“SILT [Sustainable Iowa Land Trust] was created to protect Iowa farmland to grow healthy food in perpetuity. This is a radical notion for a state that imports 90 percent of its food. On land we own (all of which will be donated to us except for this special case with Joe), we will provide long-term inheritable leases to farmers, and they will own the house, barn, and business on the land. This is a model we picked up from Equity Trust (equitytrust.org). So, instead of pouring millions into interest on a mortgage, newer farmers can put their money into their operation early on when it needs it most. We anticipate charging market rate but reducing the rate for more sustainable practices, especially of the soil needs remediation.”
the happy environmentalist 