Northeast Farm Access - Growing Equity with Farmer and Financial Investors



		NEWS Copake Agricultural Center: Farmers on the land! The Copake Agricultural Center is up and running! We are thrilled to have achieved the purchase of the town center farmland and two neighboring houses for our farmer families. Because a big part of the success of the project is the people, for May’s blog entry, we’re highlighting the Copake Agricultural Center farms and farmers. MX Morningstar Farm Meet Max Morningstar of MX Morningstar Farm. Max has been farming for more than 10 years and is drawn to Copake because of the growth opportunity. He most recently hails from Siena Farms in Sudbury, MA, where he was Farm Manager for 60 acres of organic vegetables and a 700+ person CSA. Here at the Copake Agricultural Center, Max and his crew will be cultivating more than 60 acres, some as vegetables for the 2014 season and some as soil-building cover crops. Max plans to sell vegetables in CSA shares and at the farm stand on the property. Sparrow Arc Farm Meet Matt and Heather Linehan of Sparrow Arc Farm. Matt, Heather, and their three children moved to Copake from Unity, Maine. Matt started Sparrow Arc Farm in 2006 and grew the operation from 1.5 to 38 acres within seven years. Sparrow Arc Farm grows heirloom and “hard-to-grow” vegetables for fine dining establishments in Boston and New York. They are excited to participate in the Copake Agricultural Center because of the easy market access it provides. Matt and Heather grow these heirloom vegetables because of their cultural importance, genetic diversity, and role in creating regionally distinct food. Basically, they love feeding lots of people and giving chefs inspiring seasonal ingredients. Tiny Hearts Farm Meet Jenny Elliot and Luke Franco of Tiny Hearts Farm, of Salem, New York. Jenny and Luke grow specialty cut flowers for events, sale at farmers markets, and to retail shops and restaurants. Both Luke and Jenny are experienced organic farmers and artists—Luke sidelines as a jazz guitarist. Jenny and Luke strongly believe that fresh, local, and responsibly grown flowers are more vibrant, full of personality, and meaningful than your average, run-of-the-mill bouquet. Their farm-to-vase flowers also have superior vase life and raise the bar for customers looking for a sustainable and beautiful alternative to conventional flowers and floral design. They are ready and willing to flourish here at Copake. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Northeast Farm Access in the News There have been a few articles published about NEFA recently that we wanted to share. A New Model for Saving Farmland, John Townes, Hill Country Observer, April 2014 Farm Project Finds Common Ground, Diane Valden, Columbia Paper, March 7, 2014 Copake to Get New Agricultural Center, John Mason, Register Star, December 26, 2013 Farmers Lining Up for Copake Ag Center, David Lee, Register Star, November 5, 2013 Project Seeks to Up Access to Farming in Copake Center, John Mason, Register Star, August 31, 2013 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Access Is The Theme Welcome to Northeast Farm Access and our first blog post. Northeast Farm Access has been formed to speak to sustain agriculture and increase access to good local food in the Northeast. There is also a critical need for new and beginning farmers to have the opportunity to access funding for land in ways that build equity. The National Young Farmer’s Coalition released a study in November of 2011 titled Building a Future With Farmers: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed. They surveyed 1,000 farmers from across the United States and found that access to capital, access to land and health insurance present the largest obstacles for beginners. Farmers rated farm apprenticeships, local partnerships and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as the most valuable programs to help beginners. Report findings include: • 78% of farmers ranked “lack of capital” as a top challenge for beginners, with another 40% ranking “access to credit” as the biggest challenge. • 68% of farmers ranked land access as the biggest challenge faced by beginners. • 70% of farmers under 30 rented land, as compared to 37% of farmers over 30. • 74% of farmers ranked apprenticeships as among the most valuable programs for beginners. • 55% of farmers ranked local partnerships as one of the most valuable programs, and 49% ranked Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a top program.* We promote access by building relationships that lead to opportunity. The team at Northeast Farm Access has the knowledge, creativity, commitment and contacts to remove barriers and grow equity for farmers, assist retiring farmers in transitions and encourage community development. We facilitate equitable partnerships between farmers and investors that broaden access to farmland, restore our environment, and create more resilient local food systems. We use our expertise and networks to secure social and financial capital in farmland using methods that work well for farmers, investors and the land. We establish long term connections between investors and farmers, rooted in the interests of each and in the land, resulting in long-term and affordable tenure. We welcome your comments, questions and contributions. Explore our website and join our conversation on Twitter and Facebook. *http://www.youngfarmers.org/newsroom/building-a-future-with-farmers-october-2011/