Maine Farmland Trust Inc

The stewardship program is responsible for monitoring protected farmland to ensure that the conservation values of the property are protected forever. This period, mft completed annual easement monitoring for 296 easements, covering over 44,000 acres.

Education & outreach: provided workshops, presentations, regional meetings and displays at agricultural and related events to present both general and technical information about mft's work. Hosted a variety of events to increase public awareness about farming's needs and opportunities.

Farmland access collaborated with external partners to address systemic and individual farmland access and transfer challenges. Operated farmlink, which matches prospective farmers with landowners that have farms available for lease or sale. This year, our farmlink program assured that 366 acres of transitioning farmland remained in farming through farm links to new farmers. (255,105 expenses) climate: improved viability of farms through increased understanding of their land and adaptation to climate risks and connecting to resources. This year, our climate resilience team supported 51 farm businesses with technical assistance support and/or climate resilience grants. (467,084 expenses) pfas response: directly supported farmers affected by pfas by providing education, technical assistance, and grants to support farms affected by pfas. Approximately 28 farms were directly supported during the year. (33,397 expenses) policy & research worked on federal, state, and municipal policy issues that affect maine farms, and engaged in those policy areas that directly impact our ability to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance the future of farming. Conducted research and prepared reports and articles to inform mft's policy work, support other mft program areas, and educate policymakers and the public about issues affecting maine agriculture. (345,572 expenses) farmland business planning directly supported farmers with business planning, offering training and technical assistance to farmers. This year, our farm business planning program served 60 farm businesses through workshops, technical assistance, and grants. (409,991 expenses)