LAP Wraps - The 6-state Land Access Project wraps up

What do you call a project with over 40 partners in six states working in five task forces over three years?

We call it the Land Access Project (LAP). LAP is winding down, touting accomplishments that have substantially improved farmland access for beginning and other farmers in New England. Under the direction of LFG, this multi-faceted project addressed the farmland access challenge from a systems perspective, meaning we holistically-tackled the problem from several angles. 

LAP colleagues from organizations and agencies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont helped farm seekers learn about their options and make sound land acquisition decisions. Equally important, we worked with those who own the land - farmland owners and farm families transitioning out of farming. We trained and connected service providers who have a role in land access and transfer.

We held a dozen workshops for non-farming landowners and produced guides for farmers without successors, next generation farmers, and public and private landowners. We created a regional online farm property clearinghouse, and upgraded a website for retiring farmers. Our reports on policy innovations, farmland investors and agricultural easements translate investigation into practical recommendations to improve land access in our region. In the process we sent over 1,900 emails to hundreds of farm organizations, service providers, civic leaders and agency personnel about our events and products. 

Many audiences will benefit from our efforts, from farmers to landowners to policymakers. 

Over 90% of LAP project partners thought that LAP has resulted in improved communication about land access issues among service providers across New England. Commented one partner:  "Honored to be part of this New England team. Excellent job, Land For Good; your leadership was exactly what we needed to fulfill the goals of this project."

LAP was supported by the US Department of Agriculture's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (USDA/NIFA BFRD #2010-03067). It is one of several dozen projects across the country working on beginning farmer training and support. 

Due to the Farm Bill quagmire, the opportunity for LFG to renew this project and build upon its successes and collaborations has been eliminated. The future of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program itself is uncertain. Nonetheless, our work has lasting impact and we'll continue with our New England partners to improve land access for farm seekers.   

Keeping Farm in Family requires strategy- USA Today

This is a great article that underscores the incontrovertible link between beginning farmers and succession. Here are a couple of facts I lifted from the article:

According to the Department of Agriculture, family farms account for about 98% of all farms in the USA and for 85% of the nation's total agricultural output. About 70% of the nation's farmland will change hands in the next two decades, and recent surveys show that about 89% of farmers don't have a farm-transfer plan, according to the USDA.

Read the entire article at:  http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/story/2012-06-28/keeping-farms-in-the-family/56117782/1

Beauty of local farming

Improving access to locally grown food just makes sense. Locally grown food is fresh, more affordable (it eliminates food distribution costs) and strengthens the local economy by supporting local farmers and their families. This photo reminded me of the importance of our work at Land For Good - improving access to land for farming. The land provides all we need as long as we take care of it.

Public needs vs. farming: How a community came together to overcome this controversy

A great article explaining how the community of Northampton, Massachusetts turned a public needs vs. farming land dispute into a "win-win" situation for all. It also highlights the hand Land For Good board member, Clem Clay, played in making this happen. Read now >> www.tinyurl.com/TPLFarm

Broadturn Farm and Penny Jordan in Play about a Community and its Farm

Land For Good board member, John Bliss,' Broadturn Farm, serves as a backdrop for an original play about a group of local farmers which provide sustenance for their community. LFG field staff, Penny Jordan, debuts in her first acting gig! Read more...

http://www.pressherald.com/news/a-growing-awareness_2011-10-27.html

Maine Magazine profiles Land For Good field staff member, Penny Jordan

http://www.themainemag.com/people/profiles/1660-penny-jordan.html

Langwater Farm Celebration

Over one hundred men, women, and children enjoyed a bountiful feast of fresh food, hayrides, and camradarie last Saturday at Langwater Farm, North Easton, Massachusetts. The event was organized by Land For Good, the food was provided by Langwater Farm. It could not have been a more perfect evening!

Friends of Langwater Farm help to serve food picked the day before.

Celebration participants enjoy food and each other's company under an old oak tree.




Minnie Ames, whose family leases the land to Langwater Farm, shares the story of how, with the help of Land For Good, the land was transformed into a community CSA.






Langwater Farmer, Kevin O'Dwyer, with his daughter.




Crowd listens to presentations from Land For Good, SEMAP, and the NRT.







The tent was a welcome respite to many in the late afternoon sun.




Land For Good co-director, Bob Bernstein, shares on the importance of local collaborations to keeping farming viable.

Langwater Farmer and chef extraodinaire, Alida Cantor.

Langwater Farm crops

The event site - gorgeous!

VT Governor kicks off sugaring season

VT Governor, Peter Shumlin-D, kicks off the sugaring season by tapping maple trees with Land For Good's, Mike Ghia. Watch video...

LFG Co-director, Bob Bernstein, presents study for preserving farmlands to group in Middleborough, MA

Thompson Street group hears preservation options SouthCoastToday.com

LFG intern/graduate student attends NOFA Summer Conference

Where to begin? My name is Helena (that's me in green) and over the course the summer I've been interning with Land For Good working on aspects of farmer education curriculum. The capstone of this summer's work was attending the 2010 Northeast Organic Farming Association Massachusetts summer convention. The conference exhibited a sampling of the tools used by Land For Good. Bob Bernstein and Mike Ghia presented a two-part workshop on acquiring land for farming (the bulk of the summer's work), we set up a "Jeopardy wheel" of farm topics, exhibited the working draft of an online tutorial, doled out local pottery and ran a free raffle for Land For Good services.



The outdoor exhibitor's tent, where I spent much of the time, was blessed by sunshine and high winds. In between holding things down, I had chance to talk with a few of the other exhibitors and conference attendees. My personal focus was on the effectiveness of workshops in educating farmers, but most people brought up questions of “where do I start,” or “how much money do I need?” By far, of course, the most common question was simply “what does Land For Good do?” For the questions on financing or where to begin, Bob {Bernstein, co-director} got to handle those. For the “what is Land For Good?” I got to develop an elevator-pitch-style explanation that shifted slightly with each use. It would basically go like this: "Hi, do you have any questions about Land For Good?", "Well, what is Land For Good? Do you help farmers find land?", "Well not necessarily, you're thinking more about a land-linking organization, Land for Good works on a variety topics all aimed at keeping farmland as farmland and helping farmers plan and transition. Most often, Land For Good works with beginning farmers to help build a business plan, conduct land evaluations, and so on. Or LFG works with farmers looking to pass their land on to someone else, or with non-farming landowners. The goal is to keep farmland active and with that, various tools are used like: doing land evaluation, going over plans and budgets, discussing lease options and so forth. Sometimes, they will connect people who have land with people they know are looking, but land-linking isn't the primary function." From there, we might launch into a discussion about the Working Land, Land Here!, and Farm Transfer Planning programs available. Or people would simply go "oh neat," take some pamphlets, give me a thumbs up and walk off. Such is the nature of an outdoor conference - chaos, lots of talking, and repeating and rephrasing words over and over again.


Picture of folks at Bob's workshop on acquiring land

My other task was to display a working draft of an online tutorial currently being developed. The tutorial will ultimately provide information for beginning farmers on topics ranging from financial needs, budgeting, communication with potential lenders and landlords, land evaluation and virtually every other consideration for finding and starting a farm business. It will also be interactive with content users can edit for personal use. People who did talk with me about the tutorial and the survey provided immensely detailed and valuable feedback. The positive reaction of the tutorial gives us a great deal of energy to keep moving forward and conquer all the ensured technical bugs that will crop up.


Bob presenting at his workshop


Overall, it was an invaluable experience. I got to meet people working on everything from website design for farmers to pesticide uses in New Zealand. The sheer range of areas of organic farming that one can become involved in is overwhelming. If anyone has had doubts about going to a conference, I suggest you put them aside. There was certainly enough going to keep a person entertained.


Another person tries his chance at winning a free consultation on our "farmwheel"!


With the close of the summer, and this conference now behind me, I can only hope the fall is just as glorious as the summer has been. I'll be staying around Land For Good through the fall semester working on the online tutorial and a Monadnock Region based project. Land For Good meanwhile, will be progressing with plans for more workshops, tabling at events, and continuing to help individual farmers. So, if you find yourself wondering about starting a farm in New England or wanting to make long-term plans, send an email to info@landforgood.org. If you find yourself taking the tutorial, feel free to let us know how it goes. Really, do, it goes into my grades!

- Helena

Who We Are

Lancaster Farming wrote a nice article about co-director, Kathy Ruhf and I, and our vision for Land For Good. Please check it out at: www.lancasterfarming.com/node/2757

Fruit Trees & Farm Transfer Planning

Check out this engaging and highly informative article about how we help with farm transfer planning: www.growingmagazine.com/article.php?id=4847

Long-term lease arrangement

Follow the link www.langwaterfarm.com/2009/07/25/on-leases/ to read one client's testimonial of our help with drafting and negotiating a secure long-term lease arrangement.

A Non-profit Organization

We started our nonprofit organization because we believe farming and land stewardship are vital to New England's future. Our vision is of a regional landscape of vibrant working farms and forests that provide opportunities for people who derive their livelihoods from the land. We envision working lands sustained by sound stewardship planning by owners and managers, and cared for by enterprising farmers for the benefit of the entire community.

Land for Good offers unique programs and services to keep New England's working lands working. For more information visit www.landforgood.org.