November 13th, 2018
By Lori Sallet
American Farmland Trust Calls Affirmation of CT Question 2 as a Victory for the Protection of Publicly-Owned Farmland
WETHERSFIELD, CT – American Farmland Trust, the organization behind the national movement “No Farms No Food,” celebrates the passage of the referendum on public lands under Question 2 on the Connecticut ballot, serving to protect public land from being sold, swapped or given away by the legislature without public input.
The referendum’s passage amends the state’s constitution to require a public hearing and a 2/3 vote from the General Assembly before state parks, forests and publicly-owned farmland could be transferred to private companies or local governments.
“For many farmers, access to affordable and secure farmland remains the greatest barrier to achieving success in agriculture,” says Chelsea Gazillo, AFT’s Working Lands Alliance director.
She continues, “Here in Connecticut, publicly-owned farmland represents one of the tools we have as a state for helping beginning farmers find affordable land, and for established farmers to maintain or grow their businesses. With the passage of Question 2, the public can now have a say in how state-owned farmland is used, thus leading to more secure land access opportunities for all farmers in the state.”
AFT is a part of ProteCT Public Lands, a coalition of organizations that came together to bring greater public awareness to this referendum and shepherd its passage. AFT applauds and congratulates ProteCT Public Lands Inc., as the lead advocate in the passage of Question 2.
The Working Lands Alliance, a project of AFT, is the statewide voice for farmland preservation efforts in Connecticut. The alliance includes farmers, conservation and anti-hunger organizations, land trusts, local food advocates and many others working together to protect Connecticut’s most protected resource — its farmland.
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American Farmland Trust is the only national conservation organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and keeping farmers on the land. Since 1980, AFT’s innovative work has helped to permanently protect more than 6.5 million acres of farmland and ranchland and led the way for the adoption of conservation practices on millions more. No Farms, No Food. Learn more at www.farmland.org.