Resources for Farmland Seekers
Resources
Educational Materials
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2012 Census of Agriculture
Comprehensive summary of agricultural activity nationwide.
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Acquiring Your Farm
This online tutorial includes seven modules, including one on farmland tenure, which describes how farmland is acquired and held, U.S. trends, and land tenure principles.
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Affording Our Land: Financial Literacy Guidebook for Young Farmers Provided by The Greenhorns
This is a guidebook aimed at helping new and beginning farmers explore options for accessing land and credit to start farm businesses.
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African Americans Have Lost Untold Acres of Land Over the Last Century: An obscure legal loophole is often to blame
Article about the history Heirs' property and how it impacts African Americans.
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Ag Lease 101
Learn about alternative land lease agreements and view templates.
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AGAware Balance Sheet Template
Use this balance sheet in order to get a better understanding of your current and projected finances.
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Agricultural Land Tenure: A Curriculum for Beginning Farmers and Farm Seekers
Lessons and modules about farmland access and tenure, including Farmland Tenure Basics, Financial Assessment, Owning Farmland, Finding Farmland, Leasing Farmland, and Community Partners.
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Agricultural Leases: An Overview
Basic information about different types of leases.
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Basic Accounting: Guidance for Beginning Farmers
The purpose of this publication is to make basic accounting approachable for people with little or no accounting experience and encourage new farmers to develop good recordkeeping habits at the outset.
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Build a Lease Tool
Design a lease that fits your situation and needs. (Educational tool, not intended to produce legal documents.)
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Cash Rent Survey Web Page
Data about cash rents by county.
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Climate Data Web Page
Information about climate patterns, water, and soil moisture conditions.
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Conservation Districts
Directory of the 3,000 conservation districts across the country. Districts provide maps, soil evaluations, and conservation plans,
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Cooperative Extension System
Educational network with local offices of experts ready to provide practical and research-based information to agricultural producers and small business owners.
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Cooperative Farming
This guide introduces the concept of cooperative farming and the gives examples of the ways in which farming communities have found success in cooperative farming.
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Elements of a Good Farm Lease
Factsheet containing many of the important elements of a good farm lease.
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Farm Access Methods
Much has been written about the challenges that beginning and other farmers in the US face regarding access to farms and land to farm. The purpose of this guide is to provide an organized framework of farm access methods to help farmers make informed decisions.
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Farm Answers
Farm Answers—the Largest Source of Information for Beginning Farmers. Farm Answers is the USDA-NIFA beginning farmer and rancher (BFRDP) clearinghouse, providing resources to help you get started farming, as well as tools to help more seasoned producers succeed.
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Farm Leasing Tutorial
Modules designed to Introduce you to the benefits and challenges of leasing.
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Farm Rental Assessment Checklist
Checklist for evaluating a site to lease.
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Farm Service Agency Loans-National Young Farmers Coalition
A guidebook to help young farmers and ranchers navigate the credit options offered by the Farm Service Agency. This is the first comprehensive plain language guide to FSA loans since before the introduction of the popular microloan in 2013.
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Farmer's Guide to CSP
A comprehensive guide to understanding the Conservation Stewardship Program through NRCS. This guide outlines the benefits, eligibility, and enrollment process for the program.
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Farmland Access in Urban Settings
This guidebook addresses the unique aspects of land access in urban settings, such as those associated with location, cost, security, infrastructure, and regulations.
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Farmland Assessment Checklist
Checklist for evaluating properties.
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Farmland Protection Program
This resources provides a better understanding of the NRCS Ag Land Easement Program and how it can contribute to local communities.
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Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund
Organization in the Southeast that organizes cooperatives, works with Black farmers, and provides heirs' property assistance.
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Field Journal For Beginning Farmers
The resources, practices and strategies outlined in this Field Journal is for anyone involved with the food system – which is anyone who eats food! It’s focus is to encourage youth of many ages to consider farming as a career, in particular youth in middle and high school.
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Finding Farmland Calculator
The calculator that corresponds with the Finding Farmland Course
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Finding Farmland Course
Lessons on financials related to acquiring your farm.
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Finding Good Farmland: How to Evaluate and Acquire Land for Raising Crops and Animals
Information you need to have before purchasing farmland, ex. permits, codes, taxes etc.
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Finding Land to Farm
This publication highlights some common ways to lease or own land. It outlines important considerations about each of these leasing options and paths to ownership.
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Finding Land to Farm: 6 Ways to Secure Farmland
Cartoon about common ways to lease or own land.
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Finding, Assessing, and Securing Farmland: A Plain Language Guide
Understand the process of locating and securing farmland.
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Growing Farm Profits
This online course was developed for farmers and those who help farmers to build more sustainable farming enterprises. The content has a vegetable production slant, yet many concepts/principles will be informative to other producers.
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Growing on Solid Ground: A Farmers Guide to Land Tenure
Covers land tenure options, agricultural leases, crop-share agreements, and owning land.
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Heirs' Property Retention Coalition
Coalition to help southeastern families of color stem the tide of heirs' property land loss. Offers resources, research, and referrals.
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Indian Land Tenure Foundation
National community-based organization focused on American Indian land recovery and management.
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Land Values 2017 Summary
Data on crop acreage, land use, grain stocks, farms, rents, and the value of land and sales.
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Managing Indian Land in a Highly Fractionated Future
Information about the problems and challenges of American Indian land ownership.
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NYFC-Finding Farmland Calculator
Use this calculator to build scenarios for purchasing farmland. You can compare detailed estimates of total costs, monthly payments and affordability metrics, then download the results to have on hand when meeting with a loan officer.
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Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Interactive maps with information about plant hardiness zones nationwide.
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Population Web Page
Population estimates and projections for different geographies.
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Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs
Factsheet describing what easements are, how they protect farmland, and where they're available.
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Refugee Farmer Teaching Handbook
Handbook for staff providing training and technical assistance in immigrant and refugee farmer-training programs.
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Six Guidelines for "Getting to Yes"
Six skills to aide you in the negotiation process.
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Agency within USDA that helps farmers manage and conserve natural resources. Use this link to locate a service center.
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USDA Urban Agriculture Toolkit
The toolkit lays out the common operational elements that most urban farmers must consider as they start up or grow their operations. It also contains a special section on resources for developing indoor growing operations, such as aquaponic facilities.
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Web Soil Survey
Soil data and information provided by the NRCS.
Service Providers
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AgPlan Business Plan Development
AgPlan is powerful website developed to help rural businesses develop a business plan. AgPlan is free of charge for anyone to use individually or in educational programs.
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Beginning Farmers' Guide to Conservation Easements
Factsheet with key information about conservation easements for beginning farmers.
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Farmers.gov
Farmers.gov provides farmers, ranchers, private foresters, and agricultural producers with online self-service applications, educational materials, engagement opportunities, and business tools to increase efficiency and productivity while preserving
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Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Step-by-step strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in all levels of negotiation.
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NRCS Georgia
The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical assistance on natural resources issues and assists individuals, groups, communities, and counties implement soil and water conservation practices to protect the 34 million acres of privately owned land in Georgia.
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Smoot News
Get the latest news from around the World
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Williams Farm Incubator Program
A program that provides access to land, training and resources to beginning farmers belonging to groups subject to racial, ethnic, and gender prejudice.