Farmland Seeker Toolkit

Welcome to our farmland seeker toolkit! We're excited to work with you, no matter where you are in your farmland access journey. Our goal is to support you through the process of achieving secure, stable land access. We mostly work with farmers looking for land in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, but a lot of this info will be useful for folks in other states, too.

A few quick points to guide you through this resource:

It's organized top-to-bottom to build from one topic to the next.
Wherever you are in your farmland access journey, we encourage you to start at the top and work your way down.
Each section has worksheets designed to support you as you plan and implement your farmland access plan. These are most effective if you actually fill them out! You can print them and write by hand, or you can download them as fillable PDFs to complete digitally.
In each section, you'll also find a list of relevant resources for each topic. These are packed with useful information that may get your ideas flowing and help you complete the worksheets.

As you work your way through this page, know that we have Farmland Access Navigators available to work with you through our Farmland Access Navigator program! To request help from a Navigator, you can fill out the form at the bottom of the page, and we'll reach out to set up a call.

We encourage you to explore and dig into all the great materials here, and reach out for 1:1 support. If going through worksheets is challenging for you, we can assist you by phone, or a different preferred method. We're here to help you realize your farming goals!

Land Seeker Toolkit

Toolkit Sections

This section will help you identify and sort priorities among all the factors you are considering in your farm search. Topics include articulating your farming (and life) goals and needs, as well as clarifying your requirements and preferences for farmland.

Worksheets

Clarify your farm dreams and goals: Farm Dreams worksheet and Farm Goals worksheet
Identify priorities for the land you will be stewarding: Necessary Desirable Optional worksheet
Establish important characteristics of your farm location: Where Do You Want to Farm worksheet

Relevant Resources

Acquiring Land To Farm: Where Do I Start? (Land For Good)
After deciding priorities, if you would like to think about other site considerations, use the farm evaluation checklist: rural or urban (also used in Securing Land: Property Evaluation and Agreements section).

In this section, you'll learn about various options and pathways for accessing farmland, depending on your goals and experience. These options range from leasing to purchase (via several different approaches) to collective leasing or purchase.

Worksheets

Based on your personal and farming goals, think through the pathways of accessing land that most align: Farmland Tenure worksheet

If you are interested in leasing, you will have the opportunity to learn more about land and use agreements in a later section called “Securing Land: Property Evaluation and Agreements.”

Relevant Resources

To learn more about various land access options:

Collaborative Land Access (Farmland Access Hub) - teaming up with others can be rewarding and increase resource access
Easements (Farmland Access Hub) - implementing an easement can make land access more affordable
Land Trusts (Farmland Access Hub) - land trusts may provide an affordable option for secure, long-term land access for farming
Farmland Access Decision Tool (Land For Good)
How To Find, Assess & Secure Farmland - Land Tenure section pp. 9-17 (Land For Good)
Affording Our Land - Chapter 2 - Land Tenure by Leasing, Chapter 3 - Buying Land: Beyond Tenancy, Chapter 4 - Accessing Conservation Land (Greenhorns)
Land Liberty Compendium - Land Tenure Options pp. 10-15; Getting on Solid Ground: 15 ways to secure land pp. 19-26 (Greenhorns)

In this section, you'll self-assess your knowledge, skills, and experience in key farming and business areas, such as production, financial management, and marketing. These areas are fundamental in informing your farmland search and supporting successful outcomes for you in your farming journey.

Worksheets

Rate you experience, skills and knowledge: Farming Experience and Skills Self-Assessment worksheet

Relevant Resources

List of organizations that consistently provide technical and practical farming skills, education, and experience opportunities:

RTC Farm Viability Program Intake Form
Go Farm Connect [MN, WI] - Renewing the Countryside - connections to agricultural support agencies and experts that support farms (webinars, field days)
Farm Business Management [MN, WI] - Renewing the Countryside - improve financial skills, make better management decisions, access loans for equipment and land, and receive professional analysis on your farm’s financial records
Big River Farms [MN] - Grower Training Program: year-long certificate program covering organic crop production, farm business basics
Farmers Rising (previously Angelic Organics) [Anywhere - virtual] - Farm Beginnings Program - beginning farm business training
Grasslands 2.0 [WI] - Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship - training in managed-grazing dairy
Hmong American Farmers’ Association (HAFA) [MN] - advances the prosperity of Hmong farmers through cooperative endeavors, capacity building and advocacy
Kilimo [MN] - organic farming experience, business mentorship, community support
Land Stewardship Project [IA, MN, WI] - Farm Beginnings Class: 12-month training session with goal and strengths, clarification, enterprise planning, operation building; Farm Dreams Visioning Exercises
Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) [MN] - helps Latino farmers in MN through access to technical assistance, capital, loans, markets, land
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum [MN] - Farm at the Arb Apprenticeship Program: 9-month, hands-on, vegetable growing training
Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) [IA] - equips farmers to build resilient farms and communities
PRAIRIE [MN] - small-scale regenerative farming practices
Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) [IA, MN, WI] - farmer-to-farmer networking, education, demonstration and research
University Extension Services - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa State: education and resources for beginning farmers and gardeners; Small farm startup school - using small-scale land for agricultural purposes; (Farmbytes - bite-sized, self-guided introductions); Sustag - MISA’s sustainable agriculture listserv
The Village [MN] - creates opportunities for communities to produce culturally relevant food through space for public and market gardens in urban areas
Women’s Environmental Institute [MN] - Classes and Training: sustainable agriculture, food and health systems

This list is just a sample of some of the great organizations supporting farmers/gardeners through education in the Midwest. For a more comprehensive list, please see the additional resources section.

This section prompts you to consider your finances to help you hone in on what you can afford, based on your assets and liabilities, farm income, and household budget (income and expenses). Clearly understanding your financial picture is vital in informing your farmland access strategy and, as relevant, preparing you to meet with a lender or other financial professional.

Worksheets

Financial Goals, Preparations and Plans

Understanding Your Finances

Profit and loss
Chart of Accounts
Balance sheet
Non-farm income and expenses/household budget
Farm budget
Cash flow

Relevant Resources

Renewing the Countryside Farm Business Management - RTC has a Farm Business Management program that will allow you to receive guidance from specialists.
Food Finance Institute - financial technical assistance for food/farm businesses
Can farmers make a middle-class income selling vegetables through direct-market outlets? Read the 2021 Report, Financial Benchmarks for Direct-Market Vegetable Farms (Pasa)

This section gives you a few tools to jumpstart your farm business planning process, if you haven't already begun this. As with your finances, clearly understanding your farm business plan is vital in informing your farmland access strategy - making sure the property aligns with your business goals as well as preparing you to meet with a lender or other financial professional if relevant.

Worksheets:

Preparation: Business Planning

Relevant Resources:

Attending a class series and working 1:1 with an advisor is often the most effective way to complete a realistic and actionable business plan.

Farm Business Management

The following are examples of a few different business planning templates to guide you in writing a business plan.

Business Plan Template
Urban Ag Business Planning Outline with worksheets and recordings

If you are writing a business plan in order to get a loan, this one page template outlines the key information most lenders are looking for:

Farm Description Template

This section walks you through a variety of financing options that may be available to you, as well as general requirements to qualify for each of these options. Examples include Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs and ag lenders in the region such as Compeer Financial. These may be relevant not only to those seeking to purchase land, but also those seeking a loan for a farm business on leased land.

Worksheets

Financing Options

Relevant Resources

Materials

Affording Our Land - For an overview of farm financing and credit basics, and alternative/community-based financing options, review Chapter 5 - Financing Basics and Farm Credit from Traditional Sources, and Chapter 6 - Alternative and Community Based Financing from Affording Our Land (Greenhorns)

Sources of resourcing support (land, equipment, infrastructure, etc.)

Land - MN Down Payment Assistance Grant
Land or Equipment - MN Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program

Lenders

Farm Credit provides access to a network of farm lenders and financial services throughout the country. Check your state’s page for local farm credit institutions: Minnesota (also see database of banks approved to work with MN Dept. of Ag. on Beginning Farmer Loans), Wisconsin, Iowa
- Compeer - Compeer Financial is a farm credit cooperative focused on agriculture and rural communities that has a program for emerging markets. They also offer options for land, equipment, facilities, livestock, and operating loans, among others: Compeer Agriculture Loans
Finance Authorities
- Iowa - Economic Development & Finance Authority - Beginning Farmers Programs
- Minnesota - Rural Finance Authority - low-interest loans administered by Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Lenders approved to participate in RFA loan programs
  - Programs for beginning farmers seeking to purchase or rent land: Beginning Farmer Loan, Aggie Bond Loan, Agricultural Microloan Program (land rental only - excludes land purchase)
- Wisconsin - Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - Economic Development and Innovation Center - business, farm, and rural development programs and services
USDA Farm Service Agency - loans and financial assistance to farmers who were unable to obtain loans from other sources

In this section, you will explore existing resources and think through people, programs, and networks that can support you in your farmland search. Most likely, you will need to enlist the help of several individuals, groups, organizations, and networks to be successful in your search, and this will get your ideas flowing on who those might be.

Worksheets

Farmland Search Directory

Relevant Resources

Farm Linking Programs

Please see the farmland search directory worksheet for additional information.

This section will help you learn about how to secure tenure (whether lease, purchase, or otherwise) on a property that is right for you. You'll learn about how to effectively evaluate a property and craft an equitable, solid lease agreement that works well for all parties.

Worksheets

Relevant Resources

Assessing Land

Land For Good - How To Find, Assess & Secure Farmland (Visit and Evaluate the Land - pp. 21-26)
Land For Good - Farmland Access in Urban Settings
Check soil characteristics with SoilWeb or Web Soil Survey

To learn about best practices and elements to include when creating agreements, review these materials:

Overview: Land For Good - How To Find, Assess & Secure Farmland (Negotiate an Agreement - p. 27)

Farm Lease Elements

Land For Good - Elements of a good farm lease
Greenhorns - Land Liberty Compendium (Ohio State University Extension’s “Farm Rental Agreement Checklist” - pp. 153-154)
Land For Good - Build-A-Lease Tool

For perspectives of both the landholder and the farmer leasing land:

Greenhorns Land Liberty Compendium (Land Link Vermont’s “A Lease Agreements Guide for Landowners and Farmers" - pp. 138-144)
Ag Lease 101 - Document Library

For agreements for other situations, such as contract for deed and lease to own, refer back to the tenure guide to see options. For any of these agreements, consult with an advisor, such as a Navigator and/or a lawyer. The Farmland and Ranchland Purchasing Collection from Farm Commons also may be useful.