An Educational Trust Model
Designed For Family Farms & Estates
This site outlines a practical, lawful pathway to protect land and create transgenerational, education-first stewardship—using Within Farm’s Reach as an example you can adapt.
The Proposal
Purpose: Provide a replicable framework for establishing a non-charitable Educational Trust Association (ETA) to preserve land, enable community learning, and ensure continuity of trust mission, values, and purpose across generations.
Trust Governance
Governance via a Council of Stewards as per the Trust/Association Charter. As a nonprofit organization, dedicate revenue from memberships, community learning programs, and events to maintain development, educational support, and maintenance of necessary materials and equipment required to design and operate educational programs.
Trust-Held Assets
Infrastructure required to develop and disseminate curriculum are held collectively by the trust—ensuring long-term stewardship.
Education-First
Activities (nursery development, workshops, renewable systems, internships, residencies) serve as curriculum to disseminate learning within and beyond the community.
How It Works
1) Form the Trust
Create a private trust to identify botanical stock and hold all assets (land, buildings, systems) in perpetuity for chartered educational purposes.
2) Establish the Association
Adopt bylaws via a trust/membership charter. Trustees and members may have scaled access, governance, and voting rights within the operational framework.
3) Operate & Reinvest
Run community-based programs to conduct education activities directed at disseminating the education and sustainability model via membership participation. As a non-profit organization, carry forward any surpluses for the purpose of maintenance, sustainability, and development. Adhere to current Canadian tax law.
Note: Jurisdictional details vary. Plan in advance to consult local laws where you operate.
Case Study: Within Farm’s Reach
A 6.2-acre historical property in Southwestern Ontario serves as the design example. Beginning in the 1920s, a university botany staff member established many exotic species: heritage apples, walnuts, abundant ferns, black raspberries, climbing tree hydrangeas, iris, forsythia, firebush, and later cedar, pine, chestnut, and ginkgo. Two energy recovery systems (geothermal and heat-exhaust recovery) reduce energy costs by 30%+. The goal: a living ecological and community-education campus operating across generations.
- • 170-year-old campus; two streams run through
- • Geothermal + heat-exhaust energy recovery systems
- • Climbing tree hydrangeas; heritage apple propagation & wine
- • Walnut tinctures & pickled walnuts
- • Forsythia and trumpet vine propagation
- • Ferns for propagation & floristry; ginkgo leaves for tinctures & tea
- • Seasonal horticultural education & small events
Origins Video
The personal journey that gave rise to the Within Farm’s Reach trust model.
Overview Video
A closer look at the energy recovery system build in action.
Guides & Templates
Use these documents to draft your own Educational Trust & Association. You can adapt directly from the example materials.
Trust Charter
Legal purpose, asset stewardship, governance, and dissolution terms.
Organizational Structure
Roles, responsibilities, operational hierarchy.
Prospectus & Executive Summary
Property overview, programs, financial model.
Vision Deck
Story, pillars, and invitation for participation.
Manifesto
Ethics of stewardship and the case for common ground.
Legacy Portfolio
One-file overview of model, assets, and programs.
Tip: Export your Word docs to PDF and place them in a docs/ folder so these links work on GitHub Pages.