants from USDA, NRCS, FSA; state funding from Iowa; county grants for specific programs like Working Buffers Initiative
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships from businesses aligned with sustainable agriculture mission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SILT permanently protects Iowa farmland through agricultural conservation easements, land donations, reservation of life estates, and purchases of land, then leases or resells protected land to beginning farmers who will grow food sustainably. It pairs this with the Working Buffers Initiative, which uses USDA Conservation Reserve Program buffers on protected land to install sustainable farmers on food-producing acreage.

Product overview

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) operates as a nonprofit land trust organization offering land conservation services for sustainable food production, not a technology product company. SILT's service portfolio includes Agricultural Conservation Easements (permanent legal agreements limiting land use to food farming), the Working Buffers Initiative (stream buffer program producing food crops), Land Donation Programs, Reserve Life Estate arrangements, Beginning Farmer Land Access matching services, and Sustainers Circle monthly donor program. These services work together to protect Iowa farmland permanently and connect new farmers with affordable land access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Conservation Easements Legal restrictions placed on working farmland to permanently prevent its conversion to development or non-sustainable agriculture; donated or purchased by SILT from Iowa landowners.
• Working Buffers Initiative Program that integrates USDA Conservation Reserve Program buffers with food production on protected land, installing sustainable farmers on buffer-adjacent acres to grow food.
• Land Donation Program Outright donation of working farmland to SILT by landowners, after which SILT permanently protects the land and transitions it to sustainable food production.
• Reserved Life Estate Arrangement whereby a landowner donates farmland to SILT but reserves the right to continue living on or using the property for the remainder of their life.
• Beginning Farmer Land Access Program that leases or sells SILT-protected farmland at affordable prices to beginning farmers who commit to sustainable food production practices.
• Sustainers Circle (Recurring Giving) Recurring monthly donor program for individuals supporting SILT's mission to permanently protect Iowa farmland for sustainable food production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land value reduction of nearly 50% through easement donation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, emerging and minor.

• Earthjustice, Farmers Justice Center, FarmSTANDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Legal counsel representing SILT in USDN v. USDA federal lawsuit challenging termination of Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access grant. SILT is one of 24 plaintiffs seeking $127 million in unlawfully terminated grants.
• NCR-SARE (North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership grant ($50,000) for 'Insight into Action: A Needs-Based Assessment of Four Sustainable Farms in Iowa' - research partnership studying small-scale sustainable farmers
• Dubuque CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20225-year grant for Working Buffers Initiative to establish stream buffers along Dubuque County waterways; extended through 2028. Combines conservation with food production using trees/shrubs.
• USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and NRCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for Working Buffers Initiative; provides cost-share funding and annual rental payments for buffer plantings; minimum 25% food-producing plants requirement
• Practical Farmers of IowaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst recipient of SILT's Growing Good Award; shares mission of sustainable agriculture and farmer support; co-recipient with Red Fern Farm of award presentation
• Oneota Co-opcoreGTM or Marketing Partner51-year-old food cooperative in Decorah; 26% of annual sales from vendors within 100 miles; Sweet Season Farm (SILT farm) is vendor; 'Round Up at Register' campaign benefited SILT in 2024 ($31,625.55 raised)
• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS)emergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew program partnership with Dubuque County Watershed Team for working buffers concept; to be announced as alternative to existing federal programs
• Corporate Partners (Brace, TCW, 11th Hour, USDA NRCS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo displayed on SILT website as corporate supporters; includes financial services, agricultural organizations, and federal agency
• Land Trust AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing accreditation program; SILT seeking first-time accreditation; access to resources, best practices, and advocacy support
• Story County Board of SupervisorsemergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved resolution of support for Circle Our Cities initiative to permanently preserve working farms for local food access, clean water, and new farmer opportunities

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farmland Trust: AFT is the national leader in farmland conservation easements and farmland-protection policy, with state-level operations in many regions. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same category as SILT but at national scale rather than Iowa-focused.
• The Nature Conservancy (Iowa): TNC is one of the largest global conservation land-trust operators and runs Iowa-focused programs. It overlaps with SILT's conservation easement and stewardship work but operates much more broadly on natural habitat and climate.

Direct peers

• Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: INHF is Iowa's largest land trust, working across the state on permanent land protection including farmland. It is the most directly comparable peer, sharing Iowa-only geography, an agricultural/conservation easement toolkit, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funding model.
• Land For Good: Land For Good is a New England nonprofit focused on farmland access, succession planning, and connecting new farmers to protected land. It is directly comparable on the "beginning farmer + land tenure + transition" wedge of SILT's work, though regionally focused.
• Equity Trust: Equity Trust works nationally with land trusts and farmers to make farmland affordable and permanently held in conservation-compatible ownership. Its mission and tools (affordability restrictions, ground leases) directly parallel SILT's beginning-farmer / easement model.
• Practical Farmers of Iowa: PFI is Iowa's flagship sustainable farmer network and SILT's flagship working partner (and first Growing Good Award recipient). It is directly comparable on mission (supporting Iowa sustainable agriculture and beginning farmers), geography, and farmer-support services.

Emerging players

• Center for Rural Affairs: The Center for Rural Affairs is a Nebraska-based nonprofit working on beginning farmer, rural community, and policy issues in the Great Plains. It overlaps with SILT on beginning-farmer programs and policy advocacy but at a regional, non-Iowa footprint.
• Beginning Farmers LLC: Beginning Farmers aggregates and publishes resources, job postings, and land-access listings for new farmers, frequently surfacing easements and farm-link programs. It is comparable as an emerging information broker that channels landowners and farmers to organizations like SILT.
• Marbleseed (formerly MOSES): Marbleseed is an Upper Midwest organic/sustainable agriculture education and support organization. It overlaps with SILT's beginning-farmer support and education focus but does not hold easements or own farmland.

Regional players

• Renewing the Countryside: Renewing the Countryside is a Minnesota-based nonprofit working on rural revitalization and sustainable agriculture across the Upper Midwest. It overlaps with SILT's community-and-land-tenure mission in a neighboring geography without directly competing in Iowa easements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SustainableIowa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWnpKFWuDW5XOio-XlZz8zg
• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainableiowalandtrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainableiowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-iowa-land-trust

Compliance2 records

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 Sustainable Iowa Land Trust