(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the $25 million Farmland Preservation Act on Monday, a move he said would help Tennessee farmers protect their land.
The governor included the plan in his fiscal year 2026 budget. It will award grants to farmers who want to preserve their farmland. The grants will be given to farmers who have entered permanent easement contracts.
Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, is a farm owner who carried the bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
“Over 20 years ago, I saw the importance of protecting part of my farm with the first voluntary conservation easement in Hamilton County,” Vital said. “Since that time, as both a board member and chairman of the Land Trust for Tennessee, we have protected over 4,400 acres across Hamilton County and almost 140,000 acres of farmland and forests across Tennessee. This fund will help facilitate additional voluntary conservation easements across the state and slow the decline of farmland and give the Tennessee Department of Agriculture another tool in protecting family farms and providing food security for future generations.”
Tennessee loses farmland at a rate of 9.8 acres per hour, according to a policy brief from the Tennessee Farm Bureau.
“It’s an extremely heavy lift to combat the rate at which farmland across Tennessee is being lost, but we are confident this program will help ensure Tennessee’s number one and most important industry is protected for generations to come,” said Tennessee Farm Bureau President Eric Mayberry.
