West Branch Commons (WBC) is the inaugural Land Access project of Catskills Agrarian Alliance. This project is a response to two realities:

• The cost of farmland is the #1 barrier to farming for young people.

• Over 40% of the nation’s farmland is owned by people over 65, meaning that the next 20 years will be critical to prevent significant loss of farmland to development.

We need new models for farmland transfer and access — Tommy Hutson, a fourth-generation farmer in Delancey, NY, was willing to try something different. 

West Branch Commons will transform Tom’s farm into a 287-acre community land trust that offers long-term, affordable land access to for queer and trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC) farmers via long-term ground leases. Lessees will have access to shared farm infrastructure and equipment while maintaining their own independent businesses. WBC will be home to 4-8 farmers at any given point, and will provide educational opportunities for other beginning and aspiring farmers in the region. 

CAA has been shepherding this project since 2021, along with a volunteer team of local farmers and partners inspired by worker cooperative principles and the international movement of peasant farmers. 

Our next steps are ambitious: raise $950,000 to buy the farm, make crucial repairs to aging farm infrastructure and housing, and get WBC off the ground. Support our “Community Down Payment” campaign — help us to raise 20% of our project costs through grassroots community support! 

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