Suggested Links & Resources

The Connecticut Farmland Trust works particularly closely with some organizations, including: the state government's Farmland Preservation Program, the non-profit advocacy group Working Lands Alliance, the nationwide non-profit group American Farmland Trust, and the federal agency Natural Resources Conservation Service. You can read more about our similarities and differences in this PDF document.

Links
The links below describe many organizations, services, and resources that contribute to the farmland preservation movement in Connecticut.

American Farmland Trust - A nationwide nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting our nation's strategic agricultural resources.

Buy CT Grown - Promotes local agricultural enterprises and the businesses that support them through a comprehensive program providing technical assistance and broad-based marketing reach.

CLEAR (Center for Land Use Education and Research) - Provides information, education, and assistance to land use decision makers, in support of balancing growth and natural resource protection. Funded by UConn.

Connecticut Department of Agriculture - Operates key programs such as the state Farmland Preservation Program, Agriculture Viability Grants, Public Act 490 (use-value taxation), the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Connecticut Grown.

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection - Conserves the state's natural resources and operates key programs such as the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program.

Connecticut Farm Bureau - A non-governmental organization for farm families that works closely with regulatory agencies and elected officials to find solutions for concerns facing production agriculture.

Connecticut FarmLink - Like a matchmaking service for farmers and landowners, this program aids the transition between generations of farmers and keeps farmland in production.

Connecticut Land Conservation Council - Offers training, advocacy, and technical assistance to land trusts throughout Connecticut.

Cooperative Extension System - Provides practical learning resources to address complex problems of families, communities, agriculture, business and industry. Part of a nation-wide educational network through the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Farm Transfer and Estate Planning - A list of websites that provide general information on farm transfer/estate planning from Connecticut Farm Risk Management and Crop Insurance.

Farm Transfer Network of New England - Provides an online listing of organizations, programs, firms and consultants; educational materials; and events for farm families and community groups to help with farm transfer.

Land Trust Alliance - An umbrella organization for land trusts that promotes private land conservation, develops guidelines for ethical performance of land trusts and represents land trusts in DC. Looking for a local land trust? LTA lists all its members here.

Natural Resources Conservation Service - A division of the US Department of Agriculture that offers conservation funding to landowners.

New England Land Link - A New England-wide website service for farmers seeking land and landowners seeking farm tenants, run by the New England Small Farm Institute.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut - A non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the practices of ecologically sound farming and gardening, and to the development of local sustainable agriculture.

Planning For Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities (opens as pdf) - A publication of American Farmland Trust and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Working Lands Alliance - A multi-interest coalition working to preserve Connecticut's farmland, with a focus on public policy.

Working the Land - Resources on Connecticut's farming history and present-day issues, plus historic photographs and a clip of the Emmy-nominated documentary Working the Land.

Resources
Economic Impacts of Connecticut’s Agricultural Industry: A report by The University of Connecticut's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, in cooperation with the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis. (report opens as a PDF)

Conservation Options for Connecticut Farmland: The American Farmland Trust, a national organization that conducts outreach in Connecticut, has published an updated version of its guide to help landowners and communities identify state and federal programs available to protect farmland and fund farm conservation practices. The updated version includes new detailed information on the Joint State-Town Farmland Preservation Program, the CT Agriculture Viability Grants program, and tax considerations specific to the 2006 Federal Tax Code. You can download the PDF file of the guide here.

Bibliography: The Connecticut Farmland Trust has compiled a bibliography for landowners interested in learning about conservation options. The list describes several widely used publications that cover estate planning, tax strategies, and other land conservation tools, and provides information on where to purchase them.

Sources of Land Information: CFT's staff compiled this list of online and professional resources that land trusts, landowners, and town officials may find useful for learning more about specific lands considered for conservation. The conservation process calls for details on numerous natural resources and the input of many professionals -- our list can help you know where to look.

Preservation Map: The preservation map illustrates the challenge involved in preserving Connecticut's remaining farmland. It shows agricultural land throughout the state and highlights the fraction that CFT and other programs protect. The information is courtesy of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and is current as of May 2006.