Searching For, Assessing, and Acquiring Land
Access to land and farming infrastructure is a fundamental component of establishing a farm business. It is also one of the largest and most pressing challenges facing new farmers. Preparing for a land search, conducting a land search, and assessing farmland are all necessary components of successfully establishing tenure on a piece of farmland.
Resources
General Resources Related to Land Access
- Beginning Farmers.org
- Northeast Beginning Farmers Project, Cornell University
- Vermont New Farmer Project, University of VT
- Land For Good.org
Resources Related to Preparing for a Land Search
- Acquiring Land to Farm (PDF) Guidebook, Land For Good
- Steps to Acquiring a Farm or Farmland (PDF), Land For Good
- Acquiring Your Farm, an online tutorial for farm seekers
- Land Affordability Calculator
Resources for Assessing the Agricultural Potential of Land
- Evaluating Land and Facilities for Farming, Northeast Beginning Farmer Project video
- Evaluating Land Tutorial, Cornell University
- Farm Evaluation Worksheet, Land For Good
- Soil Testing, University of Maine Cooperative Extension video
- Using the NRCS Web Pages to Get Soils Information, A guide from Maryland FarmLINK
- Web Soil Survey, USDA
- UC Davis Soil Web
- USDA-NRCS Soil Data
- Evaluating Water Needs — Maine’s Agricultural Water Management Program and USDA’s Energy Estimator for Irrigation
- Talk with other farmers in your geographic area to assist with land assessments
- Engage a private agricultural consultant to assist with land assessments
Resources Related to Tenure Arrangements
- Toolbox for Leasing Farmland, resources for farm seekers and landowners
- Farm Access Methods Guide (PDF). This decision guide stands out in its organized and practical way of addressing and assessing land access methods
- Farm Access Decision Tool (PDF) summarizes the methods and likely partners to help you compare methods and make informed decisions
- Build A Lease Tool
- Sustainable Farm Lease Landowner’s Toolbox, Drake University
Resources for Conducting a Land Search
- Maine FarmLink, a program of Maine Farmland Trust 207.338.6575
- New England Farmland Finder
Finding a Real Estate Agent or an Appraiser
Finding a Lawyer
- Maine State Bar Association Lawyer and Information Referral Service
Who to Contact for Direct Assistance
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc or call 207.882.7552
- Farm Credit East or call 207.784.0193 (Auburn) or 207.764.6431 (Presque Isle)
- Land For Good or call 1.603.357.1600
- Maine Farmland Trust or call 207.338.6575
- Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA) or call 207.990.9100, Ext. 3
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension or call 1.800.287.0274 (in Maine)
- USDA Farm Service Agency or contact your local FSA Service Center
Publications
- Holding Ground: A Guide to Northeast Farmland Tenure and Stewardship — a publication of New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI)
- The Greenhorns Mini-Compendium (PDF) on the topic of Finding Sustainable Land Tenure — Cornell
- Six Ways To Secure Farmland — National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)
- Sample Lease Agreements (PDF) — Land For Good
- Testing Your Soil — University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #2286
- Interpreting Soil Test Results for Commercial Crops — Maine Soil Testing Service, University of Maine
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