As Land For Good’s Connecticut Field Agent, I have the privilege of being a part of the Working Lands Alliance (WLA), a statewide voice for farmland preservation efforts in Connecticut. This alliance includes farmers, conservation and anti-hunger organizations, land trusts, local food advocates, and many others working together to protect Connecticut’s vital working lands. Each year the coalition works to engage the Governor, legislators and policymakers on the importance of farmland, and the need for proactive policies that support a thriving farm economy in Connecticut.
In September, I was excited to meet and join my fellow Steering Committee members, partners, and agency staff for the WLA retreat. The gathering was a critical opportunity to celebrate our significant achievements from the 2025 legislative session, assess the current landscape for agriculture in Connecticut, and strategically align our priorities for the work ahead. The presence of such a diverse coalition underscored the power of our collective voice.
The day began with a welcome from Chairman Kip Kolesinskas, who set the tone by reflecting on our progress and emphasizing that our continued success hinges on fierce cooperation. This theme of collaboration resonated throughout our discussions, especially as we reviewed the remarkable policy wins of the last session. We celebrated:
- the passage of the landmark land access program,
- the Mini Farm Bill for disaster relief,
- the critical expansion of the Community Investment Act (CIA) funding to $50 million,
- and important climate resilience legislation that includes transfer of development rights away from prime farmland.
A central focus of our planning was preparing for the 2026 legislative session. We worked to distill our many ideas into a clear set of priorities, organized into three key buckets. Our Unfinished Business includes securing dedicated staff at the Department of Agriculture (DoAg) to implement the new land access program and ensuring the bonding and implementation of the climate disaster relief program. We also identified powerful New Initiatives, such as addressing easement enforcement issues to ensure the permanent protection of our farmland and advocating for business technical assistance to bolster farm viability. Finally, we reaffirmed our Ongoing Priorities, from supporting urban agriculture and DEI work to advancing a statewide soil health plan within the new nature-based solutions framework.
The conversation then turned to the broader context of our work, with an important update from American Farmland Trust (AFT) on the challenging federal funding landscape. This reinforced the need for our alliance to be strategic, resilient, and supportive of our partner organizations. We discussed the vital importance of fundraising and building a broad base of donor support to sustain this critical policy work in an uncertain fiscal environment.
We were fortunate to receive timely updates from our state agency partners, which provided essential grounding for our planning. Eric Hammerling from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) outlined the process for developing the state’s Nature-Based Solutions plan, a significant opportunity to highlight agriculture’s role in climate resilience. Jaime Smith from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture provided a detailed look at the immense tasks ahead, from administering a $53 million federal crop loss program to standing up the new land access program. Her update made it abundantly clear that our advocacy for additional agency staff and timely bond commission approvals will be crucial to turning legislative victories into on-the-ground realities for Connecticut’s farmers.
As we concluded, the path forward felt both challenging and clear. The retreat solidified our shared commitment to a robust agenda for 2026, centered on securing the resources and policies needed to ensure farmers can access affordable land, run viable businesses, and contribute to a resilient food system for our state. The collective wisdom and dedication in the room were palpable. I left feeling re-energized and confident that through our continued fierce cooperation, we can build upon our successes and meet the challenges ahead.
WLA’s policy, advocacy, and education work is driven by a dynamic and diverse Steering Committee that includes members of many key organizations that focus on agricultural and conservation issues in CT. This includes such organizations as:
City of New Haven Food Policy Division
Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development
Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust
Connecticut Farm Bureau Association
Connecticut Forest & Park Association
Connecticut Farmland Trust
UConn Extension
Connecticut State Grange
New CT Farmer Alliance
End Hunger CT!
CT NOFA
CT Land Conservation Council
and Land For Good among many others
