AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
Jun 18, 2026
AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
American Farmland Trust (AFT) applauds Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature for enacting a final FY 2026–27 state budget that delivers meaningful, sustained investments in farmland protection, farm viability, climate resilience, and local food systems across New York.
American Farmland Trust has named Julia Valliant as Director of the national Farms for a New Generation team, where she will lead efforts to increase access to land and capital for the rising generation of farmers and ranchers and support elder farmers and landowners in transferring their farms with dignity and confidence.
AFT Applauds Introduction of the Bipartisan American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
Highlighting a recent policy update that offers a perspective on our work to advance farmland protection and support agricultural viability across Washington State in 2026.
Learn how Crooked Porch Farm in Virginia uses high tunnels, soil health practices, EQIP funding, and farm grants to grow vegetables year-round while building a sustainable family farming business.
Discover how a childhood garden inspired a career in soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation. Learn how biochar, composting, and land stewardship can help farmers build healthier soils and more resilient agricultural systems.
Discover how regenerative soil health practices can improve farm profitability, resilience, and long-term sustainability while strengthening rural communities and food systems. Learn about the latest economic tools, research, and resources helping farmers make informed conservation decisions that support both their bottom line and the future of agriculture.
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This spring our Midwest team gathered in Wisconsin/Iowa driftless area to learn and grow together. Learning about adult education mental models, visually impactful demonstrations, and the full sensory experience of an operational dairy farm! Though the Midwest spans states, our team is taking our in-person connections to build a stronger, more resilient Midwest region, rooted together.
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Discover how American Farmland Trust's (AFT) expanded engineering team is helping farmers and landowners turn infrastructure ideas into buildable, fundable projects. Learn how expert support for drainage, irrigation, water management, manure systems, permitting, and NRCS compliance can save time, reduce costs, and improve farm resilience across the Northeast.
Chantel Welch and the Pacific Northwest team help farmers and ranchers increase their resilience on individual and community levels out West.
Discover how agrivoltaics is transforming Texas agriculture by combining solar energy production with livestock grazing, hay production, and new opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Learn how innovative solar projects can improve land access, strengthen rural economies, and help preserve working lands across Texas.
Highlighting a recent policy update that offers a perspective on our work to advance farmland protection and support agricultural viability across Washington State in 2026.
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This winter, I hosted a series of informal “virtual coffee chats” with farmers across Illinois. These conversations started with a simple goal: to provide ongoing agronomic support to farmers participating in ADM’s re:generations™ program in Illinois. Through its partnership with ADM, American Farmland Trust works directly with producers to offer agronomic advice and support as they adopt and expand their use cover crops, reduced tillage, and other soil health practices.
As the Midwest Policy Manager for American Farmland Trust, I work with a wide array of individuals and organizations, all bringing their own priorities and perspectives to the proverbial table. In a policy landscape where time, attention, and funding are limited, finding initiatives that resonate across that diversity can be challenging.
Discover how innovative land succession strategies like Buy-Protect-Sell Plus are helping preserve farmland, support retiring landowners, and create affordable access for the next generation of farmers. Learn how conservation easements, public funding, and long-term farm viability planning can keep agricultural land protected and productive for generations to come.
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American Farmland Trust’s Midwest Deputy Director, Jean Brokerish, honors the often-unseen women whose daily labor, resilience, and care keep family farms running generation after generation.
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In August, AFT’s Midwest team program staff completed the Soil & Water Conservation Society’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) and attended the 80th Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Annual Conference in Costa Mesa, California. Midwest staff Rachel Lechuga, Floreal Crubaugh, and Marlee Giacometti are AFT’s most recent graduates of the second class of the Emerging Leaders Program (fun fact: Helen VanBeck, our Midwest Program Manager) graduated from the first-ever program. Here’s a look back at what the program meant to them and the snapshots that capture their achievements.
Rachel Lechuga
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Rachel Irvine
On a thin strip of land between two hayfields in Walpole, New Hampshire, a once-impenetrable wall of invasive plants is being transformed into pollinator-friendly hedgerow. Where bittersweet, honeysuckle, and multiflora rose once dominated, clover is now blooming, pollinators are returning, and the sunlight can actually reach the soil. This remarkable change has been fueled by the passion and persistent work of Holly and her family at Brookfield Farm, powered in part by a Regenerative Livestock Farming (RLF) microgrant from American Farmland Trust.
Lia Raz
High Lawn Farm has been raising Jersey cows in Lee, Massachusetts, for over 100 years. The cows have always had access to pasture, but until recently, the farm relied on continuous grazing. That began to change when the farm received a Regenerative Livestock Farming (RLF) microgrant from American Farmland Trust. The funds helped them fence off 20 acres of previously idle land, giving their dry cows access to fresh, well-rested pasture—and creating space for true rotational grazing for the first time.
Lia Raz
Michael Shulman
Michael Shulman
We dig deeper into one way of quantifying how well practices address the SWAPA-E resources concerns. We turn our attention to another set of three practices: Tree/Shrub Planting, Prescribed Grazing, and Conservation Cover
Michelle Perez, PhD
Michael Shulman
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