Working Lands Alliance – a project of American Farmland Trust – Statement on the Passage of Public Act 25-141 – An Act Establishing a Grant Program for Agricultural Preservation and Farmland Access Purposes 

(Hartford, CT) Working Lands Alliance commends the Connecticut State Legislature, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, and Governor Ned Lamont for the passage of Public Act (PA) 25-141 – An Act Establishing a Grant Program for Agricultural Preservation and Farmland Access Purposes.  

This key piece of legislation will establish a farmland access grant program at the CT Department of Agriculture. This program is in alignment with recommendations made in many different state reports over the years, including, but not limited to, Farmland Access & Ownership: An Overview of Barriers, Models, and Actions to Increase Land Access for Connecticut’s BIPOC Farmers; CT Department of Agriculture’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Agriculture Recommendations; and Farmland Needed: How Connecticut Can Help Farmers Access the Land They Need to Succeed. By creating a farmland access grant program, Connecticut is increasing the number of tools available to farmers seeking land and those looking to sell their land to the next generation. 

According to the 2024 National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) Annual Land Values Survey, farmland in CT is the third most expensive in the country, tied with Massachusetts, with an average price of $14,300 per acre. The 2022 NASS Agricultural Census stated that 372,014 acres of farmland were in agricultural production. This is a 2% decrease in total acreage, and an 8% decrease in the number of farms since 2017. 

PA 25-141 will allow the CT Department of Agriculture to create a farmland access grant program that addresses some of the potential barriers farmers face when seeking access to farmland and creating viable pathways for farmers looking at farm succession options. The grant program will allow the Department to employ a variety of tools including Buy-Protect-Sell, where land is purchased at its market value, protected with an agricultural conservation easement, and sold to a farmer. The program will also enable the CT Department of Agriculture to work with land trusts to acquire Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value restrictions which will ensure protected farmland remains in the hands of farmers in the future. Lastly, some of the funds could be used to support the state in owning more farmland and leasing it to farmers looking for long-term lease agreements. 

The legislation sets up the program to launch in 2027, which gives the CT Department of Agriculture, farmers, and agricultural service providers an opportunity to design and work together to initiate the grant program.  

The passage of PA 25-141 is a major win for the future of Connecticut agriculture and its overall prosperity. 

"Under the focused leadership of the Lamont administration, Connecticut has made significant progress in expanding access to farmland. Since convening a working group in 2019, the state has modernized farmland preservation regulations and processes—culminating in a record number of farm parcels protected in 2023,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “The passage of PA 25-141 builds on that momentum, ensuring that both current and future farmers have the opportunity to access land and produce Connecticut-grown farm products for generations to come." 

“It was a pleasure collaborating with the Working Lands Alliance, the CT Department of Agriculture and my legislative colleagues to finally pass legislation that adds another tool to preserve Connecticut farmland,” said Deputy House Speaker Joe Gresko (D-121). “Our off session working group produced cooperation and results, which were a long time coming.” 

"It is vital to protect Connecticut’s farmland and ensure the next generation of farmers can access the land they need to grow and thrive,” said Senator Rick Lopes (D-6). “This funding and legislation represent a major step forward in preserving our agricultural heritage while supporting a more secure and sustainable future for farming in our state." 

“While many consider Connecticut to be a heavily urbanized state, it has a long and proud farming history that survives to this day. Thankfully, we still have hearty men and women willing to work the land and animals to provide us with the food, fiber and other products we need,” said Representative Doug Dubitsky (R-47). “The agriculture bills, including PA 25-141, the legislature passed this year show that we have legislators in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle willing to work to make our farmers’ jobs just a little easier.” 

"The number of acres under farming is shrinking in Connecticut and in eastern Connecticut, where I live. The grant program in PA 25-141 can put a stop to this by linking new farmers with land they can buy or lease, and by helping existing farmers more easily sell their land that will not only be protected as farmland but actually used as farmland," said Senator Cathy Osten (D-19), who is Senate Chair of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee. "These changes have been overdue in Connecticut and I'm proud to have supported a measure that will help grow and protect farmland in Connecticut." 

“The passage of PA 25-141 marks a major step forward for farmland preservation and access in Connecticut. By authorizing tools like the Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value, the state now has more options to offer farmers who want to access land – and to offer farmland owners who want to keep land in farming,” said Jim Habana Hafner, American Farmland Trust New England Regional Director. “American Farmland Trust is proud to be the longtime home of the Working Lands Alliance and to have worked alongside our coalition partners and with the CT Department of Agriculture to advance this important legislation. PA 25-141 protects farmland as a critical resource for more thriving farms, local food security, climate resilience, and community vitality.”  

"The cost and availability of farmland continues to be the number one challenge for both beginning and existing farmers. PA 25-141 will provide a grant program for the CT Department of Agriculture to fully utilize the creativity and commitment of our land trusts and municipalities to protect more farmland and increase the affordability by using new and innovative tools,” said Kip Kolesinskas, Chair of the Working Lands Alliance. “The Working Lands Alliance thanks our citizens, Legislators, Commissioner, and Governor for their vision and actions to make this happen!" 

Cris Coffin, American Farmland Trust National Agricultural Land Network Director and Senior Policy Advisor, said “States across the country are wrestling with how to reduce barriers to entry and profitability for next generation farmers. This legislation thoughtfully enables the CT Department of Agriculture to develop multiple tools to help address land availability and affordability, key barriers to entry and profitability. Kudos to the advocates and lawmakers who made this happen!”  

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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 its 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 farming and ranching families.