To examine the impact of the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), American Farmland Trust (AFT) initiated a study based on interviews with participating landowners. AFT collaborated with Dr. J. Dixon Esseks at the Center for Great Plains Studies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The research shows that the FRPP saves threatened agricultural land and keeps it available for agriculture. The study also documents how the program improves agricultural viability, encourages on-farm conservation and helps farmers gain access to land.