What is Keep Farming®?
KEEP FARMING, a program developed and implemented by Glynwood Center, is designed to help communities understand how agriculture contributes to the local economy, community character, availability of fresh food and the environment. Through this community building process, community residents begin a dialogue with local farmers that results in the creation of an informed citizenry prepared to take action in support of agriculture and farmers.

What Do We Get From Keep Farming?
Communities participating in the Keep Farming Program benefit from Glynwood Center’s extensive work in community development; research of innovative approaches both here in the United States and Europe; and testing and refinement of the model in different agricultural settings in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

Since 1990, Glynwood Center and its predecessor, the Countryside Institute, have helped more than 100 communities identify a wide range of potential solutions, create diverse coalitions, spur the emergence of new leaders and inspire collaborative action. In 1999, after communities began asking what they could do to preserve farm land and regional agriculture, Glynwood Center began a multi-year initiative to develop methodologies that communities could use to support small and mid-sized farms and retain a viable agricultural base in their region. The initiative began with a series of forums that included professionals and representatives of agencies and not for profit organizations with background in farmland preservation, science, ecology, economics and planning as well as local officials, farmers and residents.

Each forum was interdisciplinary and international in composition and informed by carefully selected leading edge international and domestic initiatives. At the forum the group examined what made the initiatives work, how transferable and adaptable the methodology was and focused on the challenges and obstacles communities must address when looking for ways to support farmers and agriculture.

After extensive research and exploration of innovative approaches in the United States and Europe that could be used to support local farms and sustain agriculture, Glynwood produced a step by step guide to:

• Mobilizing the community;
• Assessing the value of agriculture; and
• Identifing the best tools and strategies for saving farmland and further agricultural economic development.

In 2002, Buffalo and Clinton Townships in Butler County, Pennsylvania were selected as the first communities to pilot Glynwood’s new agricultural initiative. In 2004, Chatham, NY in Columbia County was selected as the second pilot community. Six additional communities in the Hudson Valley region now participate in Keep Farming, including Durham in Greene Country and Rockland Country.

Who Needs to be Involved?
Keep Farming is a unique community process and must include representatives of all the major stakeholders—farmers, elected/appointed local and county officials, residents, social/environmental groups and individuals known to have an interest in the environment, and representatives of agencies and organizations that work with farmers, i.e., Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Soil and Water Conservation District, Resource Conservation and Development District (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA), US Forest Service, local or regional land trusts and Planning Board members and staff.

How Long Does it Take to Complete Keep Farming?
It will take approximately 12–18 months to organize the community, conduct the Assessment Tools that are part of the process, and formulate the recommendations to be made to the community for preserving agricultural land and creating economic opportunities for the farmers. Implementation of the recommendations is an ongoing process.

What are the Benefits of Conducting the Keep Farming Program?
The process helps to establish the issues of greatest importance to the farmers and residents and help target where dollars and action are needed.

The community dialogue helps to identify regulations and practices that towns can introduce to encourage farmers to stay in business.

Community residents, both those who have been living in the area and those who have recently moved into the area, will have a deeper understanding of farming, the importance of agriculture and the importance of buying locally grown products.

Each community develops its own strategies to support farms in their area by choosing the tools and techniques most appropriate to their situation, i.e., not an “off the shelf, one size fits all” approach.

What does Our Community Need to Conduct the Keep Farming Program?
From our extensive experience working with communities we have identified several criteria that we consider in determining whether a community is “ready” to make effective use of our programs. These include: a significant amount of active farmland in the community;
broad and inclusive participation by major stakeholders—farmers, agricultural agencies, elected officials and residents; strong and committed leadership for the project; adequate resources both in terms of the people who will be involved and the time needed to complete the project; and commitment on the part of the community to long-term action that will support farmers and working landscapes.

How do we move from a community of good intention to one of action?
Glynwood Center staff will work with your community representatives to help organize their efforts and create support for the Keep Farming Program. Glynwood provides program literature that can be distributed at community-wide meetings or to individuals who will help determine if there is enough support for the Keep Farming Program. Glynwood staff persons are also available to make presentations to the community about Keep Farming.

If there is enough interest, political support, and resources (human and monetary), to undertake the program, Glynwood staff assists the group in recruiting and organizing volunteers who will be part of the Community Agriculture Partnership that provides leadership for the program.

How do we find out more about Keep Farming?

Contact Virginia Kasinki, vkasinki@glynwood.org or telephone 845-265-3338, ext 125.

Back to Keep Farming Page