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Every year, America loses 1.2 million acres of farmland, much of it our best and most productive farmland near where most Americans live. In Maine and across the nation, AFT is a vital link between farmers, conservationists and policymakers, working to protect the best farmland, direct growth away from agricultural resources, provide healthy local food to all citizens, and help communities sustain local farms and farming.
Another year has come to pass and with it a list of successes—and challenges—impacting farms and food across New England. 2011 was marked by unusual weather, underscoring the need for effective policies and programs to keep farms thriving despite the inherent risks and to help support strong local food systems.
This year, we worked with a wide variety of partners throughout New England to promote the critical importance of farms and farmland to New England’s economy, environment, public health, community character and livability. Here are a few highlights from our work across the region. Read more about our accomplishments from the past year in New England and see a snapshot of what lies ahead.
 Do you help farm families address farm succession and transfer planning? If so, you may be interested in a training being offered on November 17 by the Farm Transfer Task Force of the Land Access Project. The training is intended to guide farm transfer planning practitioners through best practices, planning approaches and challenges, use of farm transfer planning teams, and farm transfer planning resources in the region. For more information or to register for the workshop, visit the Land For Good website.
After years of decline, farming in Maine is on the rise. But farmers still face challenges, and communities can help farmers address them. A new guide released by Maine Farmland Trust and American Farmland Trust, provides specific examples and suggestions of what local officials and residents can do to support farming in their communities. Read more about Cultivating Maine's Agricultural Future or download a copy of the guide [PDF].
 We recently welcomed Leah Mayor to our New England Office, where she will serve as the Working Lands Alliance Project Director and New England Project Manager. Mayor brings an extensive background in education and community leadership, as well as experience with sustainability initiatives focused on food and agricultural systems. Her work has focused on leveraging enthusiasm of a growing local foods movement to protect farmland, natural heritage and artisanal traditions. Mayor is also the founder and principal of Taking Root, an ecotourism initiative devoted to stimulating local economies, building community viability, and celebrating our connections to food and culinary history. Please join us in welcoming Leah!
 Maine Farmland Trust is pleased to announce that Conservation Transaction Grants of up to $10,000 are available through a 2011 Farmland Conservation Grant Program. Grants will support projects that will permanently protect active farmland in Maine through conservation easements (donated and purchased) and fee acquisition. Land trusts operating in the state of Maine that meet all eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply. Proposals are accepted on a rolling deadline, and Maine Farmland Trust reviews proposals at the close of every other month.
In November, Maine voters will be asked to vote on a bond referendum authorizing $7.5 million for the Land for Maine’s Future program. This valuable state program has protected over 6,000 acres of productive agricultural land and is a critical source of matching funds for federal farmland protection investments in Maine. The Maine Land Coalition — a group of over 275 organizations, including American Farmland Trust, supporting the referendum — hopes that voters will continue their strong support for the LMF program; since 1987, voters have approved four previous LMF bond measures by wide margins.
On June 25th, over 350 people attended the first showing of Meet Your Farmer, a series of eight short films commissioned by Maine Farmland Trust to highlight the vibrant farm sector in Maine. The films feature the challenges and opportunities facing farms from around the state in a variety of sectors, including dairy, livestock, potatoes, vegetables and apple orchards. The films are available online and will be shown at additional theaters this summer and fall.
 Legislation recently enacted in Rhode Island gives the Rhode Island Attorney General new authority to enforce conservation easements, making Rhode Island the eighth state in the country to give its attorney general explicit enforcement power. The statute also permits courts to award attorney’s fees in easement enforcement proceedings, providing a potential avenue for the state and land trusts to recoup legal costs incurred while defending conservation easements against violations. Initiated by the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, the statute is expected to deter violations of easements, which can be an expensive enforcement problem for land trusts and other entities that hold easements.
This spring, Maine state legislators introduced bills featuring all ten policy recommendations outlined by Maine's Commission to Study the Protection of Farms and Farmland in a November 2008 report. AFT contributed to the report and applauds the enactment of four of the recommended steps into law including:
- A pilot agricultural district program: Public Act 356 authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture to design and implement a pilot program and to report to the Agriculture Committee on progress with the program by February 2011.
- Designation of “Farming for Maine” farms: This initiative will provide a way to publicly register and recognize local farms and farmland, to build community awareness of local agriculture and to help inform local land use plans and decisions.
- Monitoring impact of estate tax changes: The Commissioner of Agriculture and the State Tax Assessor are tasked with monitoring the impact estate tax provisions have on the state’s farmland base and recommending changes to encourage farmland retention.
- Encouraging better local land use decisions through farmland mapping: This provision requires that any proposed subdivision include a map of farmland parcels that are five acres or more and contain prime, statewide or locally important soils.
Initiatives underway in Vermont and New Hampshire are quantifying the economic impact of their states' farm and food sectors and identifying opportunities for future growth. Vermont's Farm to Plate initiative has drafted "20 Big Goals for 2020" based on months of public input and data collection; the 10-year strategic plan will be finalized by the end of the year. Home Grown, a soon to be released report from the University of New Hampshire, estimates the economic impact from NH's local food system and explores how an expansion of the system could spur job creation and economic growth.
A Northeast grocery chain has become the first retailer to join forces with the New England Dairy Promotion Board and New England Family Dairy Farms Cooperative to bring the concept of “fair trade” milk to consumers. Hannaford's 71 stores will promote the benefits of local dairy farms—including stewardship of the region’s farmland—and offer shoppers an opportunity to directly support dairy farmers through the “Keep Local Farms” dairy campaign. Cris Coffin, American Farmland Trust’s New England Director, is excited by the Hannaford announcement: “Educating shoppers about the value of our region’s dairy farmers will hopefully encourage them to donate to the campaign and help farmers receive a better price for their milk.”
Changes to Vermont’s "Current Use" Program—which helps promote the use of land for agriculture and forestry are likely to be considered early in the 2010 legislative session. In response to a challenge by the legislature to find ways to produce $1.6 million in savings or revenues through the program in FY2011, seven statewide farm and conservation organizations developed recommendations that are likely to form the basis for legislation debated this year. Recommendations include increasing the program’s dwelling exclusion for certain landowners, which would raise the needed state revenues.
Federal Farm Policy and the farm bill
What’s in the farm bill and why is it important? Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the legislation's promises are turned into programs on the ground. how much agriculture contributes to the state's economy.
More Maine News
Contact Us
New England Field Office
Cris Coffin, New England States Director
1 Short Street, Suite 2
Northampton, MA 01060-3952
(p)413-586-9330 ext. 29
(f)413-586-9332
ccoffin@farmland.org
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