 |
| We joined Congresswoman Chellie Pingree at Bumbleroot Farm (Windham, ME) to discuss her plan to mitigate climate change that includes protecting existing farmland.
“Farmers see the effects of climate change every day. Our growing seasons have changed. We’re experiencing more frequent and serious rain and flooding, yet also more prolonged droughts. It is become increasingly difficult to stay on farmland and actually turn a profit.” (Photo credit Matthew Whalen Photograph) |
Land For Good is a leader in advocating for greater, more secure access to farmland for all farmers – and for keeping working farmland active across the generations. Our work on the ground with farmers and landowners directly informs our advocacy. We understand the specific land challenges entering and exiting farmers face, and what landowners need to improve access and tenure to farmers.
Our collaborations around the region – and across the country – strengthen our advocacy. We work with farm and conservation organizations, agricultural service providers, beginning farmer networks and research institutions to explore new services, programs and policy ideas and to promote those that we know are removing barriers to land access and improving security of tenure.
We engage at all levels. We help communities take an active role in improving land tenure for local farmers. We educate state and federal lawmakers about how public programs and policies can better serve the land needs of entering and established farmers. We work closely with state agencies to lower land access policy barriers, and to promote programs and services that foster public and private land access.
We also lead and work on programs of national scope and significance. We provide training and program consulting beyond New England, and have advised the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a number of land access topics. We are leaders in a broad network of groups that are tackling farmland access, tenure, and transfer issues across the country.
Policy Investigation
We believe that good policy starts with good information. Our policy work is informed by what we learn directly from farmers and landowners around the kitchen table, and through collaborations with a wide variety of research and program partners. Our policy investigations include farmland investment trends, new investment company models, senior farmers without successors, and public land leasing policies in New England, among others.
Direct Advocacy
We are a known leader on land access, tenure, and transfer issues. When we speak to an issue, policymakers listen. Our advocacy ranges from working directly with state agency officials to address program and service gaps and needs, to testifying before Congress on land access challenges that New England farmers face. We collaborate on policy development and advocacy with national, regional and state groups like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, New England Farmers Union, American Farmland Trust, and state Farm Bureaus.
Stakeholder Engagement
We engage stakeholders in many different ways and at many different levels. We believe strongly in collaboration and partnership. Some examples of this work include our three-year multi-state Land For Farmers Project, and Land Access Projects with over 40 collaborating organizations around the region. Through these projects we have been fortunate to develop new training, expand advising, and improve resources and tools for farmers and landowners. We also continue to learn further with our partners about how best to support the variety of beginning farmer communities in our region.
