Category: News
Live webinar on accessing land to farm collectively
Access to land remains a top challenge for many farmers, especially new, young, or socially disadvantaged farmers. Farmers face common challenges and obstacles – appropriate land is hard to find and expensive to buy, renting land can seem insecure or feel like a risky investment, and farming can feel isolating. For these reasons and more, […]
Land is intertwined with all aspects of a farmer’s success
As a young, first-generation farmer in Litchfield County, Connecticut, I know firsthand that land is deeply intertwined with all aspects of farmers’ success, and it does not just impact farmers—land access is critical to the health and well-being of our environment, economy, and communities. During my tenure as a farmer, I have experienced a multitude […]
Learn how to conduct a land search & more. Winter training series returns!
Back by popular demand, Acquiring Your Farm returns this winter! We’re excited to announce the return of an online training series for new and beginning farmers preparing to access farmland in New England. Access to land remains a top challenge for all farmers. Although agricultural land tenure has always been an issue, the consensus is […]
Where to start with farm succession planning?
Farm succession planning is critically important for all farms. Preparing for such an important transition helps ensure that you achieve your goals. A full succession plan addresses the future of the business, the farmer, and the land. One of the questions we hear most often from farmers about farm succession is, “Where do I start?” […]
Maine farmer joins the team to help farmers on their path to acquiring farmland & transfer planning
Please join us in welcoming Eliza Baker-Wacks to our team as the new Maine Field Agent! Eliza has seen the challenges of and lack of education regarding farmland access. She is keen to be helpful to other farmers on their paths to acquiring land. A graduate of Colby College with a degree in Environmental Policy, […]
New webinar series helps landowners support land access in New England
Land access is a prime challenge to farmers, particularly new and beginning farmers. Ninety percent of the 20,000 landowners that lease out active farmland in New England are non-farmers. Non-farming landowners play a crucial role in supporting secure land tenure and food security in this region. Land For Good, together with the New England Farm […]
Executive Director steps down at a time of opportunity & growth
Land For Good announces that Jim Habana Hafner will step down as Executive Director this summer after nine years with the organization. Jim joined Land For Good in 2013 as Deputy Director and became Executive Director in 2015 as part of a planned leadership transition. Jim has played an integral role in the organization’s growth […]
Support for farm succession planning & land access in the Berkshires
Berkshire County, Massachusetts has a rich history of agriculture. Today it supports a huge diversity of farms from large, multi-generational dairy farms to small, urban vegetable operations, as well as farmers markets, farm stands, and many farm-focused events. But conditions in Berkshire County call for increased attention to farmland access and transfer. An aging farmer […]
Cooperative farming & accessing farmland together
Access to land remains a top challenge for all farmers. Group farmland access can solve some land access obstacles and offer multiple benefits. Many farmers are exploring ways to farm collectively. This can allow farmers to share resources, assets, knowledge, skills, equipment, labor—and the expense of land. Farmers face common challenges. By working together, in […]
New England Farmer Microgrants Program awards $462,000
Congratulations to the 96 farmer recipients of the New England Farmer Microgrants Program (NEFMP). The program, sponsored by American Farmland Trust (AFT), addresses some of the barriers farmers face across New England, such as access to land, resources to expand production on new or existing land, and farm succession and land transfer planning. We’re looking forward to supporting farmers […]
Welcome Rachel! LFG’s new Program Coordinator
Rachel Brice, a life-long gardener and sometimes farm worker with a passion for small farms and local food systems, has joined our team as the new Program Coordinator. She will directly assist farmers and landowners with a focus in northern New England and support region-wide program development and delivery. Rachel will represent LFG across New […]
Winter sessions offer help with farm succession planning
Most farmers we work with want their land to stay in agriculture; the legacy of the land is often a cherished value. But few farm families have plans in place that articulate who their successor is and exactly how the land, equipment, business, and other assets will be divided among heirs and farm successors. In […]
