Feb

2015 Spring Forum – LAND: the foundation of a healthy food system

0 Comment

Front Page Only, Local, PVGrows Forum

LAND: the foundation of a healthy food system

Wednesday, April 15th from 9:00-1:30pm, Mill 1 in Open Square, 4 Open Square Way, Holyoke, MA

Sliding Scale Registration: $0-50. Space is limited to 130. Register NOW!

Catered by Beets & Barley and Holyoke Hummus Company.

There will be a MA Food Plan Listening Session following the Forum.

View Program Details & Full List of Presenters

Just as a house needs a strong foundation to support it over time, farmers need secure access to land to produce food. Land is the foundation of our food system.

How does access to farmland fit into a vision of creating a healthy, resilient, and equitable food system?
How can we ensure that farmland is available and protected for future generations?
What is the connection between food access and farmland access?
What can urban and rural communities learn from one another about accessing land for food production?

We all have a stake in supporting working farms by expanding secure access to land. Farmers with secure access can afford to purchase farmland or can obtain long-term leases that allow them to feel confident investing in the soil or other infrastructure. They live in communities that prioritize food production among other land uses. In our region, as elsewhere, food security – ensuring adequate, healthy food for all – is of great concern. Our region’s food security depends on farmers’ land security.

Join us for PVGrows’ 2015 Spring Forum to learn about the important role that secure access to land plays in our food system – and how we can all work to strengthen this foundation.

At the Forum we will explore topics related to land access including land affordability, land transfer and succession planning, land conservation, farm financing, farm viability, and food access.

We will:

Learn why secure access to farmland is vital to creating a healthy, resilient, and equitable food system in the Pioneer Valley.
Understand the barriers facing producers who are trying to gain secure access to rural and urban farmland.
Get introduced to the diverse approaches available for overcoming these barriers including conservation easements, shared ownership, and creative leasing.
Hear stories of innovative approaches to land access and partnerships in rural and urban settings and meet with local people working on these issues.

Community support is critical to help farmers access, hold, and transfer land – and to keep working farms viable for future generations. Join us to learn more.

Like past Forums, the 2015 Spring Forum will include interactive sessions, structured networking, opportunities for collaboration, and a locally grown lunch. This event is open to anyone interested in and working for a healthy food system in the Pioneer Valley.