LASA Grant Award

Land and Sea Together was awarded a Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grant through the RI Department of Environmental Management, Division of Agriculture. Our 2023 grant will be used towards supporting farm transition and succession planning throughout Rhode Island. This includes working directly with farmers, both on land and in the water. We will create a pilot program providing specialized services for up to four farms in the state who are in need of transition and/or succession support. L&ST staff are already trained in mediation and farm transition coordination, and will provide up to 40 hours of coordination per farm, free mediation services throughout that process, and a subsidy for costly auxiliary services such as estate lawyers, accountants, surveyors, etc. L&ST will also provide additional general resources on our website about farm transition and succession.

According to American Farmland Trust, it is estimated that Rhode Island will lose about 8,100 acres of farmland between now and 2040. Together with the support of our growing network, we hope to change that.