Cris helps guide AFT\u2019s federal and state policy engagement. She also directs the\u202fNational Agricultural Land\u202fNetwork,\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
which\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
support<\/span> <\/span>
s<\/span> <\/span>
\u00a0state and local governments, land trusts, agricultural service providers, planners, and conservation organizations and build<\/span> <\/span>
s<\/span> <\/span>
\u00a0the<\/span> <\/span>
ir\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
capacity to advance farmland protection. From 2015 to 2018, Cris served as policy director for Land\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
For<\/span> <\/span>
\u00a0Good, a New England-based organization with which AFT\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
often\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>
collaborate<\/span> <\/span>
s<\/span> <\/span>
. But before that, Cris served for fourteen years as AFT\u2019s New England director. She has held several positions in the U.S. Senate, including as professional staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition<\/span> <\/span>
,<\/span> <\/span>
\u00a0and Forestry, and as chief of staff to Senator Herb Kohl. She has worked for Resources for the Future and the Vermont Department of Agriculture. Cris co-chairs the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative and serves on her town\u2019s Agriculture Commission. Cris farms part-time with her husband, running a small pastured poultry operation in western Massachusetts. She is an alumna of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University<\/span> <\/span>
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health, and even farm profitability. Farm Bill conservation programs provide cost share and technical assistance (TA) to help producers implement these practices, but these programs often need more funding and staff to address service gaps and fulfill demand. More must be done to equitably scale up long-term adoption of conservation and climate-smart practices by farmer-leaders, and to set up systems of support to help others build the same resilience.
investments in programs that directly support both retiring and aspiring farmers in succession and estate planning, farm transfer, and farmland access and ownership. USDA is a key partner in scaling up successful state and local models that can facilitate land transition and open the door for next generation farmers.