This first Farmland Action Plan for Massachusetts is intended to inform and guide needed investments and policy and programmatic actions to ensure that farmland and farming are available and viable for current and future generations. The planning process identified many challenges facing farmland and farmers. The plan sets goals for land protection and access and farm viability, and suggests strategies to obtain the resources needed to reach those goals. Implementation and renewal of this plan will be a significant step toward preserving and expanding farmland—a nonrenewable resource—and securing a sustainable agricultural sector for future generations.

The Farmland Action Plan is organized around three primary goals:

I. Protection: Accelerate the permanent protection and stewardship of farmland. Farmland is a threatened and critical infrastructure that supports food security, natural systems and climate resilience, and Massachusetts’ economy, public health, and quality of life.

II. Access: Increase access to farmland. Doing so requires affordable opportunities and options for new farmers and support for established farms to be passed on to successors.

III. Viability: Support and enhance the viability of farm businesses and farmland protection concurrently. Protected and productive farmland and farm businesses are the foundation of a sustainable and strong farm economic system.

Incorporated into each goal is a commitment to equity, particularly for BIPOC and aspiring farmers.