Stories

Carlos L. Valery Jr.: A Farmer Leaves NYC and Finds Land to Raise Grass-fed Beef Upstate

Carlos L. Valery Jr. is the fourth generation in his family to be farming, and currently raises grass-fed beef on his farm in Meredith, NY. Carlos immigrated from Venezuela to live in New York City, but after a few years working in Brooklyn, he decided to move upstate and start his own beef cattle operation. Carlos connected to a landowner through AFT's Farmland for a New Generation New York website.

Bari Zeiger: A Microgrant Helps a Young Farmer Close on the Purchase of Wyoming County Farm

Good timing is crucial for many aspects of farming, and for Bari Zeiger, one opportunity came at just the right time. During the fall of 2019, Bari was preparing to purchase 12 acres of land in Wyoming County to start a farm of her own, following years of experience working on farms and deciding that she was on the right path. Soon after putting in her first offer, Bari was awarded a microgrant from American Farmland Trust, which she used to help cover the closing costs on the property.

Q&A with a Regional Navigator: Janet Britt, Agricultural Stewardship Association

Meet Farmland for a New Generation New York Regional Navigator Janet Britt, of Agricultural Stewardship Association

Farmer Profile: Emma Smalley

Emma Smalley is a goat farmer near Buffalo, NY, seeking land nearby to expand her pasture and facilities for her growing herd.

Q&A with a Regional Navigator: Jon Brown, Pace University

Meet Farmland for a New Generation New York Regional Navigator Janet Britt, Agricultural Stewardship Association

Kama Doucoure: A Microgrant Helps to Plan for Community Managed Farm Business

Kama Doucoure applied for a $1,000 microgrant from AFT to hire a business planning consultant to further his goal of developing a community managed farm business that serves his community in the Bronx.

Farm Profile: Kramer Farms, Erie County

The historic Kramer Farms has been in the family since 1848, and has grown to 1,200 acres supporting a grazing dairy herd. The Kramers would like to sell or lease the farm to an enterprising younger farmer, and are willing to do a phased buy-out and remain involved during the transition to a new owner.

Committed to Conservation: A Dairy Farmer Revitalizes the Land and Brings in the Next Generation

Peter Mapstone has always worked to leave the land better than he found it. Working with New York Agricultural Land Trust, a Regional Navigator for Farmland for a New Generation New York, Peter applied to permanently protect his farm with a conservation easement, allowing him to revitalize more acres and bring the next generation into the farm business.

Farmer Profile: Jason Duverney-Gaspar

Jason is a trained horticulturist with a passion for food, farming, and community! Check out his profile to learn about his 5-year plan and his hopes for engaging diverse communities of New York.

Young Farmers and Landowners Search for a Farm Together

Farmers Christine and Fabio first searched for land to lease through the Hudson Valley farmland finder - but what they found was a deeply-rooted connection. One year later, when the landowners decided to relocate, they invited the farmers to join their search for a new property.

A First-Generation Farmer Finds Happiness in a Herd

Lee Hennessy left his hometown seeking success and happiness on the west coast. After climbing the professional ladder, Lee realized he would be happiest on the ground in a pair of dirty boots. Read how Lee found his way to raising goats and buying his own farm with help from several organizations working together in New York.

A Weekend Home Becomes a Farm, A CSA Becomes a Family

Larry and Betti decide to leave the city to move to their weekend home in Red Hook with the vision of turning the property into a farm. Learn how they made it happen with a flexible lease with a young, ambitious farmer, and how the farm and its CSA has impacted their connection with the local community.

Windfall Farms: Orange County Farmer Helps New Farmers Get Their Start

Morse Pitts watched farms disappear around him for decades as warehouses and factories sprung up around his 142 acre farm in Orange County, leaving Windfall Farms as an island of farmland in an industrial sea. Find out how the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network partners at GrowNYC and Orange County Land Trust helped Morse keep his land in farming and provide opportunities to jump-start the next generation of farmers on his land.

Laughing Earth Farm: Farmland Protection Aligns Values and Financial Needs

After leasing farmland in Illinois for five years, Zack and Annie Metzger returned to Annie's native New York to put down more permanent roots. Read how the Metzgers worked with their landowners and local partners to utilize state farmland protection funding to buy the farm and protect it from development forever.

Keeping an Open Mind During the Farm Search

“The wider net you cast, the better.” Farmer Erik Schellenberg isn’t giving fishing tips, he’s talking about farmland – specifically the struggle that farmers face in finding the right farm to catch their hook on.