Housing & Farmland Protection Workgroup

sunflowers on a farm

The Housing & Farmland Protection Workgroup is open to all housing, planning, farmland conservation, and land use professionals interested in working together to address issues that arise at the intersection of housing development and agricultural land use in New Hampshire. The workgroup meets regularly to foster dialogue, find alignment on common interests, and discover collaborative solutions with a particular focus on moving forward recommendations made in the Land Use Planning and Farmland Conservation, Access, and Succession Briefs of the New Hampshire Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan.

This workgroup is led by:

The H&FP workgroup launched in October 2025 and meets monthly. If you are interested in joining this workgroup, please fill out the form linked below.

 JOIN THE WORKGROUP

Recommendation Status Brief Topic Type of Action
Convene housing and agricultural advocates on land use issues
Host conversations throughout the state between housing advocates and agricultural advocates to foster dialogue, find alignment on common interests,…
Goals & Tags: Communities/Consumers, Local/Municipal, Nonprofits, (goal) Farm, Fish, and Food Business Viability
 In Progress Land Use Planning Program creation, support, or expansion
Incorporate agricultural preservation into the Master Planning Process
Add “Agriculture & Food Production” as a section on the list of optional sections in the Master Plan statute (RSA 674:2) and encourage Master…
Goals & Tags: State/NH, (goal) Farm, Fish, and Food Business Viability
 Not Started Land Use Planning Policy/Regulation
Identify high-value agriculture soils and prime farmland
Create a map viewer identifying high-value agriculture soils and prime farmland in support of farmland protection and smart decision-making at the…
Goals & Tags: State/NH, (goal) Farm, Fish, and Food Business Viability
 Not Started Land Use Planning Resource/tool creation, support or expansion, Research/Study
Launch and fund a circuit rider program for regional planning commissions
A circuit rider program would provide funding for New Hampshire’s regional planning commissions to support communities with the adoption of farm-…
Goals & Tags: Local/Municipal, State Agencies, Local/Regional Government Agencies, State/NH, (goal) Farm, Fish, and Food Business Viability
 Not Started Land Use Planning Program creation, support, or expansion, Investment/Funding
House agriculture-friendly tools and land use regulations on a central website
Create a central website with tools and local land use regulations that communities can adopt to become agriculture-friendly. The site could be…
Goals & Tags: State/NH, State Agencies, Nonprofits, (goal) Engagement and Education
 Not Started Land Use Planning Resource/tool creation, support or expansion, Research/Study

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