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New York Women for the Land

With over 7 million acres in active agricultural production, New York’s economy depends on farms. Women own or co-own 37% of New York’s farmland and are quickly becoming the primary decision-makers on farm viability, transition, and establishment. Our New York Women for the Land program was established in 2016 in the Genesee River Valley, providing targeted education through the Learning Circle model. With additional program funding acquired in 2020 and 2023, we are building a strong community of women involved in every stage of agriculture, representing land from across the state.

Our program provides education to promote sound farming practices while creating spaces for women to connect with one another about farmland transition, business planning, and service provider resources. In addition to outreach, our initiative addresses gender-related barriers in collaboration with partners across New York through direct technical assistance, research, and policy advocacy. We’re helping women find their power, access the resources they need, and tap into networks to support their success.

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Women's Learning Circles

Every year, we host educational events for women farmers, landowners, and service providers throughout New York. These events are purposely small to build connection among participants and hosted on farms for an immersive experience. Topic areas have included chainsaw safety, farmer mental health, soil health testing, and native plant restoration. This educational outreach builds community among women farmers and landowners across New York and connects them to resources provided by their service provider network.

Stay tuned for 2026 learning circles in New York!

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Women's Farm Mentorship

American Farmland Trust is launching a two-year women’s farm mentorship program in western/central New York. This program will pair early career and aspiring farmers with an experienced vegetable farmer to learn first-hand how to start and run a successful farming operation. Participants will work closely with their mentors to complete a curriculum that covers the basics of starting a farm enterprise and will develop a business plan in the second year of the program. Mentor farms are Dirt Rich Farm, LLC, located in Springville, NY and Schenk Homestead Farm located in Naples, NY.

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Women Leader Farm Network

With support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Save our Great Lakes program, the Women for the Land New York team will accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on over 2,400 acres across the New York portion of the Great Lakes Basin. This project will feature interactive, farmer-led, technical outreach events and added five women leader farms to our network.

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Reducing Gender Barriers

We help women navigate decisions on their land and connect to the resources they need.  We can provide one on one technical assistance to women farmers and landowners who need help identifying resource concerns and developing a plan of action. We work in partnership with a strong network of service providers to connect women to technical and financial resources to make their farms more economically viable for generations to come.

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Stats

14,000

There are 14,000 farms in New York currently owned or co-owned by a woman, representing 37% of the total farmland of New York (roughly 2.4 million acres)

60

Women constitute over 60% of new/beginning farmers in New York

520

Since 2020, 520 women from New York have attended AFT WFL events

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Case Study

Featuring Wild Hill Farm in Ontario County

Read the Case Study on Wild Hill Farm (external link)

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