Spring Newsletter 2026

*Special Announcement*

Image taken from Politico website

On March 24, many of us received the devastating news that the Federal Government terminated 49 out of 50 USDA Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (LCM) grants, which had been funding innovative land access strategies across the country. Several organizations that are part of the Farmland Access Hub will have their land access and transition work impacted by these terminations. A number of organizations are working on a strategy for communicating these impacts and finding funding solutions to fill the gaps. 

The biggest impact on work at Renewing the Countryside and Farmland Access Hub partners is the loss of this funding to support our farmland access and transition work, including Buy-Protect-Sell projects which directly protect farmland for future generations, assist landowners with the transition process, and reduce the expense of farmland for farmers seeking access, as well as support those farmers in accessing the capital and technical services needed to successfully finance farmland.  

This funding also supported our Farmland Access Navigators, who uniquely provide direct 1:1 technical assistance and coaching to land-seeking farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, who meet certain criteria, such as 1-3 years of farming experience and a goal of building a profitable farm business. These farmers are supported in identifying their goals, business planning, loan applications, connections to specialized technical services such as legal and accounting, and much more. The loss of this funding, and former BFRDP funding, puts critical support for this next generation of farmers in jeopardy. 

The policy update below by farmland policy specialist Amanda Koehler was written prior to this change, but we are leaving it as-is in this publication, for context.  

This Article by Politico on the cancellation of these funds, published March 24th, quotes both Amanda Koehler and Minnesota Senator Tina Smith 

… Back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Farm Transitions Frenzy

 Above: Megan Wolf presents to farmland owners on maintaining family harmony at the Holding Ground, Letting Go workshop in Green Lake, Wisconsin.

By Bonnie Warndahl

The engaging Landowners working group came into existence in the summer of 2022.

Since then, the group—comprising partners in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as occasional attendees from other states—have worked to address the challenges around identifying and engaging with farmland holders across the region in order to facilitate land access for new and emerging farmers.

Over the course of these few years, the group has tackled this conundrum through a variety of means, including field days, meet-n-greet events, and webinars. While these efforts have been successful in a variety of ways, including helping us identify more effective methods for obtaining and retaining the attention of farmland holders, there still remains an immense gap in the work—which is adequate, customized support for individuals and families transitioning their farms to new stewards.

A little over a year ago, after ongoing discussions within the Engaging Landowners working group and with other colleagues in the region, a common observation emerged: that the eldest generation of farmers are struggling with detaching from their legacy and identity as farmers, (which in turn is creating another barrier to new farmer entry). This sparked an idea by Shelly Rothman at Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project (FoxRAP). What if we had a resource for supporting farmers, not just in transitioning their farms, but in addressing the mental and emotional challenges of transitioning into the next phase of life?

Thanks to a grant through North Central Extension Risk Management Education (ERME), Shelly pulled together a small team of Certified Farm Succession Coordinators (myself included) to create a new program based on COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory), a rural mental health training program that was developed in Colorado to intersect individuals, particularly those in isolated rural communities, who are perceived to be having mental health challenges before those challenges become a crisis. 

In the COMET adaptation, a new curriculum has emerged called Acres, A-C-R-E-S, which is being implemented via a new pilot project called Holding Ground, Letting Go: A Guided Approach to Farm Transition and Legacy. 

Holding Ground, Letting Go (HGLG), launched in February of 2026, brought together four key partners in the land access and transition space in Wisconsin, who are leading a cohort of landowners through a transition planning process that includes two in-person workshops followed by 5 months of 1:1 individualized support with certified farm succession coordinators. The overarching goal of the project is to create a replicable program, including train-the-trainer opportunities, to increase farm transition support to farmland owners across the region and beyond. 

Besides yours truly, the project team includes Shelly Rothman of FoxRAP, Joy Kirkpatrick at University of Wisconsin—Madison Division of Extension, and Megan Wolf at Southwest  Counseling. 

Presently, the project is targeting farmers in Green Lake, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas. The workshops were recently held on February 24th and March 31st with great success, and this original cohort is currently serving about 20 farms in Wisconsin.  

Feedback from the first workshop was extraordinarily positive, with one participant claiming that they had sought a transition program like this many times, and addressed HGLG as “the most put together program!” 

Programming at the initial workshop provided ample time for participants to introduce themselves and share about their farm businesses and transition goals and challenges. During this conversation, participants were invited to share what they were most excited about regarding transition planning, with nearly every participant expressing that “peace of mind” was at the top of their list.

Joy Kirkpatrick presented an introduction to farm transitions, which included research by UW Extension. Megan Wolf discussed emotional and mental hurdles around transition planning, including personal anecdotes and experiences from her own family’s farm transition. 

Following a hearty and delicious lunch catered by J’s BBQ in Ripon, WI, participants divided into breakout groups to go over an exercise that identifies wants, needs, fears, and expectations around the transition planning process, and were then invited to share and discuss openly within their group. 

Before leaving, participants were given several homework assignments to identify intentions, their vision for the farm, taking the first steps to start planning, and holding a conversation with a relevant family, business partner or potential successor.

Similarly, workshop two will continue this programming by debriefing on homework assignments, addressing topics such as “fair vs. equal,” maintaining family harmony,

And sharing core values and goals.

Following March 31st, each farm will have an opportunity to work one-on-one with a farm transition coordinator, as well as opportunities to join webinars and/or office hours to address questions specific to their farm transition process.

The pilot project Holding Ground, Letting Go has been covered by a variety of local media sources, including Wisconsin Public Radio, and the Midwest Farm Report, both of which are linked below.  

Listen: WPR radio interview (starting at 13 minutes)

Listen: Midwest Farm Report radio interview

(Below, left to right) The Holding Ground, Letting Go project team: Shelly Rothman, Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project; Bonnie Warndahl, Renewing the Countryside; Joy Kirkpatrick, UW–Madison Division of Extension; Megan Wolf, Southwest Counseling. Photo by Amanda Anderson.

In Harmony: A Minnesota Farm Transition Story

Also related to farm transition, we’re excited to share the final result of the transition video executed by the Engaging Landowners working group in 2025.

In Harmony: A Minnesota Farm Transition Story, was produced by Phil Kraus at Kraus Creative Company in partnership with Renewing the Countryside, Land Stewardship Project, and Region Nine Development Commission in southern Minnesota. 

This story highlights the debt-free farm transition by Harvey Benson and his partner Bonita Underbakke in Harmony, Minnesota, to friends and neighbors, Amy and Aaron Bishop—beginning farmers who had been unsuccessfully searching for land in their area for years, but due to the exorbitant real estate costs, especially in southern Minnesota, had nearly given up.

We learned about this story through this Root River current article, published in 2023. Harvey and Bonita worked with Karen Stettler through Land Stewardship Project’s farm transition program, and with the assistance of a transition-savvy local attorney, transferred ownership of the farm to the Bishops, completely debt-free, using a Quit Claim Deed with Right of Re-entry. The Bishops have been working hard over the last few years to remodel Harvey's corn crib into their new home, and provide financial support to Harvey to replace the rental income he had previously generated from the tillable land. 

A symbiotic relationship between these four individuals is clear and has been delightful to witness. Certainly not all farm transitions can be this seamless and beautiful, but it feels awfully good to lift up such a heartwarming and inspirational story. We hope to secure funding in the coming year(s) to share more of these transition stories through documentary-style story telling

Please enjoy In Harmony: A Minnesota Farm Transition Story   < linked here — OR — click "play" below! 

Policy Update

First Quarter Update: Farmland Access Policy in the Upper Midwest

By Amanda Koehler 

Farm Bill

In February, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee released its draft Farm Bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The proposal is widely considered partisan and is not expected to advance in its current form, lacking support from both Democrats and hard-line conservatives.

The draft includes some positive provisions: a pre-approval pilot program within the Farm Service Agency for direct farm ownership loans, continued support for heirs' property owners, and loan limits indexed to land values. However, it falls significantly short on land access and beginning farmer support. It removes buy-protect-sell authority from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, does not meaningfully address speculative land ownership, and fails to permanently authorize or fund the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program.

Learn more from the National Young Farmers Coalition and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Minnesota Legislature

The Minnesota legislature is considering various changes to the Farmland Down Payment Assistance Program and the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program.

Farmland Downpayment Assistance Program Proposals

Some of these proposals can be found in H.F. 3548 (P.H. Anderson) / S.F. 4313 (Westrom). The rest have not yet been introduced in legislation, but will be. 

Adequate farming experience requirement. This proposed eligibility requirement would ensure that awardees have "adequate farming experience or demonstrate knowledge in the type of farming for which the farmer seeks assistance." This is a positive addition to ensure public dollars go to farmers set up to succeed – though understanding how the Department would evaluate readiness will be important.

50% set-aside for applicants with signed purchase agreements. Given that awardees must use grant funds within six months, prioritizing those already under purchase agreement is logical. However, if a program goal is to support producers unable to secure land tenure without down payment assistance, more consideration is needed. Currently, unspent program funds are surrendered from the program to the state’s general fund every other year ($800,000 was surrendered in 2024)! If the funds stayed within the program, the timeline in which awardees must spend funds could be extended, allowing more time and flexibility.

Net worth threshold. A new eligibility requirement capping awardee net worth is a positive, equity-advancing addition, though we’re not clear on what the specific threshold would be.

Minimum sales expectation. Expecting grantees to sell or donate at least $1,000 of product in their first year is reasonable. It would be helpful to clarify what consequences, if any, would follow if a grantee falls short.

Prioritizing applicants with annual gross sales under $100k, but over $1k. Applicants must currently have gross sales under $250k to be eligible, with those under $100k prioritized. Adding a $1k minimum is reasonable for distinguishing active farmers from hobbyists, as long as farmworkers with adequate farming experience who lack their own sales records are included as well.

Minimum two-acre purchase requirement. This is a concerning proposal. Many emerging farmers run robust operations on fewer than two acres, and a two-acre minimum would exclude many of the people this program aims to serve. This proposal is expected not to move forward given the pushback it has received.

Tiered maximum grant amounts. The current $20,000 maximum would be maintained for purchases of 2–75 acres, with a new $40,000 maximum for purchases over 75 acres. Most emerging farmers do not have, want, or need more than 75 acres of farmland, unless raising a sizable livestock herd on pasture. Rather than rewarding larger acreage purchases, a more equitable approach would tie grant size to purchase price, subject to a maximum, addressing farmland unaffordability without favoring larger operations.

Disallowing grants for residentially zoned land. This would effectively block urban and peri-urban farmers from the program – a significant concern, since many emerging farmers are located in or start their farming journey in urban or peri-urban settings. This would affect not just metro areas like the Twin Cities, Duluth, and Rochester, but also urban farms in small towns across Greater Minnesota. This proposal is expected not to move forward given the pushback it has received.

Business plan requirement for commercially zoned land. It’s unclear why a business plan would be required in a commercial zone but not in others.

Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Proposals – H.F. 1626 (Vang) / S.F. 1419 (Putnam)

Lift the cap on Beginning Farmer Tax Credit spending.

The most recent report on the program from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture shows that, due to a shortfall in funding available to the program, more than 50% of eligible applicants were unable to access funds. Lifting the cap on funds, which is how most tax credits operate, would ensure the program is able to serve all eligible applicants.

Aligns prioritization language with other programs. The proposal replaces the term “emerging farmer” with “limited land access farmer”, which is what is used in the Farmland Down Payment Assistance Program and the Beginning Farmer Equipment & Infrastructure Grant Program. Limited land access means “farming without ownership of land and (1) the individual or the individual's child rents or leases the land, with the term of each rental or lease​ agreement not exceeding three years in duration, from a person who is not related to the individual or the​ individual's spouse by blood or marriage; or​ (2) the individual rents the land from an incubator farm”.

USDA Programs

While it is well established that some or all Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program awards are being targeted for termination on the basis of DEI, there still have not been any terminations. We believe that the USDA is likely holding off until the USDN v. USDA lawsuit resolves but they could decide to issue termination notices before then. 

At the same time, some awardees have finally been able to make progress on beneficiary plans and land acquisitions! No one has succeeded in receiving final approval for either at this time, but several awardees have been told they are in the final stages and are hopeful. 

At this time, it is unclear if or when a new RFP for the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program or 2501 Program will be posted.

When Renewing the Countryside and partners participated in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Day on the Hill in Washington D.C. in February, Congressional staff made it clear that they rely on folks on the ground to keep them updated on the status of various USDA programs, including the impacts of significant USDA workforce reductions on farmers. If you need support in connecting with your Congressional offices, please reach out to Amanda Koehler at amanda@amandakoehler.com. 

 Resources

Utilizing the Hub's Land Seeker Toolkit

By Kara Komoto

In our last newsletter, we announced the launch of the Farmland Access Hub's Farmland Seeker Toolkit The toolkit provides a framework–filled with exercises and resources–for preparing farmers to access land. After a few months of using this new tool, we have found it particularly helpful for service providers in the Farm Viability Program who are not land access navigators, and land seeking farmers. 

Service providers who do not regularly work on land access/transition are less familiar with the process for supporting land access clients. The toolkit sections, worksheets, and resources help: 1) educate these service providers about what is required to prepare farmers for accessing land, and 2) expose them to relevant content and ideas. With the toolkit, all service providers have the ability to accompany farmers through the beginning stages of their land tenure journey. As a result, the Farm Viability Program is able to spread capacity, helping balance workloads and increase responsiveness to land seeking farmers. 

Furthermore, the toolkit framework lays out the expertise that navigators have, helping other service providers understand when a hand-off to a navigator may be necessary for more technical situations. The outlined navigator knowledge also helps expose where there may be overlap or alignment in service provider competencies, making transitions between service providers/programs more straightforward. 

In conjunction with the navigator program, the toolkit enables land-seeking farmers a flexible experience when working toward accessing land. It presents users with an opportunity to progress through materials independently with the security of accessing one-on-one support when needed or recommended by the toolkit. Each section contains many exercises and resources that gradually help introduce relevant concepts, allowing farmers to delve deeper into topics most applicable to their situation. This shepherds land seekers, particularly those who are self-motivated, in a productive direction. 

In contrast, for land seekers who feel more comfortable with greater support from navigators, the toolkit framework lends itself well to service providers holding land seekers accountable for completing necessary preparation work. It also delineates a transparent pathway with clear touchpoints where check-ins with a navigator or other experts (real estate professionals, lawyers, etc.) are recommended. 

While the toolkit has been received well so far, we recognize that improvements can be made. For example, some content still needs to be developed, and information needs to be shared in a greater number of languages and formats. We plan to continue improving this resource to make it as helpful as possible. If you have any recommendations or questions about the land seeker toolkit, please reach out to Kara Komoto (kara@rtcinfo.org).

Catching Us Up On Kiva Zip Loans

By Laura Cullip

Renewing the Countryside (RTC) is now a Kiva U.S. Trustee! Kiva is a platform where people from around the globe are able to lend as little as $25 to help underserved entrepreneurs (often farmers) fund a micro-investment for their business. The U.S. arm of Kiva is “bridging the gap between historically marginalized entrepreneurs in the U.S. and business capital.” As a Kiva U.S. Trustee, RTC is able to introduce these no-fee, 0% interest loans to farmers and food businesses with whom we work. Loan amounts can range from $1,000–$15,000.

Our staff can facilitate farmers and food entrepreneurs connecting with Kiva, evaluate if Kiva is a good fit for their capital needs, and can assist in filling out the online application. Once their application has been started, RTC is able to endorse their application—and that endorsement is on the applicant’s public profile page. Being a trustee allows us to vouch for the applicant and assures Kiva that we have an ongoing, trusted relationship, and can support this person. If an applicant doesn’t have sufficient business proof (articles of incorporation, a Doing Business As (DBA) filing, business tax returns, etc.) when filing out an application, the trustee endorsement can be considered as acceptable business proof. 

Once applicants have completed the application, they share with their friends, family, and customers in order to meet the ‘private fundraising period’ goal. The private fundraising period is a 15-day window in which applicants need to have 5–35 individual lenders to meet their goal and, after which they move onto Kiva’s main fundraising platform, with 30 days to execute live fundraising from the public.

Once the fundraising goal has been met, Kiva will disburse the total funds within 5-7 business days to the applicant. Repayments typically begin 30 days after the date of the loan was disbursed, but agricultural borrowers may opt into a 6-month grace period. The payback period is usually 12–18 months. Considering this fast turnaround, farmers need to be sure that their cash flow is sufficient to be able to repay the loan in a short time period. This may work best for produce farmers who need capital for a small equipment purchase, or operating capital in the winter or spring, and have the ability to repay once harvest and sales begin.

Once a borrower fully repays their loan (and at least 6 months have passed since they received the funds), they may apply for another Kiva loan. If a borrower repaid their previous loan without any late payments, they are eligible to pre-qualify for 2x their previous loan amount up to $15K.

Kiva U.S. loans are another tool in the toolkit to help small farmers and food businesses access the capital they need in non-traditional ways. Kiva’s website https://www.kiva.org has more information, where you can also look at other projects from around the world and make a small loan that makes a big difference. Reach out to Laura Cullip, (laura@rtcinfo.org) Farm Business Management Specialist at Renewing the Countryside if you have questions about Kiva loans and if they are a good fit for your farm/food business. If your organization is interested in becoming a Kiva Trustee, you can find more information here: https://www.kiva.org/trustees.

Save the Date: The 2026 Farmland Summit 

We’re heading to Madison, WI for the 2026 Farmland Summit - this November.

Join the Farmland Access Hub and Renewing the Countryside to dig into the future of farmland access and transfer across the Upper Midwest. We're bringing together the region’s top thought leaders, farm & food systems service providers and policymakers for connection and strategy.

In 2023 Summit participants attended 20 cutting-edge sessions facilitated by 65 speakers in addition to the Summits keynote speakers. Attendees gained practical tips, legal tools, & specific advice for farm succession & transfer planning. They learned about relevant new policies & programs, strategized on state policy gaps & opportunities. Participants shared ideas for innovative models of land access & financing and discussed critical equity issues around land access. They left reportedly feeling invigorated, inspired, connected, seen & heard, fired up, & with renewed hope!

Mark your Calendars:

When: November 18 & 19, 2026

Where: The Pyle Center, Madison, WI

Hosted by: Farmland Access Hub & Renewing the Countryside

Check out the attached PDF for more details—just scan the QR code to stay in the loop!

FoxRAP Seeking A New Executive Director

Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project (FoxRAP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Green Lake, WI, dedicated to advancing a resilient agriculture system that restores our roots in small farms and local food to build communities where people and land work together.

2026 marks our 5th anniversary, and with the foundation laid, we have the need, and the opportunity, for deeper impact.

For the next phase of FoxRAP, we are seeking a dynamic executive director to strengthen the core of the organization, build out a regionally impactful nonprofit, and expand FoxRAP’s role as a trusted community partner. 

Because our organization is deeply rooted in place and community, we are seeking someone who lives or works in, or is otherwise connected to the Upper Fox River watershed community (mainly Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara, Winnebago, Fond du Lac counties, and some portions of Adams, Calumet, and Columbia).

Apply Now

Farmland Access & Transition Podcast: Passing the Torch, Planting the Seed

Bonnie Warndahl is seeking farmers who are seeking land, farmers who are seeking new stewards, and farmers who are interested in telling their farmland access or transition stories to be featured on a new farmland access and transition-focused podcast. 

Passing the Torch, Planting the Seed will lift up the critically important topic of farmland access and transition challenges and solutions through storytelling and direct interviews with those of us who are impacted by—and work within—the land access space. Additionally, each episode is slated to feature a farmer seeking land, or a farmer interested in providing land access, giving them an opportunity to put their “ask” out to the broader community and highlight the specific goals related to their quest for tenure or transition. 

Anyone interested in learning more or participating in the podcast, including service providers with a topic to address, can visit this page and fill out the interest form OR contact Bonnie directly at bonnie@efarmony.us  / 612-462-9311. 

Passing the Torch, Planting the Seed is projected to be launched this summer! Please consider joining the conversation!

Learn More

Wisconsin Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference

Partners Mia Ljung of University of Wisconsin—Madison Division of Extension, and Shelly Rothman of FoxRAP will be presenting on farm and business succession planning at an upcoming conference in Green Lake, Wisconsin, May 13–15. 

From the website: Join us for a hands-on, immersive conference designed to strengthen rural Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Bringing together local leaders, business owners, and innovators, this event explores new ways to grow and sustain thriving local economies.

Set in beautiful Green Lake—a picturesque lakeside community known for its crystal-clear waters, historic charm, and welcoming small-town atmosphere—this conference offers an inspiring environment that blends creativity, collaboration, and rejuvenation.

Attendees will experience engaging presentations, practical insights, and technical programming, all focused on helping rural communities build strong foundations where entrepreneurs and small businesses can thrive. Stay tuned for speaker and session details!

For more information, visit the conference website here or copy and paste the link in your browser:

https://economicdevelopment.extension.wisc.edu/cec26/

Check out these Farmland Access & Transition-related Articles!

Fostering farm transfers from farm owners to unrelated, new farmers: A qualitative assessment of farm link services

As more farmers near retirement without a successor, innovative “farm link” programs are stepping in to connect landowners with the next generation. This study, co-authored by our colleagues Kathy Ruhf at Land for Good, and Julia Valiant, Indiana University researcher and the newly appointed director of the Farms For A New Generation program at American Farmland Trust, highlights both the promise and the growing pains of these efforts, showing how stronger support, coordination, and resources could unlock more successful farm transitions. It’s a hopeful look at how we can keep farmland in production while continuing to open doors for new farmers. 

Read the full study, linked in the title!

Success Stories in Succession Planning

Need a mental boost? Check out this farm transition success story in Greenhouse Grower Magazine (pages 16-17, linked in title). 

“Beyond making sure financial records are accessible, Klittich says the biggest lesson was the importance of getting started early.”  

Ask the Expert: A Q&A with Robert White about Avoiding Common Mistakes in Farm Loan Applications

Are you a land-seeking farmer? Do you support land-seeking farmers in their quest for tenure? Check out this great Q&A with Robert White, Deputy Director for FSA’s Loan Making Division! (Linked in title).