Why America's Farmland is Disappearing

At Grass Roots, our kids are hands-on in every part of the farm—digging in the dirt, caring for animals, and learning what it takes to build a thriving ecosystem from the ground up.

& How You Can Help Save It

America is facing a crisis that threatens the very foundation of our food system. With over 40% of farmland owned by folks over 65, we're witnessing the largest agricultural land transfer in our nation's history. In the next 10 years, half of America's farmland will change hands - but instead of passing to young farmers, this precious resource is being snatched up by corporations, billionaires, and foreign investors who see land as nothing but dollar signs.

When Andrea and I started nearly two decades ago, buying a farm felt as out of reach as catching a greased pig at the county fair. We scraped by only because a retiring farmer took a chance on us.

This is exactly why we created Grass Roots as a lifeline for family farms. Our cooperative cuts out the middlemen and connects farmers directly with eaters like you who value their work. This allows them to earn more of the food dollar. When farmers in our network earn 5-10 times what conventional markets pay, suddenly farm succession becomes possible again.

No matter the age, every member of our family plays a role on the farm - growing up with a hands-on way of life that values caring for the land, the animals, and each other.

We're going further by pairing experienced producers with newbie farmers for training and support. Just last season, we helped three new farmers launch their operations, with a guaranteed market from their very first harvest.

This isn't just about saving farms - it's about saving communities. When agricultural land transfers to regenerative farmers instead of distant corporations or foreign countries, rural economies revive. Our Grass Roots members build both economic resilience and soil fertility, increasing the odds that their children can continue farming instead of watching their family legacy sold to the highest bidder.

What kind of food system do we want for our children?

Every time you choose meat from Grass Roots, you're helping secure a future where farmland stays in the hands of actual farmers - people with dirt under their fingernails and fire in their bellies.

Together, we can do our part to reclaim America's agricultural future - one chicken coop, one meal, one family farm at a time. The power to preserve our farmland for future generations is already in our hands.

Your farmer,

Cody