Agrarian Trust

Most Exiting Farmers in New England May Have No Successor

A new study by American Farmland Trust and Land For Good underscores the challenge New England faces in the next two decades around farmland transition. Nearly one-thrid of New England’s farmers are age 65+ and 9 out of 10 do not have a young farmer to work alongside of them.

The 1.4 million acres they manage, and $6.45 billion in land and agricultural infrastructure they own, will change hands in one way or another over the next decade. How and to whom this land and farm infrastructure transfers will have seen enormous impact on the future of farming in New England. While these results do not mean that these farmers lack succession plans, they do suggest that the future of many of these farms is uncertain. Read more at landforgood.org/insights.