Farms Under Threat: A New England Perspective

In the last 15 years over 11 million acres of this nation’s irreplaceable agricultural land has been paved-over, fragmented, or otherwise converted to new uses that jeopardize farming. Rising development pressures and land values limit the ability of farmers, especially beginning farmers, to access land. Left unabated, these trends threaten food security, local economies, ecological integrity, climate resiliency, and the very fabric of our communities. Learn more.

AFT continues to lead efforts to meet the goals of the vision. We are:

In the last two decades, pockets of New England have seen a resurgence in food production. This regrowth has not been uniform, with some sectors, such as dairy, facing decline.

To build capacity, we act as a convener and supporter for land trusts as well as state and federal agency officials in the region, showcasing where we face common challenges and how we are solving them in our own communities. We have played a key role in educating the region on changes from the most recent Farm Bill to some of the crucial protection tools we use every day – the Agricultural Lands Easement Program, the Regional Conservation Partnerships Program, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Integrated with the national Farms Under Threat project, we are modeling and mapping on a regional and local level. AFT is focusing on better modeling of low-density residential development and mapping the potential of many of our forested lands to produce foods.