Our Story
In 2001, a group of farmers, agricultural business owners, policy experts, and conservation-minded donors gathered in a bare Hartford office, drawn together by a shared concern: Connecticut was losing its farmland, fast. That year, the Connecticut Farmland Trust was formed.
We all depend on farms. They provide more than food — they shape our communities, protect our soils and water, and represent a vital part of the state’s economy. Our land trust was created to keep farmland farming, for today and for generations to come.
Since that first meeting, the Connecticut Farmland Trust has protected more than 6,200 acres of farmland across the state. We’ve also helped partners conserve an additional 1,520 acres, ensuring that the farms that feed us and ground us will continue to thrive.
Carla McElroy
Over the years, we’ve come to understand that protecting farmland is only the beginning. The long-term health of our land and food systems depends on more than deeds and boundaries. It depends on healthy soils, viable farm businesses, and ensuring that future generations — especially young and historically underserved farmers — can access the land they need to grow.
That’s why our work is evolving. We are committed to helping farms remain productive, resilient, and affordable, while also protecting the natural resources that make farming possible in the first place.
The need — and the opportunity — to protect working farmland is as great as ever. Every acre we protect represents a promise to future generations: that farming will remain part of Connecticut’s future, and that we will continue this journey, one farm at a time.
