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.
Upper Midwest Farmland Summit
2026 Program
Wednesday, November 18th - Day 1
Goals:
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Set the stage
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Engage policymakers
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Provide a higher level overview of farmland access, transfer, & conservation issues around the upper Midwest
Thursday, November 19th - Day 2
Goals:
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Get into the weeds – state-level & topically
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Discussion-based breakout sessions covering the outlined Farmland Summit topics
Farmland Summit 2026 Tentative Topics
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Equity and justice in farmland access
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Public policy and planning strategies for farmland access and transfer
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Collective models for farmland ownership and tenure
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Systems perspectives on farmland access and transfer
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Innovative financing models; farmland financing and access to capital
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Farmland access and succession planning
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Landowner engagement
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Farmland conservation and protection
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Financial readiness for farmland access or transfer
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Working with farmers without identified successors
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Historic and contemporary perspectives on farm tenure
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Beginning farmer needs for farmland access
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Opportunities for regional and multi-state collaboration
Engagement Opportunities
Help with 2026 Summit Planning
We are holding Farmland Summit Community Planning Sessions that will provide early stage program planning and content development to help us shape this inspiring and impactful gathering.
This is an opportunity for you—as a farmer, farm advocate or technical service provider—to ensure Farmland Summit success by:
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Sharing the specific needs of your community around farmland access & transfer
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Identifying the gaps in this work and what is needed to fill them
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Suggesting relevant topics and speakers
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Building a safe and equitable meeting space
Folks who participate in Community Planning may also have an opportunity to join or provide support to the Program Planning Committee, or participate directly in the event itself.
If you are interested in being part of the Farmland Summit Advisory Network, you can participate by doing any combination of the following:
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Sharing your feedback on key themes and offering suggestions on potential speakers through this google form
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Joining us for a Community Planning session, in which we start the planning conversation, teed up by the google form responses. (Next date TBD).
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Contacting Bonnie Warndahl (bonnie@rtcinfo.org) to express interest
Venue
University of Wisconsin–Madison
702 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706
The Summit will be held at the
Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Become a Sponsor
Our sponsors make the Farmland Summit possible! We are grateful for all contributions. To learn more about our sponsorship levels and to become a sponsor, click the button below or email Jan Joannides (jan@rtcinfo.org)
Upper Midwest Farmland Summit
2023 Recap
At the last Upper Midwest Farmland Summit, participants gathered to learn, share, and connect around an array of issues such as financing, tenure, conservation, and transfer. Look at our report below to see its impact!
Day 1 Overview
Plenary speakers and panels will frame critical challenges, opportunities, and success stories around farmland access and transfer in the upper Midwest and nationally. The day will focus on building common understanding, identifying opportunities for regional and cross-state collaboration, and drawing attention to gaps and opportunities at state and local levels. In part, this day aims to engage state and local decision makers with the goal of building policy support for farmland access and transfer issues.
Day 2 Overview
The day will provide opportunities to connect with fellow participants and dig into specific topics, questions, and best practices related to an array of topics including but not limited to:
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Challenges and opportunities for emerging farmers
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Farmland succession and transfer
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Equity and justice in farmland access
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Public policy and planning strategies for farmland access and transfer
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Collective models for farmland ownership and tenure
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Innovative financing models; farmland financing and access to capital
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Farmland conservation and protection
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Financial readiness for farmland access or transfer
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Opportunities for regional and multi-state collaboration
Lodging
Photo by Nick Kreevich, courtesy of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Lodging
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
7855 Century Boulevard, Chanhassen, MN 55317
There is a room block reserved for Summit participants at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, just a few minutes east of the Arboretum.
Use this special link to book your reservation by November 7th to receive the group rate. When booking, make sure to enter the correct dates and use the block code RTC, if the block rate does not automatically appear.
If you would rather, call the front desk at 952-401-8850 to book. To receive the group rate, please reference the Renewing The Countryside event.
Book by November 7!
Inclusion & Accessibility
We are striving to reduce barriers to participation in the Summit. With registration closing in a few days, we have now closed the financial support form, but please email catie@rtcinfo.org with any last-minute requests or questions.
2023 Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
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Contact Summit Organizers
If you have additional questions, need help registering, have special requests related to the Summit, or would like to contribute to planning efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out to bonnie@rtcinfo.org
The Summit is hosted by the Farmland Access Hub, a consortium of entities working together to improve farmland access for emerging farmers, and organized by Renewing the Countryside