Tennessee Fights to Save Its Farms: New Law Protects Land Before It’s Gone for Good

Tennessee is taking bold action to protect its agricultural roots. On Monday, Governor Bill Lee signed the Farmland Preservation Act into law—a major step toward ensuring that Tennessee’s farms and forests remain part of the state’s landscape and economy for generations to come.

With Tennessee losing an estimated 240 acres of farmland each day, the legislation creates a new conservation easement program and establishes a grant fund to help farmers voluntarily preserve their land. The bipartisan-backed law empowers the state’s agricultural community to resist development pressure while maintaining Tennessee’s rural heritage and food security.

“Agriculture is the top driver of Tennessee’s economy, and our farmers play an important role in our state’s success,” said Gov. Lee at the signing. “As Tennessee experiences unprecedented economic growth and job creation, the Farmland Preservation Act ensures that family farms can be preserved well into the future.”

The law provides critical tools to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, allowing for more voluntary conservation easements—legal agreements that permanently limit land use to preserve its agricultural character. In exchange, participating farmers gain access to state funding, offering an incentive to keep farmland intact rather than selling to developers.

Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher called the measure “a long-term investment in Tennessee’s identity,” warning that once farmland is lost to other uses, “it doesn’t change back.”

Support from across the state’s leadership reflected a unified vision. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson emphasized that the law protects more than land—it safeguards a way of life. “This is about preserving more than just open space,” he said. “It’s about protecting a way of life that has defined our state for generations.”

Longtime conservation advocate and bill co-sponsor Rep. Greg Vital added personal perspective, noting that over two decades ago he placed a conservation easement on his own farm in Hamilton County—now part of nearly 140,000 acres of protected land across the state. “This fund will help facilitate additional voluntary conservation easements across the state and slow the decline of farmland,” Vital said.

The Tennessee Farm Bureau, a leading voice for agriculture in the state, praised the new law. President Eric Mayberry said, “We could not be more grateful to Gov. Lee and the General Assembly. It’s an extremely heavy lift to combat the rate at which farmland is being lost, but we are confident this program will help ensure Tennessee’s number one and most important industry is protected for generations to come.”

With the Farmland Preservation Act now in place, Tennessee signals that economic growth and rural tradition can coexist—and that protecting farmland is vital to the future prosperity of the state.