Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide organization that protects farmland, supports farmers, and advances the future of farming. Our goal is to protect Maine farmland and to revitalize Maine’s rural landscape by keeping agricultural lands working and helping farmers and communities thrive.
WHAT WE DO
We work with farm families across the state. We also work closely with dozens of other partners, including statewide groups, local and regional land trusts, and municipalities.
Our Current Benchmarks – January 2019
60,000 acres of farmland in farming from York County to The County through our protection and viability programs.
200 farm links, many with promising beginning farmers who will continue to feed Maine’s people and rural economy.
830 farm families supported with direct services, helping them grow strong businesses and develop new markets.
Learn more about the next phase of our work and our current campaign, It Starts with the Land.
You can help MFT continue to grow this critical work. Join us in securing a future for farming.
FARMLAND PROTECTION
Protecting farmland is the only way we will ensure that we have enough land to grow our food in the future. Agricultural easements protect land from non-farm development and often allow the sale of land at its “farm use value,” which is often necessary to make farmland affordable for farmers. Learn More.
FARMLAND ACCESS
In the next decade, we expect that as many as 400,000 acres of Maine farmland will change hands as farmers age and retire. Connecting landowners with incoming farmers helps keep this land in production, whether through a sale, lease arrangement, or other support of a farmer’s land search. Learn More.
FARM NETWORK
To revitalize Maine’s rural communities, we must help farmers thrive and help more Mainers access local food. Collaborating and consulting with farmers, food-related businesses, and organizations with interests that range from economic development to food security, we help grow creative programs and enterprises designed to support a vibrant and resilient food system that works for all Mainers. MFT’s Farm Network Program delivers continued farm-facing services to the network of over 450 farms that have participated MFT’s farmland protection and other programming. Learn More.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
For local food and farms to flourish, we need an informed and dedicated community of people who are passionate about Maine farms. Events, films, books, art, and public advocacy all help advance farming’s future. Learn More.
WHY IT MATTERS
Though farming in Maine is growing, continued growth will depend on what happens next.
Up to 400,000 acres of Maine farmland will change hands this decade, due to the age of farmland owners. We need to ensure that this land stays in farming, by protecting farmland and supporting farmers. Beyond this, we need to revitalize once-farmed land to raise food again.
The future of our environment, economy, and food security demand our full commitment.
Let’s grow a bright future for farming, together.
Our work is funded primarily by individuals, like you. Join the thousands of people who are supporting the future of Maine’s farms and local food economy.