October 9th, 2019
By Nathan W. L'Etoile
New Partnership Between AFT and NRCS to Boost Conservation Capacity in Massachusetts
Farmers care deeply about their land and want to do what’s right by it. They know it’s in their long-term interest to follow practices that are environmentally beneficial; but when farmers are operating on slim margins, it can be difficult to find the money and security to invest in changes.
Farms can provide huge environmental benefits that our planet desperately needs, and to support farmers in this work there must be more capacity to help those who want to adopt these types of practices.
In Massachusetts, AFT and USDA-NRCS are excited to announce the launching of a new two-year, $900,000 project to increase conservation planning in the commonwealth.
Under this partnership, AFT will work with 750 farmers and provide conservation planning assistance on over 2,500 acres of lands across the commonwealth. Additionally, AFT will help provide guidance and support to assure various state and private programs align with NRCS technical and financial assistance for the greatest impact from public resources.
This partnership elevates adoption of conservation practices. The goal is no longer simply to farm in ways that limit or eliminate environmental harm, but rather to restore our planet’s health by helping compensate for other economic sectors that cannot provide the benefits of farming and ranching.
Conservation planning and assistance and the implementation of those plans are crucial to a sustainable agricultural system.
No two organizations have done more for conservation in American agriculture than AFT and NRCS, and I am excited we are coming together to deliver programming on the ground in Massachusetts.
AFT is uniquely positioned to provide this climate-smart farming assistance to Massachusetts farmers. For 40 years, the experts at AFT have been researching, advocating for, and helping farmers implement practices that we now know can help determine our future as a planet as well as farmers’ bottom lines.
We have the tools; and more partnerships like this are needed if we are going to implement them to the degree necessary to continue feeding the planet while saving it from climate change.
If you are interested in working directly with farmers and other landowners across Massachusetts, AFT is hiring for this exciting project!