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Our Good Work, Summer 2016
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Enjoying the fruit of their labor.
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I'm excited to share that our summer bumper crop has increased our working capacity to cover more ground for more farmers with over 200 direct service cases so far this year! Plus our research and collaborative projects are yielding more resources and workshops for accessing land or planning a succession or farm transfer.
Our food security and working landscape depends on the land security of hard working farmers.
In this issue, read more about:
A special thank you to all the generous donors who responded to our spring fundraising appeal! If you haven't renewed your support yet, please consider making a donation now.
Whether you fund our work, benefit from our resources or services, or just help spread the word - you're helping put more farmers more securely on more land.
Jim Habana-Hafner
Executive Director
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Tess Brown-Lavoie is a Providence-based farmer and community organizer. (Photo credit: Sidewalk Ends Farm) |
 Rhode Island's growing needs for farmland access and transfer
One of the biggest challenges for beginning Rhode Island producers is access to farmland. The state also faces the challenge of an aging farmer population as nearly one-third of the state's farms and farmland are owned and managed by farmers at or beyond retirement age. LFG is excited to welcome Tess Brown-Lavoie, a farmer and community organizer, as our Rhode Island Field Agent. Tess will be tackling the state's growing needs of farmers for access to land, support for farm succession, and more secure land tenure.
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See more stories, like Fate of a Farm in Valley News. Above, Matt Deome, with his mother Amy (left) and Joan Wortman (right), look over the Green Acres pasture in South Randolph VT. Reprinted with permission. (Photo credit: James Patterson, Valley News) |
Older farmers worried about farming's future
Shedding new light on what will be needed to facilitate the transition of New England farms and farmland to a next generation, a
recent report by American Farmland Trust (AFT) and Land For Good (LFG)
titled "Gaining Insights, Gaining Access" has sparked local media coverage across New England.
"It's what we do with these insights now that's important,"
says Cris Coffin, LFG Policy Director.
"To keep this land and infrastructure in farming as it transitions, we will need better policy tools and increased support services to exiting and entering farmers."
See our farmers and our work
in the news.
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With funding from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, LAP continues to improve access to land for our beginning farmers. (Photo credit: Ben Waterman) |
Second ambitious year of Land Access Project
As LFG's
Land Access Project (LAP) moves into its second year
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ew programs and resources will help farmers like Tucker, a young military veteran with farming experience who is looking for a lease-to-purchase arrangement, to relocate his cattle and crop farm. In addition to providing direct advising and coordinating with state food system planning efforts, task forces of service providers are implementing ambitious work plans. These include
research on the latest innovations in land access and tenure, assessing and improving coordination among the region's farm link programs, and implementing a "succession school" for farm families.
The work of LAP and other innovative land access efforts will be featured at a national conference in June 2017. Watch for details!
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Sharing their expertise, presenters (left to right) Elizabeth Boepple, BCM Environmental Law; Chris Wells, Piscataquog Land Trust; Mike Ghia, LFG Vermont Field Agent; and Cara Cargill, LFG New Hampshire Field Agent.
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Last month LFG trained more New England real estate professionals to help them better identify and describe property characteristics important to the commercial farm buyer. Many real estate professionals have a sincere interest in seeing working farms stay in production, though few are conversant about how to represent farms or farmland with commercial potential.
"The biggest challenge for real estate professionals working with commercial farm properties is total knowledge of this property - and what brings value as an existing farm," said one agent. The training was piloted in Vermont early last year, and replicated twice in New Hampshire this year to
help improve the conditions under which many aspiring, beginning and established farmers seek land.
Read more
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As part of its training and public education, LFG frequently appears at local, regional and national events.
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Connect with us at an event in your area
August 13, 2016
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference
Finding, Assessing & Securing Farmland Workshop
Amherst, MA, Register
September 8 - 9, 2016
Northern New England Chapter of American Planning Association (NECAPA) Conference
Conservation in Four Acts Workshop
Portsmouth, NH, Register
September 20 - 22, 2016
National Small Farm Conference
Building Knowledge and Skills to Assist Farm Seekers and Transitioning Farmers
(a two part session)
Virginia Beach, VA,
Register
October 20 - 21, 2016
Southern New England American Planning Association (SNEAPA) Conference
Making Land Available for Farming: A Planner's Role Workshop
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"Land For Good is working on a level that we farmers would be hard pressed to do on our own."
- A working farmer
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| Cover photo courtesy of our friends at Benedikt Dairy, Goffstown, NH |
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Land For Good | 39 Central Square, Suite 306, Keene, NH 03431 | 603.357.1600
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