COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP PROJECT

Marbleseed is partnering with the Green County Development Corporation on a one-year planning project focused on collective ownership and farmland access.

The project is aimed at two intertwining issues: the housing crisis faced by many rural communities and the struggle of the next generation of organic farmers to find and afford land.

PROJECT GOALS

Organizers have identified the following three goals:

• Initiation of the planning of a “farmhood” community in south central Wisconsin with a focus on census tracks that lack adequate food and housing access.

• Identification of suitable land for farming for a minimum of five early career farmers, and 20 residential units in a clustered conservation development.

• Preservation of both farmland and open spaces that provide wildlife habitat and ecosystem services, with an aim of reducing flooding and improving water and soil quality.

• Creation of a replicable model that other communities in the Midwest can put into action, with assistance from tools built as part of the project, i.e., a usable planning guide, a live web resource, case studies, and potential approaches to zoning and financing.

ABOUT THE AREA

Green County, WI, covers 58 square miles and has a population of just over 6,000. The area is facing several environmental concerns, including impaired waterways, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide. It has cancer and disability rates higher than the state average. Typical of many rural communities, Green County is experiencing a housing shortage, and the area is designated as a food desert.

PARTNERS’ ROLES

• Green County Development Corporation — assists with partnership development with local municipalities and land searches.They will also contract with a site engineer and architect for construction budget development and planning.

• Marbleseed — provides project management, facilitation, and communications expertise.

• The Farmers Land Trust — lends expertise with easements and collective farmland access.

• Farm Commons — provides legal advice.

• University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives — creates the initial cooperative formation process.

PRESS RELEASE

Read the September 2026 Press Release announcing this program.

If you have questions about this project, please contact Lori Stern, Marbleseed’s executive director, at lori.stern@marbleseed.org , or at 888.906.6737, ext. 702.