Community Land Trust

A Community Land Trust could be set up to buy land for use by Community Supported Agriculture projects.

The Heeley-Meersbrook CSA meeting held on 9th June 2009 agreed to approach the The Soil Association's Land Trust and The Ecological Land Co-operative to see if they would be interested in buying the land that might be for sale in the Moss Valley, the letters to these organisations are on the CSA Letters page, they basically replied to say that they were not in a position to help, so we need to set up our own Community Land Trust.

Fordhall Farm
Fordhall Farm - owned by a community of people across the globe, and rented to Ben and Charlotte Hollins, who farm it.

Tablehurst and Plaw Hatch Community Farm
Tablehurst and Plaw Hatch Community Farm -- "Two farms, about 800 acres of land, one community initiative, training for young farmers, biodynamic methods, outstanding farm shops, award-winning organic and biodynamic produce, food so local it has barely moved, and as much community involvement as we can muster."



The organisational set up is explained thus:

Tablehurst and Plaw Hatch Community Farm" is the community-owned co-operative which owns the two farm enterprises.

St Anthony's Trust owns the farm land and buildings.

The Co-op is governed by a committee, which in turn is elected at the annual Co-op AGM by the farm partners. Each farm is a limited company and has a board of directors which is answerable to the Co-op. In practice, the farm management teams make all the day-to-day decisions about the enterprises, whilst the Co-op committee attempts to set the long term agenda for the wider community initiative.

The Soil Association's Land Trust
The Soil Association has set up a Land Trust to "safeguard land for organic and sustainable farming, in perpetuity", the full mission statement:

To acquire organic and traditionally managed farms and land through gifts, bequests and purchases, and to safeguard their future by managing them in trust in perpetuity, organically and sustainably to:


 * Protect and conserve the countryside -- When farms are sold, often the house and the land are sold separately, frequently to non farmers. By accepting and holding land in trust, we protect countryside which otherwise would almost certainly be lost.


 * Nurture the next generation -- The Trust can provide opportunities for new and young entrants to farming to get on that vital first rung on the ladder.


 * Support succession and stewardship -- Farmers or landowners passionately committed to the ongoing stewardship of their land will be able to ensure their life's work continues by leaving it in trust, helping to safeguard landscapes, rural culture and jobs.


 * Engage the public -- Under the Trust’s stewardship farms will be open to the public, helping to reconnect them with nature, with farmers, with the origins of their food and with our rural heritage.


 * Support our farming future -- Climate change, fossil fuel depletion, food security and the need for more localised food systems are all issues vital for our farming future to address. The Trust will help support our farming future by ensuring that land in its care is managed organically and sustainably.

The Ecological Land Co-operative
The Ecological Land Co-operative has been established as a co-operative and is linked to other radical co-operatives such as Radical Routes.

Their Ecological Land Management Criteria includes these questions for projects


 * Provide public access -- Are existing footpaths and bridleways maintained? Have new routes (permissive or public) been created? Are interpretation, signage and other facilities available to visitors? Are parties and visitors welcomed? Is there scope for WWOOFers or other volunteers? Are there any educational events at the site?


 * Increase community integration -- Is there high awareness of the project locally? Do project members take part in community bodies and use community facilities? Do local residents make use of any facilities on the site? Are local bodies consulted over future plans, or informed about recent achievements? Are contributions by the project included in community plans and consultations? Does the project take a stand on controversial issues locally, or participate in local politics?


 * Increase contribution to local economy -- Are goods from the project sold locally, or through farmers markets or locally owned businesses? Does the project supply, or purchase from, local shops and manufacturers? Is the project involved in any partnerships or co-operatives with other local people or businesses? Is the project promoting local trading and finance schemes? Does the project provide any advice or support for local people relating to money or business? Are ethical purchasing guidelines in place, including consideration of boycotts and ethical suppliers?


 * Reduce use of motor vehicles and generators -- Are car journeys shared wherever possible? Are cars and other vehicles pooled for use by several drivers? Are bicycles, handcarts, electric bikes and animal powered vehicles used in preference? Are motor vehicles chosen for efficiency and minimal resource use? Are journeys planned to minimise mileage? Are public transport connections encouraged and information circulated?


 * Use low impact materials and make developments reversible -- Are building materials locally sourced? Are materials biodegradable and renewable, and of low embodied energy? Are they non-hazardous in construction and use, both to humans and to wildlife? Does they use vernacular construction skills? Can the development be easily removed, and the land restored to its previous quality?


 * Reduce, reuse, recycle and manage wastes on site -- Are waste streams effectively separated? Are items reused and repaired where possible? Is there a strategy to reduce unnecessary material (e.g. packaging) and to make increasingly efficient use of products brought on site? Are outputs from one process used as inputs for another? Are burning and composting carried out efficiently in terms of energy capture and nuisance?


 * Contribute to energy conservation -- Are energy inputs monitored and strategies adopted to minimise them? Are enclosed spaces insulated and combustion efficient? Are motors and engines energy efficient and low carbon where possible? Are appliances and lighting ‘A’ or ‘B’ rated (or would energy used in manufacture of the replacement exceed the savings)?


 * Provide renewable sources of energy -- Has the potential for renewable energy generation, and its compatibility with other activities, been assessed? Where local generation is insufficient to meet the project’s needs, has energy been sourced from a ‘green’ supplier?


 * Reduce demand on water and sewerage infrastructure -- Are rain water and grey water collected and reused? Has the feasibility of sewage treatment on site been assessed? Is water used efficiently, and is plumbing regularly checked for leaks? Is water use metered?


 * Minimise agricultural inputs in relation to yield (in line with organic principles) -- Is the project working with an organic certification body? Are lower impact alternatives for fertility and pest control sought out and tested? Are a diverse range of varieties employed, including those with natural resistance? Are agricultural inputs measured and best practice employed in their use?


 * Increase perennial crops, canopy height and vertical stacking (in line with permaculture principles) -- Is there a permaculture design for the site? Are ways of combining crops explored and assessed? Is the most productive used made of sunlight and growing space?


 * Improve water and soil management -- Are there plans for water and soil management? Are watercourses protected, and abstraction carried out only where flow can be maintained? Are ponds and marsh maintained and encouraged? Are irrigation systems efficient and sustainable? Are ground water levels maintained? Is disturbance of soil structure minimised, and organic material added?


 * Enhance biodiversity -- Are species observed locally recorded? Are nests and burrows identified and protected? Are existing habitats maintained and enhanced, and new habitats created where appropriate? Are wildlife corridors maintained? Are invasive and destructive species excluded or contained? Are native species identified and favoured?


 * Encourage trees and hedges -- Are new hedges and woods being planted? Are areas being allowed to revert to woodland? Are woods being thinned, coppiced or otherwise productively managed? Are less appropriate species being replaced with native and/or broadleaf species? Are hedges laid rather than flailed?


 * Develop social management through trusts or co-operatives -- Is the ownership of the land accountable to all the main stakeholders? Is there a long term organisational structure than can allow for changes in personnel? Are limited liability entities used to manage debt and risk? Are co-operative principles understood and applied where appropriate? Is decision making democratic and participatory? Is the project involved in marketing co-operatives, tool rings, and co-operative federations? Are the successes of your organisation being replicated, either by expansion, spin off projects, or dissemination of your experiences?


 * Information exchange -- Are seeds and cuttings collected and exchanged? Are rare breeds and varieties safeguarded where possible? Are observed results and data collected circulated for the benefit of other ecological land users? Are networks, federations and appropriate membership organisation supported? Are ‘open source’ solutions supported, and ‘creative commons’ licences used and respected?


 * Welfare of workers -- Are health and safety promoted? Are employees and volunteers consulted and involved in decision making? Are minimum wage and other employer obligations respected? Are workers treated equally irrespective of their immigration status, or other factors? Is information about trade union membership available and endorsed?


 * Productivity -- Are opportunities for agricultural production identified, and where consistent with a desire to minimise environmental impact, acted upon? Is yield monitored and maintained? Is wastage minimised and care taken to ensure that demand for high quality produce met where possible?

The Ecological Land Co-operative has three categories of membership and all shareholders have one vote each, irrespective of the type of shares held, stewards have 50% of the voting strength, workers 25% and investors 25%:


 * If you have entered into an agreement with the Co-operative to provide any service, whether as an employee, contractor, volunteer or active supporter, you are entitled to purchase a Worker’s share.


 * If you engaged in the management of half an acre of more of land in a manner consistent with the objectives of the Co-operative, and you are not eligible for a Workers’ share, shall be entitled to purchase one Steward’s share.


 * Anyone who supports the objectives of the Co-operative, and can certify that that they ‘high net worth’ or ’sophisticated’ investors, can purchase an Investor’s share.

More info on Community Land Trust's
There is more information on the the Community Land Trust web site, including an introduction to CLTs:

''CLTs are established in communities to acquire fixed assets and then hold them in perpetuity for local use. They work on a non-profit basis, raising money from new sources and unlocking other resources, to provide and manage housing, workspace, community buildings and green spaces (including allotments). ''

...

''What they offer is a vehicle for the delivery of community aspirations. They are expressions of community engagement - and they also offer a new set of legal, financial and resource management tools that are relevant to a wide range of existing as well as new organisations. ''

The Development Trusts Association site has a legal definition of a ‘Community Land Trust’ linked from their Community Land Trusts page.

See the CLT resources here for more info: http://files.uniteddiversity.com/Community_Land_Trusts/