Finding affordable land for purchase or long-term lease is often cited by beginning and expanding farmers and ranchers as their most significant challenge. We compiled resources to inform decisions about owning or leasing farm and ranch land, descriptions of programs that help connect farmers with land, and information about how to work with private conservation organizations and public agencies.
If you are looking to start or expand a farm or ranch operation, you can consider a range of options: short- and long-term leases, cooperative ownership or partnerships, ground leases, and leasing-to-own agreements are alternatives to buying land outright.
Thirty-eight percent of land being farmed in the U.S. is leased. Young farmers–those who are 34 and younger–lease 64 percent of the land they farm. For beginning farmers and those looking to expand their operation leasing land offers an affordable option and provides flexibility.
The resources below provide information about how to find land to lease and how to negotiate a lease agreement.
Nationwide, farmers own more than 625 million acres of farm and ranch land. Ninety percent of this land is farmed by the owners themselves, while the rest is leased to other farmers. Owning farmland provides a secure tenure option, allows you to own the improvements you make, and can serve as collateral to back a loan.
Farm link programs cultivate the next generation of agricultural producers by linking beginning farmers and ranchers with retiring ones and land seekers with landowners. Programs may be administered by state agencies or nonprofit organizations.
Farm Link ProgramsThe National Incubator Farm Training Initiative (NIFTI) provides resources and technical assistance to organizations providing land-based farmer training programs and maintains a list of farm incubator projects.
NIFTI National Farm Incubator MapPublic entities (e.g. state and local governments and conservation districts) administer farmland protection programs to keep land available for agriculture. These programs are often called purchase of agricultural conservation easement (PACE) programs. In addition, some private land trusts protect agricultural land by acquiring land or agricultural conservation easements (ACEs).
Here are some ways farmland protection partners can help you gain access to land:
A few mission-driven land trusts and foundations that invest in farmland can help you secure access to land.
Read MoreState departments of agriculture sometimes provide classifieds online or in their newsletters that include real estate listings. In addition, some states operate state-owned farmland leasing and licensing programs which make publicly-owned agricultural land available to farmers.
National Association of State Department of Agriculture's DirectoryThe USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Transition Incentives Program (TIP) encourages landowners with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts to sell or lease their land to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers.
The USDA Rural Development (RD) and USDA FSA advertises its inventory property for sale to socially disadvantaged applicants as well as beginning farmers and ranchers before it is available to the general public.
If you are considering farmland for lease or purchase, the resources below can help you assess site
conditions and variables best suited to your operation.
Resources highlighting federal and state policies and programs that help improve access to land for farmers and ranchers.
More information about finding farm and ranch land is available from the websites below, as well as a wealth of information about agricultural production and marketing assistance.
Need help finding the right information or resource to help save farmland?