IAN MCSWEENEY’s life’s work is centered on the human connection to land and each other, framed through the understanding that food and agriculture are great separating and connecting forces between people and land. Ian has been a social worker focused on developing and operationalizing outdoor experience-based education, a real estate broker and consultant focused on prioritizing conservation, agriculture, and community within land development, a director of a private foundation focused on assisting landowners and farmers through customized approaches to farmland ownership, conservation, management, and stewardship, and a director of a national land trust focussed no supporting next generation farmers.



Ian has also been an active volunteer board member on conservation, agriculture, planning, and zoning commissions and boards at the local and regional levels. Throughout his career, Ian has worked in his yard, community, and across the country with well over 100 land trust groups, almost 100 communities, and regional, state, and federal partners to assist over 100 farms, protecting over 12,000 acres, and raising over $24 million all aimed toward providing benefit to farmland, farmers, communities, and the local agrarian economy. Ian participates in many local, regional, and national farmland, food systems, and finance initiatives and has been recognized as a “40 under 40” leader in New Hampshire, selected to the Food Solutions New England Network Leadership Institute, and is an Ashoka Fellow.

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Ian comes from generations of immigrants, refugees, activists, abolitionists, and colonists from southeastern Massachusetts. Ian is deeply committed to bringing about innovations to holistically evolve farmland conservation, equity, secure and affordable access and tenure to build community resilience ensuring regenerative, diversified food production that benefits soil, human, and community health. Ian is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of The Farmers Land Trust.