The New Hampshire Conservation Districts have announced their 2026 grant round of the NH Farm Future Fund. In it’s seventh year, the fund continues to be an integrated approach to funding farm viability, farmland conservation, and farmland access in New Hampshire. Land For Good is a proud partner on the project providing technical assistance to many past recipients, offering guidance on succession planning and help developing succession plans for the farm businesses and land.
Land trusts seeking to help New Hampshire farms conserve their land and improve the viability of their farm business are invited to apply.
Funding is available to support activities in two broad categories:
- Financial assistance to offset costs associated with farmland conservation projects
- Technical assistance to support farm business viability and succession planning
Since 2020, $440,000 has been distributed to 22 farms, in partnership with 8 NH Land Trusts conserving 2,402 acres, in 7 counties! This program leverages the opportunity of putting a conservation easement on farmland while investing in the future viability of the farm business. The goal of this fund is to ensure that farmland is conserved, productive, and available for future generations.
Past recipient Tuckaway Farm, for example, is a three generation family farm in Lee, NH that worked with Land For Good for technical assistance with farm transfer planning to the next generation. The Cox family has farmed for over 40 years “tucked away” along the Oyster River, stewarding nearly 300 acres of land that is now protected by conservation easements.
Read about all past recipients.
Land trust applicants should be committed to bringing together experts in land conservation, succession planning, and farm viability to advance the farm’s business goals. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations that have land conservation as their primary function and are actively working to conserve farmland in the state of New Hampshire.
Request for proposals and application materials are due by May 31st. An optional virtual drop-in session will also be held for Land Trusts on March 18th from 10:00-11:00am. This is an opportunity to learn more about the program, ask questions, and discuss potential applications — register here. Prospective applicants must schedule a discovery meeting by April 1st by contacting [email protected].
This program is privately funded and administered by the Cheshire County Conservation District on behalf of the NH Association of Conservation Districts. Land For Good and the NH Community Loan Fund are key partners in making this grant possible. Funding is provided by the You Have Our Trust Fund and the Madison Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. In 2026, additional funding is made possibly by the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). LCHIP funds will be used to provide funding for transaction costs associated with the conservation easement process, matched by private funds used to provide technical assistance (business planning, succession planning, etc.), to support the continued stewardship of these lands and ensure the viability of local farm businesses. By partnering with the NH Farm Futures Fund, LCHIP has a unique opportunity to support and strengthen the program. This partnership marks an exciting new chapter and expansion of this innovative program.
For more information, contact Benée Hershon at Cheshire County Conservation District at [email protected].
