West Branch Commons (WBC) is the inaugural Land Access project of Catskills Agrarian Alliance. WBC is a community-centered initiative involving local and regional farmers and supporting organizations, working to make farming and farmland accessible to the new generation of farmers.
West Branch Commons offers secure, affordable land access to marginalized farmers using an agroecological approach that decommodifies land and promotes long-term stewardship. This grassroots project aims to create a constellation of resources for farm viability, regional collaboration, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
We are dedicated to realizing this vision within the framework of regenerative farming, contributing to the development of a resilient regional food system. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated as our project grows!
Tommy Hutson, a fourth-generation farmer and a strong advocate for this project, is a lifelong land steward of the site that will host the commons. This site spans 257 acres of prime fertile bottomland situated at the headwaters of the Delaware River. Our overarching objective is to establish equitable land access for young, new, and aspiring farmers, fostering the future of agriculture while purposefully bolstering our local communities and economies.
WBC offers alternative and affordable land access opportunities for queer and trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC) farmers and producers, who face barriers around the cost prohibitive nature of agricultural land. Structured as a 501(c)3 Community Land Trust, WBC offers farmland through an affordable and equitable 99-year ground lease offering the security of long term land stewardship.
West Branch Commons’ Prospective Board and Partners include:
Resources
(note that this project was previously referred to as the Great Northern Catskills Agrarian Commons before changing to West Branch Commons):