Study Shows USDA Program Does Work to Benefit the Land

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is doing what it was designed to do — improve agricultural viability, encourage on-farm conservation and help farmers gain access to land — according to a study by the American Farmland Trust. FRPP supports agricultural viability by providing liquid capital to farmers to invest in their operations. The program also requires conservation plans be put in place for highly erodible land and certain forested parcels for on-farm conservation, and it helps finance land acquisitions and makes land more affordable for beginning farmers and those looking to expand. Review the study.