The 2012 Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference “Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farms” will be held Nov. 1 at Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tennessee.

Nov. 1 will be a day of information, networking, questions and answers from professionals in the field of farmland preservation, farm and estate planning, land and community planning, and more. Nov. 2 will be optional tours to a Century Farm in the area.

This conference will benefit farmers, landowners, city and county planning officials, elected leaders, community planners, and others who are inspired to help preserve and protect farmland in our state. General and breakout sessions and panel discussions with well-known speakers and experts on a variety of topics will offer invaluable resources, information and knowledge to Tennessee landowners, farmers, community planners and officials.

Topics include:  Leasing and rental of farmland, conservation easements, conservation programs, timber management, estate planning, small acreage production, as well as many community and planning topics such as comprehensive planning and other tools that localities can use to support agriculture.

The conference host, the Tennessee Farmland Legacy Partnership, is dedicated to preserving family farms and productive farmland in Tennessee. The Partnership is dedicated to raising awareness, among farmers and other landowners, as well as government, business and civic leaders of the need and opportunities for farmland preservation in the state, including the preservation of rural values.

The Tennessee Farmland Legacy partners are: Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation; The Land Trust for Tennessee; The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; Cumberland Region Tomorrow; The Foothills Land Conservancy; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; and USDA Rural Development.

For more information about the 2012 Farmland Legacy Conference and to register, visit the website at www.farmlandlegacy.org, or call the University of Tennessee Conference Services at (865) 974-0280.