2026 Legislative Wrap-Up: Farmland Wins Across New England

New England had a mixed year for farmland this session — some real wins, some hard-fought compromises, and a few reminders of how much work is still ahead. Alongside unanimous votes and a few historic firsts, we also saw bills pass without funding attached, bonds go to voters instead of becoming law outright, and a hard-won bond proposal fall just short of the finish line. None of it happened without farmers, advocates, and coalition partners showing up session after session to make the case — for the wins and the near-misses alike. Here's what we accomplished together, and where the work continues.

Connecticut

This was a banner year for Connecticut farmland policy, driven in large part by the Working Lands Alliance (WLA), the coalition AFT facilitates, and helped move seven priorities across the finish line.

SB 148, the session's "mini farm bill," passed both chambers unanimously (36-0 / 150-0) and was signed into law by Governor Lamont on May 27. It includes two major wins for dairy farmers: a new Dairy Modernization Grant Program to support equipment and infrastructure investments, and a Dairy Farming Sustainability Working Group tasked with developing long-term policy recommendations. The FY27 budget includes $1 million for dairy farmer sustainability.

SB 148 also removes the longstanding $20,000/acre cap on state contributions to the Agricultural Land Preservation Program, a cap that had made cost-sharing increasingly unworkable as land values rose. The vote was 36-0 in the Senate, 150-0 in the House.

The Farmland Access Grant Program (PA 25-141), which AFT helped pass in 2025, took a key step toward implementation: the FY27 budget includes $105,000 for a dedicated DOAg staffer to administer the program. And a separate law, HB 5340 (PA 26-127), secured a DEEP/DOAg agrivoltaics feasibility study, a meaningful step toward a future incentive program for solar on farmland.

Vermont

Vermont passed S.60, creating the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund — a new framework for helping farms recover from weather-related losses like flooding, drought, and early frost. It passed both chambers unanimously, and Governor Scott signed it on March 26.

But signing the bill didn't fund it. At signing, the Governor acknowledged that funding for the fund "remains to be seen." Our advocacy for the full $15.6 million appropriation continues. This is a real structural win — the mechanism now exists — but the job isn't finished until the money follows.

On zoning, H.941 passed as a compromise response to a Vermont Supreme Court decision that had stripped longstanding farm exemptions from municipal zoning. The bill restores some protections, though the issue is likely to return in future sessions. AFT will continue working with partners to protect farms from a patchwork of local restrictions.

Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, AFT provided testimony in support of the Green Economy Bond (H8144), which sought new funding for farmland conservation through the Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission. The original proposal included no funding for farmland at all. Our advocacy, alongside coalition partners, helped change that.

The final 2026 Green Bond, now set at $55 million, includes $3 million for farmland protection and goes to voters on the November 2026 ballot. Rhode Island voters have approved the last three Green Bonds by wide margins. With the most expensive farmland per acre in the country ($22,500/acre), every conservation dollar here is high-leverage.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts had a packed legislative agenda. The FARM Bill (S.3029), which includes provisions on APR-related reforms and support for agritourism and food system infrastructure, passed the Senate 39-0 and now awaits action in the House.

The MassReady Act, Governor Healey's $3.94 billion environmental bond bill, passed the Senate 36-3 in April and the House 151-0 in June. Because the two branches passed different versions, the bill is now in a conference committee. It includes $42 million for the APR program, roughly $132 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program, and $5.5 million for the Healthy Soils Program. What survives conference is the next critical step

New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, AFT and partners worked to protect the Current Use tax program, one of the most important tools the state has for keeping farmland affordable and in agricultural use.

Maine

In Maine, we supported advocacy for a $45 million agriculture, farming, and forestry bond (LD 2094, later folded into LD 299) that would have funded farm infrastructure, drought relief, and farmland protection. Despite broad bipartisan support and farmers traveling to Augusta multiple times to testify, the bond fell short of the two-thirds vote needed for enactment and won't appear on the November ballot.

We are deeply grateful to our many partners across the region whose advocacy, testimony, and organizing made this work possible. Our planning for the upcoming session is already underway, and we are excited to move forward legislation that supports New England farm viability and protects farmland.