About ASA

The Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA) is a nonprofit, community-supported land conservancy dedicated to protecting local farm and forest land.

ASA's Mission

Protecting our community's working farms and forests, connecting people to the land, and promoting a vibrant future for agriculture and forestry in our region.

Your art purchase will help ASA to:

Conserve an additional 15,000 acres by 2030.
Help farm families submit grant applications for new farmland protection projects.
Expand the trail networks at the Cambridge and Argyle Community Forests.
Add stewardship capacity to meet the needs of our expanding list of conserved properties.
Continue to provide educational workshops and programs throughout the year.

ASA protects farmland and forests for the future...

(Pictured above: The Hoag Family - Hoacre Farm Conserved in 2021)

Since 1990, ASA has helped conserve over 33,668 acres on 183 properties in Washington and Rensselaer counties in the Upper Hudson River Valley of New York.

Land conserved for agricultural purposes remains available for farming for future generations.

Each family that has protected their land has a unique story, and every conserved farm contributes in its own way to our vision for the continued vitality of agriculture in our region.

There are several options available to landowners who are interested in permanently protecting their land from development. In some cases, ASA can help landowners (usually active farmers) apply for government funding to reimburse the landowner for their development rights. Where government funding is not available, landowners can also donate their development rights which may provide certain tax advantages.

We’ll advise on the suitability of each option, based on the goals of the landowner, the attributes of the land, the availability of funding and various other factors.

Once the land is protected by a conservation easement, ASA takes on a permanent responsibility for stewardship, including annual visits to the land and meetings with landowners to ensure that conservation goals are maintained.