The American Farmland Trust has partnered with Montgomery County and the Montgomery Countryside Alliance and will offer our Women For The Land program this March and April. The program is a Conservation Learning Circle for women landowners. The Conservation Learning Circle is a quick way to network with other landowners and learn how to access free conservation programs offered by state and local agencies. Are you a woman landowner that is new to, or struggling with, decision-making on your farm or forest land in Montgomery County? Program participants are currently being recruited. Join us for one or all three sessions of the Conservation Learning Circle. Please feel free to share our information with anyone that you believe can spread the word about our well-received program! Thank you and we hope to see you at the Conservation Learning Circle. Register Here |
The Women For The Land Program brings groups of 15-20 women landowners together with conservation and technical staff (mostly women) for three sessions over approximately two months. An experienced facilitator guides this Conservation Learning Circle through a well-developed agenda. AFT invites agency staff to participate as presenters and active participants in the conversation, addressing issues and questions in real time. The peer-to-peer women-only program provides an opportunity to learn from each other, gain confidence, and to obtain technical/financial assistance to protect your land's natural resources. These sessions are designed for women landowners who own, rent and make management decisions on their Maryland forest and farm land. AFT is operating this program in five states including Maryland.
Who is the core audience for a Women For The Land program?
Women who own farm or forest land in Maryland, who may recently have come into ownership or taken on new responsibilities for operational decisions on their land. Some have families that are facing decisions about the future of the farm. Others need to find a new tenant to lease their land. For various reasons, some women are less familiar with the programs, agencies and individuals who can assist them. Despite their challenging situations, women landowners have strong ideas on how they want their land managed. They have proven to be highly-motivated and receptive to information and assistance once they learn what is available. AFT sees these women as ideal partners in conservation and land protection and has developed the Women For The Land program to offer targeted support,