For farmers, leasing their land is a way to earn some income back for the land they own. For renters, it’s a safe, BIG step toward the farm life without the commitment of owning land. With the average farmer age being 60, this program also offers younger people a way to connect with people in the community who have been farming most, if not all, of their life. In doing so, we can encourage the next generation of people to continue to run family farms. Pasture exchanges are often done in a word-of-mouth fashion, but it can be difficult for new farmers to get involved with the community. So, we have created a digital platform to connect people.

Another important aspect of the program is its emergency preparedness. In our current climate crisis, it is inevitable that we will endure forest fires and drought. Having access to different contacts in the community is a great way to protect your livestock in the event that your land becomes victim to drought and/or fires, and your animals are in need of emergency relocation.