Increase Farmland Conservation & Access

farmstand

Conserving farmland is more important than ever. Farmers and farmland are under increasing pressure in New Hampshire: losing their farmland to permanent development, low farm incomes, and aging farmer populations. Farmers face barriers to business viability planning, market pressures (such as the decline in conventional dairy operations), and now new and uncertain challenges related to climate change. 

All of these factors contribute to loss of farmland as farmers go out of business. Conserving farmland ensures that our rural landscape is mitigating the effects of climate change and is available to farm for generations to come. 

Resources and Collaborations

  • The Farm Future Fund is a program that grew out of the work of the Land Resources Action Team of the NH Food Alliance. The program provides funding for land trusts and landowners to work together to conserve farmland, while investing in the future viability of the farm business.
  • Securing & Stewarding New Hampshire’s Agricultural Land: A Ranked Matrix of Policy Approaches This brief highlights a suite of policy approaches aimed at securing and stewarding the agricultural land base in New Hampshire. The NH Food Alliance Land Resources Action Team (LRAT) developed these approaches to guide their collective work.  

 

 

NEWS, events & resources FROM OUR NETWORK

 

Network News about Farmland Conservation and Access

July 17, 18, 24 and August 8, 2025
Non-native upland invasive plants pose a serious threat to natural environments in New Hampshire. Join UNH Extension foresters for a free hands-on inv... Learn More
Every third Thursday, 12-1pm
Join the OPD Planning Division staff every third Thursday of the month from 12 to 1 pm to learn more about various planning and zoning topics. The top... Learn More
NRCS has a tool on the Farmers.gov site called the “Conservation Concerns Tool” where interested producers can learn about different types of conserva... Learn More