Blog

Farm succession planning is critically important for all farms. Preparing for such an important transition helps ensure that you achieve your goals. A full succession plan addresses the future of the business, the farmer, and the land. One of the questions we hear most often from farmers about farm succession is, “Where do I start?” […]

Please join us in welcoming Eliza Baker-Wacks to our team as the new Maine Field Agent! Eliza has seen the challenges of and lack of education regarding farmland access. She is keen to be helpful to other farmers on their paths to acquiring land. A graduate of Colby College with a degree in Environmental Policy, […]

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 and food security in this region. Land For Good, together with the New England Farm […]

Land For Good announces that Jim Habana Hafner will step down as Executive Director this summer after nine years with the organization. Jim joined Land For Good in 2013 as Deputy Director and became Executive Director in 2015 as part of a planned leadership transition. Jim has played an integral role in the organization’s growth […]

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.  But conditions in Berkshire County call for increased attention to farmland access and transfer. An aging farmer […]

Access to land remains a top challenge for all farmers. Group farmland access can solve some land access obstacles and offer multiple benefits. Many farmers are exploring ways to farm collectively. This can allow farmers to share resources, assets, knowledge, skills, equipment, labor—and the expense of land. Farmers face common challenges. By working together, in […]

Congratulations to the 96 farmer recipients of the New England Farmer Microgrants Program (NEFMP). The program, sponsored by American Farmland Trust (AFT), addresses some of the barriers farmers face across New England, such as access to land, resources to expand production on new or existing land, and farm succession and land transfer planning. We’re looking forward to supporting farmers […]

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 to successful communication, and more. It provides a thorough introduction to the complex issues of […]

Rachel Brice, a life-long gardener and sometimes farm worker with a passion for small farms and local food systems, has joined our team as the new Program Coordinator. She will directly assist farmers and landowners with a focus in northern New England and support region-wide program development and delivery.  Rachel will represent LFG across New […]

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 land, equipment, business, and other assets will be divided among heirs and farm successors.  In […]

In working to build a thriving family farm-centered system of agriculture, Farm Aid also funds family farm and rural service organizations through an annual grant program. Farm Aid announced that it distributed nearly a million dollars in grant funding in 2021. In December 2021, Farm Aid granted $817,500 to 86 family farm, rural service and […]

In our polarized political climate, it’s heartening to know that some policymakers are working together on climate issues. The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a Washington, DC-based think tank that looks to promote policy ideas from both parties to advance “health, security and opportunity for all Americans.” BPC’s Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force […]