Emerging Leaders: Midwest Professionals Sharpen Their Skills and Take Their Learnings West

In August, AFT’s Midwest team program staff completed the Soil & Water Conservation Society’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and attended the 80th Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Annual Conference in Costa Mesa, California. Midwest staff Rachel Lechuga, Floreal Crubaugh, and Marlee Giacometti are AFT’s most recent graduates of the second class of the Emerging Leaders Program (fun fact: Helen VanBeck, our Midwest Program Manager) graduated from the first-ever program. Here’s a look back at what the program meant to them and the snapshots that capture their achievements.

Listening First: What Farmers Taught Me About Conservation Programs That Work

Meet Us At A Farmers Market Near You

Breathing Life Back into a Hedgerow: Brookfield Farm’s Regenerative Microgrant Journey

On a thin strip of land between two hayfields in Walpole, New Hampshire, a once-impenetrable wall of invasive plants is being transformed into pollinator-friendly hedgerow. Where bittersweet, honeysuckle, and multiflora rose once dominated, clover is now blooming, pollinators are returning, and the sunlight can actually reach the soil. This remarkable change has been fueled by the passion and persistent work of Holly and her family at Brookfield Farm, powered in part by a Regenerative Livestock Farming (RLF) microgrant from American Farmland Trust.

Every Cow Deserves Grass: Regenerative Grazing at High Lawn Farm

High Lawn Farm has been raising Jersey cows in Lee, Massachusetts, for over 100 years. The cows have always had access to pasture, but until recently, the farm relied on continuous grazing. That began to change when the farm received a Regenerative Livestock Farming (RLF) microgrant from American Farmland Trust. The funds helped them fence off 20 acres of previously idle land, giving their dry cows access to fresh, well-rested pasture—and creating space for true rotational grazing for the first time.

Digging Deeper into Conservation Matters for the AMP Initiative

We dig deeper into one way of quantifying how well practices address the SWAPA-E resources concerns. We turn our attention to another set of three practices: Tree/Shrub Planting, Prescribed Grazing, and Conservation Cover

Crop Check: What’s Growing in California’s Capitol?

California policy wrap up for the 2025 legislative session.

A Farm Legacy of Love: Gretchen and Dick Regnery’s Gift to the Land

Balancing Energy and Agriculture in Texas

As Texas faces rising energy demand and farmland loss, new legislation presents a pivotal opportunity to expand clean energy while protecting agricultural resources. By supporting rooftop solar, agrivoltaics, and smart utility-scale siting, Texas can lead in balancing renewable energy growth with farmland preservation.

Mentorship Program Supports the Next Generation of Women Farmers in New York

The Overlooked Infrastructure of Farming

The sturdy steel toe boots that protect your feet. The reliable truck that gets you from your fields to your markets. The tools and structures that help you grow, process, and share food with your community. This is the overlooked infrastructure of farming.

How Bardwell Farm is Experimenting with Tillage to Adapt and Advance Soil Health

At Bardwell Farm, farmer Harrison Bardwell is blending innovation with tradition to tackle soil health and disease pressure—proving there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to resilient farming.