Our Story

Rooted in the Land, Growing for the Future

The Vision

The New Brunswick Community Land Trust (NBCLT) is founded on a radical, yet simple principle: Land is far more than a commodity to be bought and sold; it is fundamental to our shared identity.

Established in 1995 as a charitable organization by a coalition of foresters, farmers, and conservationists, our founders—including David Coon and Robert Young—envisioned a new path for New Brunswick’s rural landscape. They sought to move land out of the speculative market and into a permanent community commons, ensuring that agricultural and forest-based livelihoods can flourish even as land prices rise. Today, we continue this mandate by providing secure, affordable access to the earth for the next generation of stewards.

Our Mandate

The mandate of the NBCLT is to protect working lands for future generations. We believe that ecological stewardship is the essential foundation for any sustainable economy—whether in forestry, farming, or homesteading.

The shared root of ecology and economy is the Greek word Oikos, meaning home. How does humanity create a home on Earth without destroying it? This remains one of the most poignant questions of our time. To answer it, the NBCLT utilizes proven legal tools to ensure that working lands are neither stripped of their resources nor lost to neglect, keeping them productive and protected in perpetuity.

Current Challenge & Opportunity

As land prices increase, the barrier to local food production and sustainable forest stewardship grows. The NBCLT works to help local producers maintain their relationship with the land and welcome the next generation through a steadfast commitment to the Community Land Trust model:

Removing Land from the Speculative Market: We ensure that land remains a permanent community asset, protected from market volatility.
Ecological Stewardship: We are committed to ensuring land is maintained in sustainable production, whether as a managed woodlot or a vibrant farm.
Active Participation: By providing secure land access, we empower those who practice careful stewardship to build long-term, land-based livelihoods.

We are dedicated to ensuring the soil of New Brunswick continues to sustain our communities for generations to come.

Learn about the Community Land Trust Movement: A Legacy of Land Justice and Stewardship

The Roots of Resilience: A History of Community Land Stewardship

The Community Land Trust (CLT) model traces its modern roots to the American Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s with the creation of New Communities Inc. in Lee County, Georgia. Founded in 1969 as a radical response to the displacement of Black farmers, it proved that land could be treated as a common resource by separating land ownership from the ownership of the improvements built upon it. This vision—that land is “far more than a commodity… it is fundamental to who we are”—laid the groundwork for the New Brunswick Community Land Trust to establish its own mission in 1995.

In Canada, the movement has matured into a diverse network of urban and rural trusts. In the Maritimes, this momentum has become a burgeoning force for land protection:

Nova Scotia: The Nova Scotia Community Land Trust and regional groups like the St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association have led the way in protecting farmland and coastal assets from market speculation.
New Brunswick: Since 1995, the NBCLT has worked to ensure “local control over rural properties” through a model of membership-based ownership.

Today, we connect the 1969 Georgia vision of land justice to our goal of “careful stewardship… in perpetuity”. By offering long-term leases for sustainable gardens and micro-farms, we ensure that New Brunswick’s working land remains the lifeblood of rural communities.