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 … Continue reading
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. Jae Silverman, … Continue reading
This winter we launched Acquiring Your Farm, a training series for new and beginning farmers to help identify goals and set financial parameters, review pros and cons of owning versus leasing, conduct a land search, assess farm properties, discover keys … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
