Farmers, our communities, and our economy depend on successful, thriving farms that are resilient to the impacts of a changing climate. Maine’s farmers are already living the reality of climate change, as extreme weather events, shifting pests and weather patterns, and other stressors have tangible impacts on farm business viability and the overall health of Maine’s food system.
Climate resilience is a key lens through which we approach our work in Farmland Protection, Farmland Access, and Farm Business Planning.
We incorporate climate resilience analyses into our easement process and in how we evaluate properties for our farmland access projects. We assess climate-relevant information about each protected property, including slope, soils, and hydrology considerations, so that MFT and the farmland owner understand a property's attributes in the face of a changing climate.
When MFT purchases a property to resell through our Buy/Protect/Sell program, we perform climate assessments so that prospective farm owners have a risk analysis of the property, suggested mitigation or intervention approaches, as well as maps tailored to the climate and physical features of the property.
On all of our protected properties, MFT’s Stewards can help farmland owners identify management strategies to address climate-related issues and point to available resources. And our Farm Business Planning staff can consider climate challenges when working with you on your business goals so that your business strategy reflects reality and considers climate-related risks.
Learn more about our farmer services on our Farmland and Farmers pages.
Want to learn more about how your farm could be impacted by climate change? Explore our interactive mapping tool designed to help farmers assess the potential impacts of climate change on your current or prospective farm properties.
