Farmland Access Network Task Force Seeking Farmer Focus Group Participants

Land For Good, together with the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, are working on a Farmland Investor Financing Research Project. The project team is now looking for up to 10 farmers to participate in a focus group to examine and critique investment models from 4 "values based" farmland investment companies operating and buying farmland in New England. The team is offering focus group participants a $350 stipend and mileage for in person meetings. They are looking to assemble the focus groups by early December.

The project team are specifically looking for:

• 10 farmers who are actively farming in commercial operations
• A diversity of farm sectors--dairy, horticulture, maple and also both conventional and organic
• Diversity of age and gender and farm size
• Diversity of experience in business--new businesses and also operators with substantial experience
• Both farmers who have already secured land through purchase, and those who are leasing--we feel that we need this diversity of perspective on land tenure options for good analytical discussion.
• An interest in land access and land tenure options and issues--even if they have already secured their own land.
• MOST IMPORTANT: Good analytical skills, especially in the area of financial analysis, and comfort with legal topics.

Please send farmer nominations to Mike Ghia at mike@landforgood.org, with the following information:

• Name(s)
• Location of the Farmer
• Basics of their farming and experience (ie "conventional dairy farmer milking 80 cows", operating for 12 years)
• Email and phone contact information
• A description of their current land tenure situation and history (ie "leased for years and then bought a farm"; "actively leasing", etc)
• A few sentences on why you think that they might be able to contribute to this project, and might be willing to participate.