About
MDAR is supporting the development of the plan, and engaged the UMass Donahue Institute to gather the input and recommendations from farmers, advocates, investors, landowners, land trusts, agricultural technical assistance providers, scientists, public officials, policy makers, and other agricultural stakeholders. The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative and American Farmland Trust are partners on this project as well. The Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan is currently under review with an expected release for the Fall of 2023.
UMass Donahue Institute will support the formation of a comprehensive multi-year Massachusetts Farmland Action Plan that:
• is guided by a unified vision
• is created by broad stakeholder involvement/engagement
• identifies a multi-year strategy until 2050.
• outlines immediate and on-going actions and initiatives
• creates measurement tools by which progress is monitored according to project goals
Additional Resources
Subject Matter Experts
In addition to seeking public comment on the development of the Farmland Action Plan, a committee of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) representing a wide range of stakeholder interests was assembled to provide guidance on the development of the plan. The members of the SME group can be found here:
|
Name |
Organization |
|
Jim Habana Hafner |
Land for Good |
|
Patricia Spence |
Urban Farming Institute |
|
Jennifer Hashley |
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project |
|
Clem Clay |
UMass Extension |
|
Jim Lattanzi |
Hollis Hills Farm |
|
Cris Coffin |
Eden Pond Farm |
|
Karen Schwalbe |
Southeastern MA Agricultural Partnership |
|
Marty Dagoberto |
Northeast Organic Farming Association |
|
Dan Wright |
Natural Resources Conservation Science |
|
Tim Wilcox |
The Kitchen Garden |
|
Mark Parlee |
Parlee Farm |
|
Kurt Gaertner |
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs |
|
Kathy Orlando |
Sheffield Land Trust |
|
Mark Wamsley |
Kestrel Land Trust |
|
Hameed Bello |
Agric Organics Urban Farm |
|
Kristen Wyman |
Nipmuc Nation |