Our Good Work • Winter/Spring 2023

Shemariah Blum-Evitts named Interim Executive Director

We are delighted to announce that Shemariah Blum-Evitts has been named Interim Executive Director of Land For Good. Having served as our Program Director for the past five years, Shemariah has deep experience guiding this work. With farming and land access journeys of her own, she has a working knowledge of the issues and needs in our region. She has served as project director on our Land for Farmers initiative with state partners and collaborators across New England since 2021.

Board and staff are embracing the upcoming months as an opportunity to plan strategically for Land For Good’s future. Shemariah is excited to lead the team through this intentional visioning period with deep respect for the talent and commitment that the staff and board bring to serving New England's farmers. Last month we wished Mick Weltman, former Executive Director, our best in his next endeavors. 

"I am proud to be a member of this strong team and grateful for the opportunity to lead Land For Good in this way," shared Shemariah.

We are excited for you to get to know Shemariah in this new role.

Land is intertwined with all aspects of a farmer's success

As a first-generation farmer and our Connecticut Field Agent, Will has personally learned that land is critical to a farmers’ success. And it does not just impact farmers. Land access is critical to the health and well-being of our environment, economy, and communities.

During his tenure as a farmer, Will has experienced a multitude of challenges including struggling to find adequate, affordable housing near the farms that he stewarded. The problem was compounded by the pandemic housing boom and subsequent housing crisis. And the struggle continued through starting his own farm on leased land.

Will has been farming in New England since 2011 and is the co-founder and farm manager of Hungry Reaper Farm. Read Will's land access story.

New England Farmland Finder upgrade coming soon

Achieve your farmland vision with New England Farmland Finder (NEFF), the region's largest farm link website that facilitates farmland transfer, helping to connect farm seekers and landowners across New England. Watch for the website upgrade coming later this spring!

Farm seekers will soon be able to add their profile, share what they are looking for and explain their experience. Users will enjoy improved site navigation and upgraded functionality on mobile devices. This farm link website is managed by the New England Farm Link Collaborative, a partnership of farm link programs and land access services in New England, including Connecticut FarmLink, Maine FarmLink, Vermont Land Link, and Land For Good.

"Our goal was to focus on transitioning our farm and farm business to someone with the interest and skills/experience to continue the farm and business. We wanted to avoid someone seeking to purchase for real estate development. We knew NEFF would target the audience we were looking to reach."

-Rita Wollmering & Brooke Finn

Herb FARMacy

On Capitol Hill last week

The National Young Farmer Coalition (NYFC) completed their largest D.C. farmer fly-in ever last week. As part of NYFC's Land Advocacy Fellowship, Will O'Meara, our Connecticut Field Agent, was among the 150 farmers from across the country meeting with members of congress to advocate for land access for the next generation of farmers, specifically new, beginning, young, BIPOC and first generation farmers. The NYFC's One Million Acres Campaign is calling on Congress to make a historic investment in the 2023 Farm Bill to facilitate equitable access to one million acres of land for the next generation.

Pictured: Will O'Meara, Land For Good, and Susan Mitchell, Cloverleigh Farm. This duo was joined by Elizabeth Guerra, Seamarron Farmstead, to complete the Connecticut contingent of NYFC's Land Advocacy Fellows. (photo credit: Susan Mitchell)

"After preparing and strategizing for the last year, we got to bring our collective voices and experiences to our members of Congress in an effort to improve land access for farmers through the 2023 Farm Bill," shared Will.

Northeast convening to improve farmland access

Maine Farmland Trust invited agricultural service providers from across the Northeast to discuss trends and evolutions in farmland conservation and land access work. Panel discussions included municipal, state and federal policy efforts that are supporting farmland access; how equity and disproportionate landownership are shaping new approaches to our work; and sharing knowledge and experiences to build our collective skills.

Pictured: Shemariah Blum-Evitts, Land For Good; Benneth Phelps, The Carrot Project; Rachel Brice, Land For Good; and Jamie Pottern, American Farmland Trust.

"It was great to reconnect in person for the first time in many years! More good work is happening with partners in our region," shared Shemariah.

Watch & learn on your own with these recorded sessions

Most of our winter workshops were recorded and recently published. Watch any of these recordings at your own pace!

• Accessing Farmland Together - Many farmers are exploring ways to access farmland together to improve their chances of success, quality of life, social connections, and mental health. Learn about methods to lease or own farmland as a group.
• Aspiring Farmers - Learn important steps to take before looking for land in this short interview with our Maine Field Agent, Eliza Baker-Wacks.
• Farm Succession Planning - Established and transitioning farmers learn the basics of how to get started with farm succession planning, where to find advisors or resources, and hear from farmers recently in transition.
• Make Your Land Available for Farming - Farming and non-farming private landowners and their representatives (real estate agents, etc.) learn how to assess land’s potential for farming, what goes into a good farming arrangement, and strategies for making any amount of land available to a farmer. 

Farm Aid grant for individualized land access & farm transfer services

Farm Aid awarded grants totaling $1,187,100 to 88 farm and agriculture organizations that support family farmers, work to achieve racial equity and social justice, prioritize farmer-led solutions to climate change, and build power for systemic change in our farm and food system.

Farm Aid awarded a $10,000 grant to Land For Good to provide individualized land access and farm transfer advising, coaching and referral services to beginning, established, and transitioning farmers and farm families in New England in 2023.

“The real power of Farm Aid’s grants is in the network of changemakers they knit together, in cities and rural areas across this country, who are working to build an equitable and sustainable farm and food system for us all."

-Farm Aid President Willie Nelson

(photo credit Farm Aid)

Take the short poll on our website

Help us improve our online presence! Whether you visit our website regularly, download free resources, or benefit from our online tutorials, we want to hear about your experience. Please complete our short poll next time you visit to help guide our redesign. Thank you!

"You make it so easy for farm service people to help farmers and landowners. The way there are tiered publications for folks at different stages of the process (simple, interactive, specific) is just great."

-Website User

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