August 6th, 2024
By Jamie Pottern
Announcing “An Evening with American Farmland Trust & Island Partners,” a Nantucket Agriculture Event Featuring AFT President and CEO John Piotti
(Northampton, MA) – American Farmland Trust, Remain, Sustainable Nantucket, and the Nantucket Land Bank are pleased to announce a special evening dedicated to Nantucket agriculture which will focus on present-day challenges the island’s food producers face and possibilities for Nantucket’s farming future. This free, public event will occur at The Nantucket Atheneum on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm and will feature locally-sourced refreshments. Registration is required by Aug. 9, 2024.
“Nantucket has a rich history of agriculture and we at the Land Bank have been working with American Farmland Trust over the last few years to enhance our agricultural program to secure more Nantucket farmland and make farmland more accessible to farmers,” says Rachael Freeman, Director of Operational Resources at the Nantucket Islands Land Bank. Rachael will share the history of Nantucket agriculture, speak on the Land Bank’s evolving role in sustaining island agriculture, and summarize how island partners are working to build a more resilient food system on the island.
Jamie Pottern, New England Program Manager with the American Farmland Trust, will share some of the current challenges and solutions to problems that island farmers face based on conversations with island farmers and stakeholders.
Keynote remarks will be made by John Piotti, American Farmland Trust’s President and CEO, who grew up on Nantucket (NHS Class of 1979). “I’m delighted to return to Nantucket to share the incredible work AFT is leading to address some of the greatest challenges our nation’s farmers have ever faced.”
John’s keynote will explore how his island experiences influenced his career trajectory in conservation agriculture and public policy. He’ll highlight innovative solutions that are advancing farmland protection, widespread adoption of climate-smart practices, and farmland access across the country. Under John’s leadership, AFT has engaged in the most comprehensive study of American land use ever conducted, helped secure billions of dollars in federal funding to protect farmland and promote climate-smart agriculture, and launched new initiatives that advance regenerative farming practices and support current and next-generation farmers.
“Our community is comprised of dedicated farmers and organizations who are deeply committed to building a more resilient future and a healthy food system,” said Cecil Barron Jensen, executive director of Remain. “Resilience on Nantucket ‘takes an island’, all of us working together to foster enduring economic, social and environmental vitality. We’re thrilled to be a part of and support this special event that embodies that community spirit.”
Following the keynote, participants will be invited to participate in a Q&A session over refreshments provided by Remain.
Please direct any questions about the event to Jamie Pottern, jpottern@farmland.org (413) 240-4621 and register by Aug. 9th to reserve your spot. https://nantucket.librarycalendar.com/index.php/event/lecture-american-farmland-trust-5453
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.