Our Good Work, Spring 2026

From the Executive Director

It’s spring! As the new growing season begins, we welcome spring rains and longer days with continued determination to improve farmland security for our region’s farmers. Farmland access challenges remain strong, as does your support and our commitment to being a reliable resource.

Join us - and others - as we push for a national farm bill that serves all farmers and communities. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition unpacks the recently passed House Farm Bill in their blog series including an overview of the markup process and the bill as a whole. "Many farmers find themselves at an inflection point similar to the farm crisis of the late 1980s. Today, high production costs, unstable markets, and low crop prices driven by uncertain export markets and overproduction have converged to create an economic climate in which farmers’ livelihoods are threatened."

At Land For Good, we’re committed to making sure farmers are able to thrive, steward our lands, and feed our communities. We share highlights in our Annual Report. 2025 brought many challenges that we met by staying grounded in our values and strategy. We strengthened our impact, deepened partnerships, and expanded farming opportunities across the region. Over 1,800 farmers, landowners, and service providers connected with our training and services. Our field team responded to over 370 requests for support, providing individualized guidance. This resulted in more than 3,125 acres of active farmland transitioned this past year!.

We are grateful to be adding two new team members this spring. Both bring years of experience assisting farmers and addressing farmland access needs. We also welcome an additional board member and are excited for this new energy to extend our impact.

Welcome to the team!

We are excited to expand our team with a new regional position, as well as increased capacity to serve farmers, landowners, and partners in Maine. This new talent will allow us to further grow our reach and deepen our expertise.

Johanna Rosen, New England Program Manager, will advise and educate farmers, landowners, organizations, and agencies on farmland access and transfer planning, particularly in southern New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut), and support region-wide program development and delivery. Jo brings over 20 years of experience in roles providing project management and coordination within nonprofit organizations and networks focused on land, agriculture, and food, and a personal dedication to just transition.

Amelia Tutmalria Evans-Brown, field agent covering Maine and New Hampshire, has cultivated relationships across diverse audiences. Her passion for building resilient food systems and track record for approaching her work with integrity, cultural sensitivity, and a forward-thinking mindset has helped to build lasting resilience for Tribal and rural communities. Amelia is an active third-generation Yup’ik/Peskotomuhkati farmer, agricultural leader, and educator with a lifelong commitment to land stewardship, food sovereignty, and community resilience.

Meet our new team members

Collaborating with the Northeast Farmland Access Network

Land For Good launched the Northeast Farmland Access Network to provide a community of practice for service providers to learn with and from each other about farmland access issues this past fall. The Network’s goal is to help service providers increase their knowledge, skills, and connections so they can better serve farm seekers. With a rotating set of topics, from land tenure basics to financial readiness to the “soft issues” and power dynamics that shape every land access conversation, these sessions are designed to be interactive.

Sessions are free and open to anyone working in or entering this field. The next drop in session is scheduled for May 13th from 2:00 - 3:30pm. Since we started the Network, 65 individuals have registered from across the Northeast, representing farm viability planners, land trust staff, extension educators, farmer training program coordinators, community organizers, and more.

The Network is a collaboration between Land For Good, Farmland for a New Generation New York, Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, and New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.

Building stability from the start with a strong lease

Congratulations to Emmy! After farming in managerial roles for eight years, Emmy decided to follow her dream and start looking for land for her own farm operation. It took two years to secure a farm of her own. But finding land was only the first step.

We helped Emmy go from finding land to securing it, and move from uncertainty to clarity, by crafting a lease that would ensure business stability from the start. This wasn’t simply about gaining access to acreage for a season or two. It was about building a stable foundation for a farm business that allowed for future planning, investment, and growth. Emmy is now preparing for her second season at Little Light Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts.

"Land For Good made a huge difference! Having someone show me what standard lease agreements looked like, and what to include in mine was a significant help. I would have left out so many pieces I wouldn’t have known to include. Their knowledge especially around infrastructure and the average cost of land in the area was key,” shared Emmy.

Read Emmy's story

More farmers are looking for land! Landowners can find resources to make land available for farming or to lease farmland. Or request individual assistance to draft a lease agreement or improve an existing lease.

Learning together at the Farm Succession School

This past winter, farmers in Massachusetts made headway on their succession planning while completing the Farm Succession School. Each class involved several lessons, guest speaker presentations, work periods, and time for sharing. This format allowed plenty of opportunity to dive deep into any (and all!) of the various planning topics, which ranged from family communication and meeting schedules, to legal entities and business planning. One of the most powerful elements of Farm Succession School for many farmers is just being there in the same room with other farm families who are planning for or going through farm succession. Land For Good partnered with Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to provide this opportunity to farmers.

Few farm families have plans in place that articulate who their successor is and exactly how the land, equipment, business, and other assets will be divided among heirs or transferred to a successor. If you have questions about passing on the farm that you don’t know how to answer, help is available:

Start with this workbook on Farm Succession Planning to help you consider the bigger picture and put on paper what you already know.
Watch this webinar from our winter series on how to get started, where to find resources, plus financial and legal considerations of farm succession planning.
Hear from farmers going through a farm transfer or succession. Both senior generation and junior generation farmers share the issues that arise.
Request individual assistance at no-cost, for a limited time, if your farm is in New England. We can help you clarify your goals, develop a farm transfer plan, and get resources. We can also help you identify or recruit a farm successor if necessary, and work with you toward a smooth transition.

Grant aims to support protecting more farmland in Massachusetts

Through the Massachusetts Farmland Partnership Program, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has awarded grants to seven regional partnerships to implement tasks from the Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan. Funded partners include nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and agricultural groups with projects designed to slow the loss of farmland, help farmers gain access to land, and enhance farm viability. Over $1.8 million in funding was awarded to help protect farmland, support farm businesses, and keep agricultural land in active use across the state.

Land For Good is proud to be among these grant awardees, working alongside committed partners to change the trajectory of farmland access in the state. The new endeavors funded through Massachusetts Farmland Partnership Program will build from our prior work.

“Last year we served over 100 cases in Massachusetts,” shared Shemariah Blum-Evitts, Executive Director of Land For Good. “At least 67 individuals received technical assistance from our field staff who helped them advance their farmland access or transfer goals, and over 300 attended our Massachusetts-based events. We’re excited to engage with program partners and implement new targeted projects to greatly expand this impact over the next two years.”

Make an impact! Give now!

With help from donors like you, Land For Good can help farmers thrive, connect people and land, and grow more farmland opportunity for all. As the federal funding outlook continues to be uncertain in 2026, we rely on local philanthropy and support of all sizes to keep the momentum. Give now to help us stay strong:

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See the many Ways to Give.
Consider including Land For Good in your estate plan.

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