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Dear Fellow Mainer,

Today is National Ag Day, and we want to share a few things. Since 1980, American Farmland Trust has stood beside the nation's farmers and ranchers, advocating for the protection of agricultural land and supporting those who work day in and day out to steward that land.

In that spirit, we would like to share some recent highlights of our work. Read below to learn more about what we've been up to.

Helping Next Generation Farmers Access Land in New York

In New York, AFT recently launched a new statewide initiative to help farmers seeking land and landowners wanting to keep their land in farming. On the nyfarmlandfinder.org website, users can register to post farmer and property profiles, search for farmers and farmland, learn about upcoming events, and browse resources.

Empowering Women to Take Control of Their Land

Statistics don't lie. The future of agriculture is increasingly female. AFT's national Women for the Land initiative has released results from learning circles in California, the Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic that outline challenges faced by women landowners in the agricultural field and identified tools for successful implementation of conservation goals.

Building the Farm to School Pipeline

Farm to Institution New York State works to strengthen the economic security of farmers and health of New Yorkers by empowering institutions, many of which are schools, to source local, healthy food from New York farms. Now, with the launch of a new Farm to School Institute, AFT will provide tailored support to help school teams build these networks and navigate funding.

Leading a Soil Health Revolution

AFT is celebrating it's sixth year of soil health conferences aimed at giving farmers the tools to protect their soil and water resources. These seminars continue to be a great opportunity for farmers to hear about the latest soil health practices.

Securing Federal Conservation Funding

The 2018 Farm Bill successfully passed in Congress, securing increased funding for farmland protection measures like the vital Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. For an inside look at exactly what was passed and what AFT's stance is on certain provisions, follow the link below.