Commissioner Tyler J Harper, Georgia Farmland Conservation Council Announce Tentatively Selected Program Awards

ATLANTA, GA – Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper and the Georgia Farmland Conservation Council (GFCC) announced that 6 projects have been tentatively selected for funding through the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program. All six projects, located in six different counties across the state, will receive funding to assist in the permanent preservation of almost 1,000 acres of Georgia farmland. Tentatively selected projects are subject to due diligence and verification prior to final approval.
 
“We created the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund to help Georgia farmers permanently protect their land from development, and I’m incredibly proud to see that dream become a reality,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. “Farmland in our state is under constant threat, and I look forward to working with the General Assembly to meaningfully increase funding for this critical program to strengthen Georgia’s #1 industry. We are looking forward to sharing more information about this year’s awards upon completion of the due diligence process.”
 
The GFCC received 25 applications during the 2026 application cycle. Those applications came from around the state, covered a variety of types of operations, and amounted to over $13 million requested. With limited funding for the program, many deserving applications will not be able to be funded at this time. The 2027 application cycle will reopen after the 2027 legislative session, pending the discretion of the Georgia General Assembly to appropriate funds to the program to allow it to continue for another year.
 
About the Georgia Farmland Conservation Trust Fund:
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Trust Fund Program was established by the Georgia General Assembly in collaboration with Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper and industry partners to protect Georgia farmland. With Georgia estimated to lose upwards of 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040, the Georgia Farmland Conservation Trust Fund is a critical resource to ensure agricultural land in Georgia is protected.
 
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Trust Fund will enable selected Georgia farmers to voluntarily protect their farms in perpetuity by providing financial assistance to extend conservation objectives. Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allocates $450 million every year to match dollars within state farmland conservation programs. At the state level, the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program will be funded by appropriations designated by the state legislature, as well as public or private grants, dedicated gifts, and donations.
 
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program will make those funds available annually to prospective qualified easement holders who have a project proposal that has been reviewed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and selected by the Georgia Farmland Conservation Council. The primary purpose of these prospective projects will be the conservation of farmlands that are threatened by development and the support of active farming and food production in this state.
 
The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund Program was established in 2023 by Senate Bill 220. The governing statute can be found in O.C.G.A. § 44-10-40 through § 44-10-47.