Land access is a top challenge for beginning farmers. The long-term goal of this continued Land Access Project is for more New England beginning farmers to successfully access land to start or expand their farm businesses. The past achievements of our regional approach and strong reliance on collaboration have resulted in many successful outcomes and a strong foundation to move forward. The Land Access Project, Phase 3 or LAP3 (2018-2021) will improve and expand services to help more beginning farmers access farmland in each New England state, addressing key gaps identified by both farmers and service providers. Read our award announcement
Impact
Over 200 beginning farmers will access land or achieve more secure tenure during LAP3. Additionally:
- 150 farmers make informed land access decisions
- 100 farmers trained on succession planning
- 200 professionals educated on access & transfer
- 900 farmers educated on succession planning
- 1,600 farmers learn land access strategies
- 5,500 farmers receive educational resources
Tools & Resources
Build-A-Lease Tool will educate beginning farmers and landowners about farm leases and generate working lease documents.
Acquiring Your Farm online tutorial will educate and train hundreds of beginning farmers through lessons supported by stories.
Farm Transfer Network of New England will continue to add service provider listings and resources for professionals and farmers to the online directory.
Farm Link Programs
New England Farmland Finder website will be refined based on user evaluation. New content and features will connect users with more farm properties, services and resources.
New England Farm Link Collaborative will make more farm properties available and visible to beginning farmers through the members’ farm link websites.
National Farm Link Clinic (April 2019) will be held for established and emerging farm linking programs across the US. Linking programs generate a lot of interest. Many sprout up, but they struggle to gain traction, sustain activities and deliver expected results. Professionals will learn, share and problem solve to improve programs. Nearly 20 programs have pledged participation to-date.
Project Partners
Collaborators will plan, host, promote, and deliver 60 land access workshops and mixers, and six Farm Succession Schools. We will develop and pilot more rigorous and targeted protocols to better advise beginning farmers seeking secure land tenure, and coach transitioning farmers to complete farm transfer plans. We will create tools that help transitioning farmers mentor their beginning farmer successors and transfer management to the next generation.
Six state partners:
- Maine Farmland Trust (ME)
- Vital Communities (NH)
- New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (MA)
- Intervale Center (VT)
- University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension (CT)
- Young Farmer Network (RI)
Plus 13 additional collaborators:
- Beginning Farmer Resource Network of Maine
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
- Southeast Land Trust
- University of NH Extension
- Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
- Greenbelt – Essex County’s Land Trust
- Mount Grace Conservation Land Trust
- Vermont Farm To Plate
- Vermont Land Trust
- New CT Farmer Alliance
- CT Land Access Working Group
- RI Department of Environmental Management
- Southside Community Land Trust
LAP3 is supported by a grant from the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (NIFA # 2018-70017-28531).
