December 2025
A Note of Thanks and Vision from Our Executive Director
Friend, can you believe we’re in the final few weeks of 2025? During this joyful season, we hope you’re finding time to slow down, reflect, and be with the people who matter most.
As we look back on this year, we’re proud of the meaningful growth made possible through your partnership. Together, we conserved 48 acres of farmland, secured $2.3 million in grant funding to advance future conservation projects, welcomed new staff and board members, and expanded our office to better support this vital mission.
This progress reflects a larger journey. Last year, we worked closely with board members, donors, volunteers, and conservation partners to shape our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, an ambitious roadmap to expand our impact and safeguard the working farms that define our region.
At the heart of that plan is a simple, unwavering belief: conserving farmland is essential for the well-being of current and future generations. That belief fuels our commitment to protecting more farms and ranches and ensuring that agriculture continues to thrive in Yolo County.
Guided by this belief, we set a bold goal for the next five years: increase permanently conserved farmland by 30% (3,900 acres). This is not merely aspirational, it is essential.
Farmland faces mounting pressure from development and climate change, and protecting thousands of additional acres will shape the landscape, economy, and quality of life for decades to come.
To meet this challenge, we’ve strengthened our pursuit of major grant funding and expanded community outreach to build broader understanding of the benefits of farmland conservation. These efforts have already led to meaningful results: we secured funding to advance the protection of 800 acres across four family-owned farms. This milestone moves us significantly closer to our five-year conservation goal.
As you consider your year-end giving, we invite you to be a part of what comes next. Gifts made before December 31 can be completed conveniently online or by mailing a check. Many supporters are also choosing to give in ways that go beyond cash—including stock, donor-advised funds, and IRA gifts—options that can deepen your impact.
Every acre conserved and every farm protected is something we achieve together. Whether through donations, attending an event, volunteering, advocacy, or simply sharing our work with others, you play a vital role in keeping Yolo County’s farms and ranches productive, open, and thriving.
We are honored to have you with us as we look ahead with momentum, optimism, and a shared commitment to preserving the land that sustains us all.
Thank you—and warm wishes for a peaceful and joyful holiday season.
With Appreciation,
John Currey, YLT Executive Director