The presentation in this session of American Farmland Trust's Farmland, Food and Livable Communities discusses the suprising sources of new farmland being discovered across the U.S.. In some parts of the country, residential lots are providing a source of leased land to beginning farmers. In others, land owned by governments, land trusts and developers are a growing source of high quality farmland. What are the issues associated with bringing land into production that has been in another land use or kind of agriculture? Forest to vineyard? An overgrown field in a Municipal Park to vegetable production? Backyard to pasture? Join the conversation as we discuss the environmental, social and economic issues that surround this trend.

Session presenters: Kip Kolesinskas, Consulting Conservation Scientist, American Farmland Trust (moderator); Ben Leffew, Nature Preserve Assistant Manager, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky; Wayne Woodward, Preserve Manager, The Nature Conservancy, Connecticut.