Resources

It’s important to do some planning before you start your farm search. Goal setting, business and financial planning, and clarity about what you need and want in a farm property are important. It’s essential to be prepared before you reach out to a landowner. Get started with these resources:

• Acquiring Your Farm tutorial for aspiring, new and beginning farmers – and others – preparing to access farmland (Land For Good)
   
• Farm Access Methods Guide and decision tool provide an organized framework of farm access methods to help farmers make informed decision (Land For Good)
   
• Acquiring Land to Farm: Where Do I Start? focuses on big picture thinking and offers worksheets as a framework to examine farming goals, current situation, and more (Land For Good)
   
• Build-A-Lease Tool helps you craft a sound agreement that you can customize and share with a landlord, attorney, or others (Land For Good)
   
• Farm Rental Assessment Checklist of considerations for location, land, infrastructure, climate and housing (University of Vermont Extension)
   
• Guide to Finding, Assessing, and Securing Farmland in Massachusetts with clear, simple, and easy to understand text (New Entry Sustainable Farming Project)
   
• Google My Maps tutorial and tips for creating custom maps and easily calculating acreage to assess properties, look at boundaries, etc. (Land For Good)
   
• UC Davis SoilWeb, an interactive map that allows you to explore USDA-National Cooperative Soil Survey data for locations throughout most of the US (UC Davis, NRCS) See also this introduction to the tool (Land For Good)

It’s important to do some planning before you post your property. Goal setting, property assessment, and financial planning are essential. If you hope to lease your land, think about what you are looking for in a farming tenant and lease agreement. It’s also good to prepare to communicate about your property, and your aspirations, with a prospective buyer or tenant. Get started with these resources:

• New England Farm Link Program Guide explains local farm link programs and providers (New England Farm Link Collaborative)
   
• How to Create Effective Online Property Postings to convey information most relevant for farmers. (Land For Good)
   
• Making My Land Available For Farming: Where Do I Start? focuses on big picture thinking and offers worksheets as a framework to examine farming goals, current situation, and more (Land For Good)
   
• A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land For Farming will help you understand your land, different types of farming endeavors, lease arrangements, and more (Land For Good)
   
• Build-A-Lease Tool helps you craft a sound agreement that you can customize and share with a farmer-tenant, attorney, or others (Land For Good)
   
• Landowners Guide to Sustainable Farm Leasing explores important considerations in leasing farmland to farmers (Sustainable Agricultural Land Tenure Initiative)
   
• Google My Maps tutorial and tips for creating custom maps and easily calculating acreage to assess properties, look at boundaries, etc. (Land For Good)
   
• Explore soil survey data to help assess your farmland with Web Soil Survey (USDA) or SoilWeb (UC Davis)

Improve your chances of finding farmland by using a multi-pronged approach. In addition to farm linking websites, consider these tools and strategies: 

• Make a flyer to showcase who you are and what kind of land you are looking for. Post it at conferences and meetings. Tack it to bulletin boards at your co-op, suppliers, and local farm organization. Hand it out! While farm linking sites are increasingly popular, some landowners are just as eager to find a farmer the old fashioned way.
   
• Use your networks. Ask around. Put yourself out there! Inquire at your state department of agriculture, conservation district, Farm Bureau, Extension, and trade groups. Network at conferences. Check with any buy local groups, farmer training and education programs, lenders, local town boards (such as agricultural commissions), neighbors, and suppliers. Spread your word at mixers, twilight meetings, and workshops. Inform local and regional land trusts about your interests. This is where a one-page flyer can really shine, both in hard copy and electronically.
   
• Get assistance. New England Farm Link Collaborative (Connecticut Farm Link, Maine FarmLink, Vermont Land Link, and Land For Good) provide various one-on-one services to help you get started and support your search. To get started, email these providers, based on your current or desired state(s). Also check the New England Farm Link Collaborative program guide to see all these programs offer.
  • Connecticut: [email protected]
  • Maine: [email protected]
  • Massachusetts: [email protected]
  • New Hampshire: [email protected]
  • Rhode Island: [email protected]
  • Vermont: [email protected]
• Work with a real estate professional. Some buyer brokers care about farming and farmland and will be motivated to help you, even if they don’t know a lot about soils or farm infrastructure.
   
• Look at other posting/listing sites. You never know! Check out MLS, Zillow, Trulia, and even Craigslist. In NH, take a look at NH Farms And Barns Real Estate.

Improve your chances of finding a farmer by using a multi-pronged approach. In addition to farm linking websites, consider these tools and strategies: 

• Make a flyer showcasing your property and what kind of opportunity you are providing for a farmer. Post the flyer at conferences and meetings. Tack it to bulletin boards at your co-op, suppliers, and local farm organization. Hand it out! While farm linking sites are increasingly popular, some landowners are just as eager to find a farmer the old fashioned way.
   
• Use your networks. Get the word out about your property at farmer conferences, mixers, workshops and meetings. Let your neighbors and local farmers know about your interests, if appropriate. (Sometimes property owners wish to keep their search private. That’s totally fine; it’s up to you.)
   
• Get assistance. New England Farm Link Collaborative partners, Connecticut Farm Link, Maine FarmLink, Vermont Land Link, and Land For Good, provide various one-on-one services to help you get started and support you along the way. These include goals clarification, property assessment, lease design and negotiation, and succession planning facilitation. To get started, email these providers, based on your current or desired state(s). Also check the New England Farm Link Collaborative program guide to see all these programs offer.
  • Connecticut: [email protected]
  • Maine: [email protected]
  • Massachusetts: [email protected]
  • New Hampshire: [email protected]
  • Rhode Island: [email protected]
  • Vermont: [email protected]
• Work with a real estate professional. Some real estate agents care and know about farming and farm properties. A realtor will post your property on real estate sites such as MLS and Zillow. Suggest they visit this Resource page for Real Estate Professionals to better understand and serve commercial farm buyers.
   
• Utilize other posting/listing sites. You never know! Try using MLS, Zillow, Trulia, and even Craigslist. In NH, take a look at NH Farms And Barns Real Estate.