Shane Joyce has a plan. And that is to put his 141 hectare farm at Kilkivan into community ownership through a land trust. The trust will own the land in perpetuity wholly for the use of organic, biodynamic and permaculture farmers.
With the "cost" of agricultural land far exceeding the production capability it is nigh-on impossible for young people who are passionate about food production/agriculture to buy land and expect to achieve production returns to pay for it.
So is it time to change who owns the land?
What if as "consumers" we actually become part owners of the land, while those who farm the land pay a reasonable "lease" or "rental" which can be easily covered by their production, and they are able to make a sufficient income to live comfortably...
High ideals?? Well, with the advent of the internet/crowd funding/and more, I see this concept as very achievable.