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MIFarmLink partners with conservation districts to keep Michigan farms in production

The Director of MIFarmLink says conservation districts statewide will soon be better equipped to help landowners and beginning farmers preserve farmland as the program expands next year.

Jill Dohner tells Brownfield the Washtenaw County pilot project has transitioned to the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts for broader implementation.

“Our farmers right now over the age of 65 outnumber those under 35 by a three-to-one ratio, 60 percent of farmers lack of succession plan,” she shares. “These are kind of the difficulties that we’re dealing with, not to mention the barriers that are coming through for our prime agricultural farmland.”

She says farms without succession or emergency plans face a greater risk of being sold or divided, especially with growing competition from solar and data center projects.

“What’s your emergency plan?” she questions. “What happens if you were in an accident and you’re not able to farm? Who’s going to start taking over that farm? Do you have a plan? Do you want a mentor? Do you have kids who want to take it over? And, if not, then MIFarmLink is the place for that farm.”

Over the next year, the organization plans to double its regional representatives, strengthen ties with farmland realtors, and expand mentorship and resource networks to support Michigan farmers.

Dohner adds programs like MIFarmLink—and similar ones in Illinois and Minnesota—are drawing interest from other states, including South Dakota and Wisconsin.