By Cris Coffin, Policy Director, Land For Good. As Congress rolls up its sleeves to write a new Farm Bill this year, Land For Good has been hard at work to see that land access needs are front of mind … Continue reading
Archive | Policy

Successful and innovative program, practice and policy ideas from the national conference
See Photo Gallery This past June 2017, over 220 people from 40 states convened in Denver, Colorado for our second national conference Changing Lands, Changing Hands. Since Land For Good’s first conference on farm and ranch access, tenure and transfer in … Continue reading →
Advancing land access in every New England state – and across the region
By Kathy Ruhf, Senior Program Director; and Cris Coffin, Policy Director, Land For Good. State-level networking across the region is advancing programs and policies. Agricultural service providers are working together to provide land access education and outreach programs and opportunities, … Continue reading →

Investments in Beginning Farmer Training Paying Off
How do you help over 1,150 beginning farmers in New England in just a few short years? With over 60 partner organizations working together to improve land access for our region’s beginning and established farmers. And that’s just one piece … Continue reading →
Policy plays important role in land access & transfer
Public policy plays an important role in our endeavors. With a new administration, and hearings starting this year for the next Farm Bill, LFG and our partners – including many also involved in the Land Access Project (LAP2) – are working … Continue reading →

USDA forums highlight access to land and capital for next generation farmers
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to raise awareness of land access, tenure and transitions as part of its commitment to grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers. USDA Secretary Vilsack has made improving access to land and capital, … Continue reading →

Farmland investment companies: Innovative partners for land access?
Farmland access and affordability are top obstacles for new and beginning farmers in New England and nationally. Many new farmers cannot afford to purchase land to start or expand their operations. At the same time nearly 30% of New England … Continue reading →

LFG Policy Director testifies before House Ag Committee
LFG Policy Director, Cris Coffin, was among the six experts convened by the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research to testify on February 2, 2016 about the benefits and challenges of direct marketing. As a farmer who directly markets pastured poultry … Continue reading →

Long-time collaborator joins Land For Good as Policy Director
Regional agriculture leader joins New England farmland access organization. Cris Coffin, a leader in agriculture and farmland protection programs and policies, has joined Land For Good (LFG) as its first Policy Director. Cris has been a long-time collaborator with LFG while … Continue reading →
USDA expands advisory committee on Beginning Farmers & Ranchers to focus on land tenure
LFG is very heartened to see the US Department of Agriculture’s new interest in land access and tenure. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack authorized expanding the scope of the USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (ACBFR) “to ensure that … Continue reading →