During Earth Month Southern Illinois Farmers plan for next generation
By Tribune Staff • Earth Month often focuses on global environmental issues. But for many farm families in southern Illinois, conservation is less about headlines and more about practical planning.
It is about keeping land in the family. Maintaining agricultural viability. And making sure the next generation has a realistic opportunity to continue farming.
Farmland Conservation as a Farm Planning Tool
When a multigenerational farm in southern Illinois faced development pressure, the family was not simply weighing environmental values. They were thinking about succession.
Rising land values can make it difficult for heirs to buy out siblings or afford inheritance taxes. Uncertainty about long-term goals can create tension within families. And development pressure can shift the focus away from agriculture.
Instead of selling for development, the family chose to place a conservation easement on their farm — a voluntary legal agreement that keeps the land in agricultural use while the family continues to own and farm it.
Farmland conservation does not transfer ownership to a land trust. The family retains control. Farming continues. Home-based businesses related to agriculture are permitted. Agricultural structures are permitted. A limited number of future home sites may be allowed, provided they do not interfere with agricultural production.
The goal is not to freeze a farm in time. Farming practices evolve, markets shift, and technology changes. Well-designed conservation agreements recognize that agriculture must remain adaptable in order to remain viable.
Soil health is central to that viability. Protecting productive soils ensures that the land can continue to support crops and livestock long into the future.
Some families choose to conserve a portion of their acreage. Others conserve the entire farm. Each agreement is tailored to the land and the family’s goals.
Financial Considerations
Donated conservation easements can play an important role in family farm planning. Because the agreement reduces the speculative development value of the land, it can:
- Lower the overall estate value, potentially reducing inheritance taxes
- Provide federal income tax benefits
- Offset capital gains in certain circumstances
For some families, these financial tools help make it feasible to transfer the farm intact to the next generation.
Just as important, many families describe the decision as providing peace of mind. The future of the land is clear. Expectations are defined. The family’s long-term vision is legally secured.
In other cases, landowners choose to donate farmland outright to a land trust for maximum tax benefit. The land trust then places a conservation easement on the property and sells it to a qualified farmer, ensuring the land remains in agriculture while creating an opportunity for a new or expanding producer.
A Broader Conservation Picture
While farmland conservation focuses on working lands, the recent Trout Hollow Hill Prairie project — supported by 850 community members — demonstrated that southern Illinois residents also care deeply about protecting rare natural areas.
Together, these efforts reflect a shared priority: maintaining the landscapes that define the region.
For farm families, conservation is not about restricting agriculture. It is about strengthening it. As Earth Month comes to a close, HeartLands Conservancy continues to work with landowners across southern Illinois who are exploring how conservation can support succession planning, protect soil health, and keep farms productive for generations to come.
For more information about farmland conservation options, visit https://heartlandsconservancy.org/land/ or contact Anna McAtee at (618) 566-4451 ex 23 | [email protected].
About HeartLands Conservancy
HeartLands Conservancy, based in Belleville, Illinois, is a nonprofit conservation land trust serving Illinois’ southern 36 counties. Its mission is to conserve open spaces, farms, and natural lands and enhance the community’s connections to nature in southern Illinois. Since 1989, the organization has conserved more than 11,500 acres of land – an area larger than Pere Marquette State Park.
