Quarterly Farmland Access Hub Newsletter—July, 2024
By Bonnie Warndahl
I wanted to begin our shift into quarterly newsletters with a “Hub Member Profile” and Shelly Rothman, Farmland Access Navigator and executive director of Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project (or FoxRAP) obliged. I have been working with Shelly since last spring when we met at the first in-person training for AFT’s Great Lakes Farm Navigators project (GLFN) outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shelly has been an active member of the Farmland Access Hub and serves on the Wisconsin Hub’s steering committee.
Shelly writes:
Hey all, I'm co-founder and executive director at Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project. FoxRAP is building equitable community, land access, and support for regenerative farmers to thrive in the Upper Fox River watershed and eastern Wisconsin.
After studying conservation biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I joined forces with agriculture while living in Namibia, my husband's native land, where we managed 37,000 acres of semi-arid savanna and 600 grass-fed beef cattle. My family returned to the Great Lakes region via a year-long transatlantic journey on a trusty 37-foot sailboat named Seahorse. My experience abroad, as well as starting over in the States, opened my eyes and heart to the worldwide struggle for access to land.
After our own land access adventure, we landed on an agroforestry farm where we are planting hundreds of fruit and nut trees, grazing livestock, and working on a plan to create land access options for others.
I'm always on the lookout for collaborative farms—folks who have found a way to work together and widen the circle of land access.
This article highlights a great example of such a place, Firm Footing Farm, in Black Earth, WI.
Women, queer, first-generation American, BIPOC-led, and on just 6 acres, they are true examples that a lot can be done with just kindness and sharing.
Keep up the amazing work,
Shelly
Link to article here:
Land Access Opportunity—WI Orchard for sale
Do you have dreams of becoming an orchardist?
Eastern Wisconsin apple orchard owners are providing an opportunity to take over an operation on 3.5 acres with 850 dwarf apple trees of 11 varieties—and room to expand additional fruit or veggie production! Honey, grapes, and plums are also produced on-site.
The farm will be available for rent starting this fall. Owners are looking for someone to take full responsibility of the orchard including tree management and apple harvest, grading, and selling—but are willing to help maintain the garden and landscaping and work alongside tenant(s) for the first year or two to transfer knowledge of the business. They’re flexible regarding overall landscape design but would like to keep it attractive.
Available for use: maintenance and harvesting equipment, walk-in cooler, garage to grade and package apples, on-farm market, and a small greenhouse.
Products are generally sold on-farm, direct to consumer, and are sold out by mid- to end of October. Owners are willing to share their financial records and expected income with the right person. Owners are open to negotiating a flat fee rental payment, either monthly or yearly, or a percentage of sales.
Owners will likely stay in the farmhouse for now but tenant(s) may have the option to eventually purchase the home and land.
For more information contact shelly@foxheadag.org
920-212-8952
MN Down Payment Assistance Program Opens August 1
Submitted by Jenny Heck
Applications for the MDA’s Down Payment Assistance Grants will reopen August 1 to September 15. This is a $15,000 grant for qualified first-time farm buyers in Minnesota. The MDA and Farmland Access Hub are partnering to host a series of informational webinars for prospective applicants later this month. Each webinar will focus on a different topic related to the grant program and the farm-buying process. Details on each session below. Grant RFP with more details are available on the MDA’s webpage.
Down Payment Grant Webinars
· Grant Overview and Preparation for Buying a Farm
Tuesday, July 23, 4-5 p.m.
· Affordability and Financing Your Farm Purchase
Wednesday, July 24, 4-5 p.m.
· Finding and Securing Farmland
Tuesday, July 30, 4-5 p.m.
· Detailed Review of Grant RFP
Wednesday, July 31, 4-5 p.m.
Wisconsin Hub Meets in Madison—August 2024
The Wisconsin Farmland Access Hub will be meeting on Thursday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The WI Hub, and the professionals that support the zoning, buying and selling of farms, will explore local policies and personal approaches that could increase the number of beginning farmers on the land. The day will include speakers, panels, and time to think together toward solutions.
Space is limited to allow for networking, brainstorming, and identifying some next step solutions. Please share with colleagues you feel could contribute!
Date: Thursday, August 22, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CDT
Includes lunch
Registration: $10
Location: Goodman Community Center: Lau Christensen Room, 214 Waubesa St, Madison, WI
Registration Link
Queer couple builds inclusive farming community in southern Wisconsin
Landowner Webinars: Life After Farming… What’s Next for You and Your Land?
America’s farms have hit a critical point. Most of our food and fiber producers are over 55, while young and beginning farmers—due to debt and insurmountable challenges around farming and farmland access—are only replacing these producers at a rate of 9%. Additionally, the devastating and rapid loss of farmland in the U.S. to poorly planned developmental sprawl and foreign investors is pointing toward an impending food system crisis.
The Farmland Access Hub and Renewing the Countryside, along with the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), Region Nine Development Commission, American Farmland Trust, and others, are working to mitigate these issues by creating educational and networking opportunities for landowners and farmers around legacy planning and farmland transition.
To bring people together for learning and discussion, the Hub is hosting two online webinars—one in August and one in September—to provide resources to farmland owners interested in transitioning their land with a positive community legacy while engaging in peer-driven problem-solving.
Whether you are interested in renting, selling, or transitioning your farm to a new owner, the information provided during these 1-hour programs is geared to help landowners and retiring farmers identify and overcome fears and challenges as they think through the next steps for their land.
Come to Session One with your questions, ready to learn and gather resources. In Session Two, landowners will dive deeper into specific challenges and scenarios with facilitated support from succession coordinators and land transfer specialists.
Register for part 1:
Register for part 2:
Midwest Land Transfer Forum August 26
Submitted by Angie Doucette
As a part of American Farmland Trust’s new Land Transfer Navigators Program, AFT is hosting quarterly, virtual regional Land Transfer Forums. The Midwest Land Transfer Forums are an opportunity to bring together a community of practitioners working to support farm and ranch transfers.
The forums will create space to learn from peers, network, and share resources. To create robust networks that address the breadth of challenges of farm and ranch transfers, we are inviting providers working in agriculture along with others who engage in land transfer such as attorneys, real estate agents, accountants, and appraisers. Our hope over the next four years is to create multi-profession networks that can help service providers to better support farmers, ranchers, and landowners in their regions.
The next Midwest Land Transfer Forum is being held on August 26th, 10 am – 11:30 am CT via Zoom. Register at the link below.
Webinar: Creative Farmland Access Through Self-Directed IRAs
Submitted by Nathan Aaberg
When: Tuesday, August 27, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: Webinar
Cost: $10.00
With land access being one of the top challenges across the U.S., farmers need creative ideas to access affordable, secure, and long-term land arrangements. Retirement investors have the potential to help!
If you’ve been looking for a creative investment tool that allows you to generate retirement income while also making land available to farmers, then we’d invite you to join this webinar organized by The Land Connection’s Illinois FarmLink program. We’ll be exploring Self-Directed IRAs through the experience of Mary Gelder (investor) and Wyatt Muse (organic farmer).
Driven by her passion for and commitment to sustainable farming, Mary moved her retirement savings into an SDIRA to buy farmland that Wyatt wanted to farm, but couldn’t afford to buy. During this webinar, Mary and Wyatt will share how SDIRA’s work, how their arrangement was designed, and what they’ve learned so far from their experience. You’ll also hear from Paul Dietmann of Compeer Financials for other ideas around SDIRAS, including how SDIRA investors could pool their funds to buy more land.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about a unique, complex, and little-known retirement investment tool. No prior experience or knowledge of retirement investment is required to attend this webinar. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the webinar. Registration is required.
The Illinois FarmLink program works to empower and connect farmers and farmland owners so they can achieve their farmland goals. To learn more, visit www.illinoisfarmlink.org.
Interested in making your land available to farmers?
Are you a landowner interested in renting your land or selling/transitioning your farm to the next generation? You may want to consider featuring your farm’s profile on the new “Transitions” page on the Farmland Access Hub website. It is our hope that this page will become a central resource in the Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa tri-state area for farmland owners hoping to connect with interested farmers regarding the transfer of land and farm businesses. To get the word out about your available farmland, please fill out the intake form on this page or contact Bonnie Warndahl at bonnie@rtcinfo.org or 612-462-9311.