Current

Events

Planning for the Future of Your Farm
March 4, 2026
6:00-8:00pm
Topsfield Fair Grounds, Topsfield, MA
Register

• Have you thought about the future of your farmland? Want to learn how to plan for, protect, lease, finance, or pass on your farm? Essex County farmers, landowners, and farmer support organizations are invited to learn about tools and resources for helping you put into motion your goals for your land. This special event will include speakers from American Farmland Trust, Land For Good, MA Department of Agricultural Resources, Essex County Greenbelt, The Carrot Project, Metrowest Mediation Services, The Bernardin Law Firm, and more. There will be lots of time for questions, networking, and resource-sharing. This event and dinner are FREE! Advance registration is required. Hosted by Essex County Farm Bureau, American Farmland Trust, and Essex County Greenbelt.

Navigating CT FarmLink for Land Access & Farm Growth – Virtual
CT NOFA’s 44th Winter Conference
March 5, 2026
9:00am
Online
Register

• In this hands-on session, producers will learn how to strategically use CT FarmLink as a tool for finding land, building viable tenure arrangements, and strengthening farm business resilience. Participants will walk away with concrete steps for creating an effective FarmLink profile, evaluating land options, understanding lease and sale pathways, and leveraging supplemental technical resources available through FarmLink and its partners. This workshop is designed for both new and experienced producers who are seeking practical insights and tools to overcome land access challenges and grow their farming operations in Connecticut. Session facilitators include Freedom Gerardo, Land For Good’s Connecticut Field Agent, Cyrena Thibodeau, Kip Kolesinskas, and Robert Chang.

Exhibitor Fair
CT NOFA’s 44th Winter Conference
March 7, 2026
9:00am-6:00pm
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Register

• Each year, CT NOFA’s winter conference features local food producers, craftspeople, agricultural contractors and service providers, and more throughout the day of the conference at the exhibitor fair. Attendees are invited to visit them between workshop sessions, during lunch, and before and after the conference to explore what our state’s businesses and organizations have to offer. Freedom Gerardo, Land For Good’s Connecticut Field Agent, will have a table set up with resources and looks forward to connecting!

Northeast Farmland Access Network

In an effort to strengthen farmland access support, we are launching a peer network for early-career agricultural service providers who are currently providing, or want to provide, farmland access support to farmers. To shape this initiative, we surveyed service providers in the Northeast to help us tailor programming to your needs and priorities. Session topics will range from land tenure basics to financial readiness to “soft skills” like mediation and dealing with power dynamics. Topics will be guided by the participants of the network calls, as the sessions are designed to be interactive. 

Strong, diverse collaborations and partnerships are essential to improve land access programs and policies! Land For Good is working in collaboration with Farmland for a New Generation New York, Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, and New Entry Sustainable Farming Project to develop this network and offer space to connect, share, and learn. Registration is required for each session. Read more

Virtual drop-in sessions will meet on the second Wednesday of the month from 2:00 – 3:30pm on: 

• March 11th – Please join Kathy Ruhf from Land For Good, Maggie Donan from Vermont Land Trust, and Vanessa Johnson-Hall from Essex County Greenbelt, as they lead a discussion on methods to improve farmland affordability, including leasing, buying, and alternative tenure models. Participants will work through farmer case studies and discuss how to coach clients through these decisions. Come ready to dig into real-world scenarios. Register now
• April 8th – Register now

Farm Succession School

Every winter, we offer a Farm Succession School to help senior farmers and farm partners working toward retirement or farm transition. This is a three-day course that we bring to different states across New England. Learn the many aspects of succession planning, clarify vision and goals, talk with peers and advisors, and review the necessary documents to provide for a smooth transition. You do not need to have an identified successor to participate in this course. Read more

Winter 2026 schedule! Plan to join us for Farm Succession School in:

Massachusetts
at Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Office
42 Century Way, West Springfield, MA
January 26th,
February 23rd, and
March 23rd

Did you miss an event?