Presenter: Kip Kolesinskas
Kip Kolesinskas's recent work involved efforts to improve land access and affordability, and provide technical services to new and beginning farmers. He serves on the UConn Extension Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Solid Ground Farmer Training cadre, where he provides training & site assessments on land access, soil health & climate change adaptation strategies. He also works on the National initiatives Farms Under Threat and Farmland For The Next Generation.
Presenter: Lily Orr
Lily Orr grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Thompson, CT, which is part of milk cooperatives like Cabot and The Farmer’s Cow. After graduating college, she worked for the Town of York Parks and Recreation managing trails and land at Mount Agamenticus in Maine. She is now a Conservation Associate at CT Farmland Trust where she assists with easement acquisitions, stewardship functions, and manages the Connecticut FarmLink website, which helps to connect farmland owners with farmland seekers.
Contact
SCORE Fairfield County111 East Avenue Norwalk, CT 06851
203-831-0065
score.fairfieldcounty@gmail.com
How to Access and Evaluate Land for Farming in Connecticut
A free SCORE Small Business Workshop co-sponsored by Easton Public Library, UCONN Extension, Connecticut Farmland Trust and CT Department of Agriculture
Securing appropriate farmland and infrastructure is a challenge for many beginning farmers, as well as existing farmers who wish to grow their business. Participants will gain knowledge about critical farm infrastructure and natural resources features, and their relationship to a successful business.
Topics covered will include:
- Evaluating your readiness to obtain land
- The options of lease versus own, what’s right for you? Elements of a good lease.
- How to developing a plan to find farmland
- How to assess the property to see if it will meet your needs
- State and Federal programs available for restoring farms
- Agencies and organizations that offer funding and assistance