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| “Land For Good’s expert support put our transfer in context, guided our conversations with landowners, and also gauged our expectations,” shared Noami at Dickey Hill Farm. (Photo credit Blue Horse Photography) |
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) improved and expanded services to help more beginning farmers access farmland in each New England state, and addressed key gaps identified by both farmers and service providers. Read our award announcement
Impact
Over 200 beginning farmers accessed land or achieved more secure tenure during LAP3. Additionally:
- 150 farmers made 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 learned land access strategies
- 5,500 farmers received educational resources
Tools & Resources
Build-A-Lease Tool educated beginning farmers and landowners about farm leases and generate working lease documents.
Acquiring Your Farm online tutorial educated and trained hundreds of beginning farmers through lessons supported by stories.
Farm Transfer Network of New England continued to add service provider listings and resources for professionals and farmers to the online directory.
Farm Link Programs
New England Farmland Finder website was refined based on user evaluation. New content and features connected users with more farm properties, services and resources.
New England Farm Link Collaborative made more farm properties available and visible to beginning farmers through the members’ farm link websites.
National Farm Link Clinic (April 2019) was held for established and emerging farm linking programs. Representatives from 26 farm link programs from across the country attended the first national farm link clinic to improve the performance and effectiveness of their programs and share best practices.
Project Partners
Collaborators planned, hosted, promoted, and delivered 60 land access workshops and mixers, and six Farm Succession Schools. We developed and piloted more rigorous and targeted protocols to better advise beginning farmers seeking secure land tenure, and coach transitioning farmers to complete farm transfer plans. We created tools that helped 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 was supported by a grant from the USDA/NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (NIFA # 2018-70017-28531).