This summer, Maine Farmland Trust intern Diego Velasquez produced six pilot episodes for Maine Farms Podcast.

Listen to the first episode here.

He interviewed farmers around the state on two timely topics: Farm succession, and the intersection of farming and climate change. The podcast explores both of these issues through candid conversations with Maine farmers.

First up: An episode from the Farm Succession series, featuring Jo Barrett, a farmer who found a way to transfer her farm to the next generation of farmers. For many years, Jo and her late husband operated King Hill Farm in Penobscot. When unexpected health issues made it impossible to keep farming, Jo found a younger couple willing to take on the farm, and together they puzzled out how to transfer the operation. In this episode, Jo shares the ups and downs of her journey with succession planning and why she is grateful she started thinking about it early.

Sidenote: This Farm Succession episode is launching as MFT prepares for its annual conference on the same topic — the Farmland Access & Transfer Conference, co-hosted with partners Land For Good. The conference is a day of practical workshops to better understand the options, resources, and steps to accessing or transferring your farm or farmland. Learn more about the Monday, Nov. 18, conference here.