AgFirst, Farm Credit Champion Heirs’ Property Work

Keeping property in a family through generations can be challenging without the right tools. AgFirst Farm Credit Bank in Columbia, S.C., is proud to support the important work done by the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation, which has spent the past 20 years helping families safeguard their land and build generational wealth. 

As the Charleston, S.C.-based organization expands into additional regions, Farm Credit – a nationwide network of customer-owned cooperatives supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services – is partnering with them to further their mission. AgFirst is one of four funding banks within the Farm Credit System. 

Farm Credit’s multi-year commitment includes the National Heirs’ Property Alliance, providing support and resources for landowners seeking to clear titles to their properties, paving the way for land productivity. The alliance’s initial efforts will focus on six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia. 

The alliance was announced during Financial Literacy Month in April, where Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation CEO Jennie L. Stephens joined a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. She was accompanied by Farm Credit representatives, including Vance Dalton, CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit, an AgFirst partner. S.C. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who represents South Carolina 6th Congressional District, and La. Rep. Julia Letlow, who represents Louisiana 5th Congressional District, provided welcome remarks. The panel delved into the crucial intersection of heirs' property rights, land ownership and financial literacy – key elements for safeguarding family land and fostering generational wealth in communities. 

“The creation of the National Heirs Property Alliance in partnership with Farm Credit will increase the tools available to empower families to retain and productively use their land to benefit local rural economies, agriculture and future generations,” said Stephens. 

With over $100,000 in donations to the center, AgFirst has funded crucial services such as legal assistance, forestry support and land management planning, especially for beginning and disadvantaged farmers in South Carolina’s coastal region. AgFirst employees also volunteer at center events, helping during wills clinics and participating in the center’s community gatherings, including the Commitment to Justice and the Lowcountry Outing and Feast. 

“At AgFirst, it has been our privilege to partner with the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation in their efforts to support socially disadvantaged farmers with limited resources,” said Laura Kauffman, AgFirst Community Relations and ESG Coordinator. “We are excited that Farm Credit is supporting the center’s expansion and thrilled to play a part in protecting family legacies and supporting economic viability for the next generation of American agriculture.” 

Together, AgFirst and Farm Credit’s support of the center works to ensure that land doesn’t just stay in the family – it thrives there. 

Learn more about the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation.