November 18 & 19, 2026
Pyle Center | University of Wisconsin–Madison
The 2026 Upper Midwest Farmland Summit will bring together practitioners, service providers, conservation organizations, lenders, policymakers, researchers, and farmers to address the evolving landscape of Farmland Access & Transfer in the Upper Midwest.
We will share strategies, build partnerships, learn from each other’s experiences, and advance solutions that help farmers access land, transition farms to the next generation, and strengthen local food systems.
This page will be updated as more information is available. Stay tuned or join our email list for updates!
The Summit is hosted by the Farmland Access Hub, a consortium of entities working together to improve farmland access for emerging farmers.
Day 1, November 18 – Farmland at a Crossroads: Understanding the Moment
A significant transition in farmland ownership is underway across the Upper Midwest. Who will own and farm this land in the decades ahead? What will that mean for rural communities, beginning farmers, and the future of agriculture?
Day One explores the bigger picture, examines what’s happening across the Midwest, and highlights the people, tools, and ideas that can help shape what comes next.
7:45–9:00 a.m. | Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:00–9:30 a.m. | Welcome & Opening
-
Brett Olson (Renewing the Countryside), Tera Johnson (Food Finance Institute, University of Wisconsin), Dr. Annie Jones (Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension)
9:30–10:30 a.m. | Why Now? Farmland and the Rural Agenda
-
Zach Ducheneaux — (5th C, Former USDA Farm Service Agency, Rancher)
10:30–10:45 a.m. | Break
10:45–11:30 a.m. | Farms in Transition and a Next Generation of Farmers: What We’re Seeing Across the Midwest
-
Julia Valliant (American Farmland Trust), Angie Doucette (American Farmland Trust), Jan Joannides (Renewing the Countryside)
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Creative Approaches to Financing Farmland Access
-
Paul Dietmann (Compeer Financial), Christina Lynch (Potlikker Capital), Dominick Grant (Dirt Capital Partners)
12:30–1:20 p.m. | Lunch & Conversation
1:30–2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from smaller, interactive sessions that dig deeper into the challenges and opportunities surrounding farmland access and transfer.
Farmer Perspectives: The Realities of Access & Transfer
Holding Onto the Land: A Black Oaks Center Case Study
Creative Approaches to Farmland Access & Financing: Continuing the Conversation
Additional breakout details and speakers coming soon.
2:30–3:00 p.m. | Break & Networking
3:00–4:00 p.m. | Navigating the Path to Land: Lessons from the Field
-
Anna Sekine (American Farmland Trust), Laura Cullip (Renewing the Countryside), Martha McFarland (Practical Farmers of Iowa)
4:00–5:00 p.m. | Big Ideas, Fast: Farmland Lightning Talks
-
Emceed by Teresa Opheim (Climate Land Leaders)
5:00–6:30 p.m. | Reception
Day Two moves from understanding the challenges to exploring solutions. Through practical workshops, case studies, peer learning, and interactive discussions, we’ll dig into the tools and strategies that can help more farmers access land, support successful farm transfers, and strengthen collaboration across the region.
Tracks include: Farm Succession and Transfer Planning; Policy & Cultural Dimensions of Farmland Access and Succession; Strategies for Farmland Financing; Collaborative Farmland Access; Working with Land Seekers. (Speaker information coming soon!)
7:30–8:50 a.m. | Breakfast & Networking
8:50–9:00 a.m. | Welcome Back & Day Two Orientation
9:00–9:50 a.m. | Wisconsin’s Farm Succession Coalition: Building Strategy and Power Together
9:50–10:15 a.m. | Break
10:15–11:15 a.m. | Breakout Session 1 – Choose one of five concurrent sessions.
Farm Succession: Understanding Barriers and Opportunities
Policy Actions for Land Access and Transition
Beyond Individual Ownership: Models for Farming and Owning Land Together
Farmland Access 101: Helping Farmers Navigate the Path to Land
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Breakout Session 2 – Choose one of five concurrent sessions.
Passing the Farm Forward: Non-Family Transitions
Different Paths to Land: Race, Access, and Ownership
Easements in Action: Real-World Approaches to Farm Transfer
Farming Together: Collaborative Models in Practice
Beyond the Land: Helping Beginning Farmers Thrive
12:30–1:30 p.m. | Lunch & Conversation
1:45–2:45 p.m. | Breakout Session 3 – Choose one of five concurrent sessions.
Farm Transition: Legal, Tax & Financial Considerations
Community-Supported Farmland: New Models for Investing in Access
Can We Farm Together? Navigating the Human Side of Collaboration
Getting Farmers Loan-Ready: Why Good Deals Don’t Always Get Funded
3:00–4:00 p.m. | Breakout Session 4 – Choose one of five concurrent sessions.
The Human Side of Farm Succession
Rethinking the Farm Legacy: Land, Wealth, and the Next Generation
Financing the Deal: Creative Lending for Farmland Access
Farming Together, Buying Together: Legal Structures & Financin
It Takes a Team: Helping Farmers Navigate Land Access
4:15–5:15 p.m. | Breakout Session 5 – Choose one of five concurrent sessions.
Working with Transitioning Landowners: Co-Learning and Sharing Experiences
Participant-Identified Session
Farmland Financing Challenge Clinic: Can We Make This Deal Work?
Collaborative Farmland Access: Co-Learning and Sharing Experiences
Farmland Access Challenge Clinic: What Would You Do?
Be the first to comment