Land For Good is celebrating 20 years of helping farmers thrive, connecting people and land, and making more land available for farming across New England. We thank the many partners who have collaborated on research projects, new tools and resources, or workshopping policy ideas. We recognize the landowners who’ve bravely faced questions on how to keep land in agriculture and the farmers who’ve explored new opportunities with hope and determination.
We’re proud to be working along with all of you at the forefront of changing the way land is accessed, held and transferred to future farmers across the country.
In 2004, Land For Good (LFG) was formed to help older farmers with farm succession. The organization’s scope soon widened to include farm seekers who were eager to access farmland, and owners and managers of agricultural land. These audiences needed the resources and support that LFG grew to provide. We hired Field Agent staff on the ground in each New England state (most are or have been farmers themselves) to offer educational programs and direct support within a specific geographic area. We offered one of the first farm link programs in the country. We have developed dozens of guidebooks, fact sheets, and interactive online tools. We have served in working groups across New England to advance farmer-support programs and policies. And we’ve brought together diverse groups of service providers for training and peer-sharing. Organizations across the country have received training or technical assistance from LFG staff.
During the COVID pandemic, we pivoted to online delivery methods for educational content, providing greater access and a wider reach for farmers and landowners. Additionally, LFG identified social justice and racial equity as a strategic priority in 2019. We conducted assessments and training, in collaboration with consultants. In 2023 LFG embarked on a formal equity-infused planning process to refine the organization’s strategic approach.
Informed by our work on the ground, we continue to share lessons learned about systemic barriers to farmland access, and suggest policy and service improvements that address the changes needed to shift power and farmland access more broadly. We continue to provide much needed services, public education, input on public policy, and a fresh examination of agricultural land tenure issues and challenges on a regional and national scale.
Save the date! Celebrate this 20 year milestone with good company and good food – and a special tribute – on September 25, 2024 at Stonewall Farm in Keene, NH. Purchase tickets now or become a sponsor.
