From The Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires:
120 Attended the Farmland Access Symposium
Thank you all for your support and participation in the April 12th Farmland Access Symposium. We had a standing-room-only crowd for a very productive knowledge transfer. Now the work begins to connect more farmers with more farmland.
NEXT STEPS
- To scale up production connect established and new farmers with land owners
- To keep farms working create farm succession and transfer plans for retiring farmers
- To ensure local control and permanent affordability acquire community-owned farmland
These are tasks which require an individualized, situation specific, place-based approach. There are many experts and organizations ready to assist you and your community. Below we have compiled resource lists to get you started.
ORGANIZATIONS
Barbara Zheutlin, Executive Director, Berkshire Grown
Billie Best, President, Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires
Bill Martin, Vice President, Farm Credit East
Kathy Ruhf, Executive Director, Land for Good
Rick Chandler, Business Training Program Director, Mass Dept of Agriculture Resources
Susan Witt, Executive Director, Schumacher Center for a New Economics
Martha Bryan, Greater Berkshire Agriculture Fund Program Manager, The Carrot Project
TOOLS & ISSUE EDUCATION
- Toolbox for Farm Seekers
- Toolbox for Farm Transfer Planning
- Toolbox for Land Owners
- Toolbox for Communities
