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Events and Training

Upcoming Events

Land For Good staff host mixers, workshops and training across the region, typically with local or regional partners. We are also frequent speakers, panel organizers or moderators at other local, regional and national events.  

Downeast Agriculture Conference: Land-Sea Connections — ME
January 18, 2020
Lee/Pellon Center, 90 Main St., Machias ME; Register now

  • The goal of this new event is to bring agricultural education and resources to Hancock and Washington counties and connect farmers with other farmers, stakeholders, and organizations. Both land and sea-based production will be included. See full agenda here. Land For Good is a proud sponsor!

Landing on the Right Acre: Storytelling for and by Farmers — RI
January 30, 2020
Machines with Magnets, 400 Main St., Pawtucket RI; Register now

  • Come enjoy locally sourced food prepared by local, renowned chef Ben Sukle, drinks from the Machines with Magnets bar, and the company of your fellow farming community as they share some of the successes, pitfalls and takeaways from their journey toward finding land. Come prepared to laugh, sigh and learn more about farmland access in Rhode Island! Suggested donation: $5 – $20. This is the final event in our Young Farmer Night series hosted in partnership with Young Farmer Network of Southeastern New England.

Transferring the Farm: Succession Planning Seminar — VT
February 4, 2020
Billings Farm, Woodstock VT
February 5, 2020
Yankee Farm Credit, Williston VT

  • Farmers will receive information and resources for the complex process of succession planning and all that is involved in transferring the farm to a new owner. Seminar is part of a Management Development Seminar Series offered by Yankee Farm Credit. All generations, including family and non-family members, who play a role in the farm’s future are encouraged to attend. Registration is required. The seminar fee is $25 and includes lunch. Scholarships are available through Yankee Farm Credit. Free to Young, Beginning, Small, Veteran (YBSV) farmers. Email kcoombs@yankeefarmcredit.com or call 800-639-3053 to register. Land For Good is a proud sponsor in partnership with Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and Yankee Farm Credit.

Farm Business Planning Course — MA
February 11, 2020
New Entry Farmer Training Center, 733 Cabot St., Beverly MA; Register now

  • New Entry Sustainable Farming Project‘s Farm Business Planning course is designed to help you create a written plan to start or expand your farm business. The course will begin January 14th and meet for 8 Tuesday-evening sessions filled with information and activities that will help you write your farm business plan. Our MA Field Agent, Jae Silverman, will present on farmland access for beginning farmers during the February 11th session.

Litchfield County Farmland Mixer — CT
February 20, 2020
Kent Falls Brewing, 33 Camps Rd., Kent CT; Register now

  • Do you own farmland? Are you looking for farmland? Or looking for a successor to pass on your farm? Join us for a Farmland Mixer at Kent Falls Brewing! Landowners and retiring farmers can connect with enthusiastic farm seekers looking for land to buy our lease in Connecticut. No cover charge for this event. Cash bar is provided. Agricultural service providers will also be on-hand to answer any questions either party may have, including Land For Good, New CT Farmer Alliance, CT Farmlink, UConn Extension, Working Lands Alliance, and Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust.

Farm Succession Planning — MA
February 26, 2020
Gould Barn, 1 Howlett St., Topsfield MA; Registration now open

  • A FREE workshop for farmers and farmland owners hosted by Greenbelt Essex County’s Land Trust. Join us and learn how to plan for a secure retirement while creating opportunity for the next generation of farmers, gain a better understanding of the options, resources, and steps to transfer your farmland and/or farm business to your heirs or new farmers, participate in a Q&A with estate planning attorney and other succession planning professionals, and customize a strategy to create your own farm succession plan. Workshop speakers include Land For Good’s Shemariah Blum-Evitts and Jae Silverman, a panel of local farmers, a local attorney, and Farm Credit East’s Jon Jaffe. Please RSVP by February 20th to jane@ecga.org.

The Northern Connecticut Agriculture Summit — CT
February 29, 2020
Asnuntuck Community College, 170 Elm St., Enfield CT

  • Bringing together current and prospective farmers to raise awareness and provide educational seminars to those interested in farming. Seminars include: Managing Healthy Soil, Farmer Grant Programs, Social Media, How to Grow Hemp; the application process; update on 2019 Crop and Panel Discussion, Backyard Chickens 101, Land Access with Land For Good’s CT Field Agent Will O’Meara, Impact of Climate Change, Is Your Farm Covered? Protecting Your Assets, Pollinators, Hydroponics. For more information – email or call Chris Casey, Event Coordinator at cwsmcasey@gmail.com or 860.698.6267.

Farm Succession School coming this winter
to Massachusetts & Maine!

New England Farm Succession School — MA
attend all 3 days
January 9, 2020
February 6, 2020
March 5, 2020
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, West Springfield MA; Register now

New England Farm Succession School — ME
attend all 3 days
December 6, 2019
January 10, 2020
February 7, 2020
Coastal Enterprises Inc., Brunswick ME; Register now

  • Are you unsure who will take over your farm? Feel like your family needs to start talking, but you don’t know where to start? Have questions about retiring that you don’t know how to answer? Can the farm support two generations?

    Answer these questions and more at the 3-day Farm Succession School this winter! It is an opportunity for senior generation to talk with peers, learn from advisors, and get support on this challenging process. We will help you: get the conversation started, sort through possibilities, clarify your goals and next steps, and connect you with resources and support to keep the process going! Farmers from across New England, of all farm sizes and enterprises, are welcome.

Where We’ve Been

Selected Presentations

  • Sponsor, Facilitator and Opening Remarks, Farmland Access and the Importance of Networks for Service Providers, Beginning Farmer Network of MA (BFN/MA) Fall Forum, Charlton MA, Nov. 2013.
  • Farmland Access, Tenure and Transfer: Conservation Tool and Context, Panel on Working Lands Conservation, 5th Regional Conservation Partnership Gathering, Nashua NH, Nov. 2013
  • Affordability (panel presenter and moderator), Farmland Access and Affordability Forum, Wethersfield CT, Oct. 2013
  • Co-Sponsor, organizer and presenter, New England Farmland Convening, Portsmouth NH, May 2013
  • Agriculture Trends in MA and New England and Land Conservation, Mt. Grace Conservation Land Trust, Athol MA, 2013
  • Land For Good’s Approach to Farmland Access, JUST Land national gathering, Land Stewardship Project, Rochester MN, 2012
  • Access to Land for Beginning Farmers, National Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Annual Conference, Rochester MN, 2012
  • Leasing Your Protected Farmland for Agricultural Use, Rhode Island Land and Water Summit, Kingston RI, 2010
  • Land Access, Leasing, Land Trusts and More, Drake Agricultural Law Center Forum on Beginning Farmers, Washington DC,, 2010
  • Farm/Ranch Succession Education, Programs and Services, Changing Lands, Changing Hands national conference, Denver CO, 2009
  • Farmland Access and Transfer, Georgia Organics, Atlanta, GA 2009
  • Annual conference, Massachusetts Association of Agriculture Commissions 2009.
  • What’s the Plan for the Farm?, Michigan Land Use Institute, Traverse City MI, 2007
  • Challenges and Opportunities for Small and Beginning Farmers, Small and Beginner Farmers of NH conference, October 2007