American Farmland Trust’s Planning for Agriculture Guide in Connecticut highlights how local and state officials can plan and support a prosperous agricultural sector for all of Connecticut’s residents. As Connecticut looks towards the future and properly prepares for external threats such as climate change, our agricultural and open space lands are a key natural resource that can be a pivotal part of every municipality’s efforts to become resilient.

The tools and provisions that are outlined in this guide may not work for every municipality, farmer, or state entity. But the guide provides a framework that will inspire innovative ways municipalities and urban centers can promote agriculture and food systems work in their communities. The future of Connecticut’s agricultural sector is bright and the new and emerging trends outlined within the new iteration of Planning for Agriculture (updated in 2020) will create additional and innovative land opportunities for beginning farmers, urban farmers, farmers looking to transfer their land, established farmers, women farmers, and Black, Indigenous, and farmers of color as well as ways communities can protect and continue to have access to local agricultural products.