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Creative Ways to Access LandStories and Strategies
Healthy Farms ConferenceFebruary 16, 2012
The Challenges• Cost of land
• Finding land available for sale in a desirable location
• Accessing financing (especially for smaller, non-conventional operations – new FSA micro-loan program)
Iowa set a new farmland price in December, 2011 when a 74-acre tract in Sioux County sold for $20,000 per acre
Working with Challenges
• Creativity, tenacity and grit
• Need for policy changes to ease entry for beginning farmers and ranchers
• Learned to work with existing challenges
Erica Hellen (Free Union Grass Farm, Free Union, Virginia)
Farmers who “made it”
• Emily and Joe Donegan – Donegan Family Farm, Charlotte, Vermont
• Steve and Shelley Lorenz – West Blue Farm, Milford, Nebraska
• Erica Hellen and Joe Slezak – Free Union Grass Farm, Free Union, Virginia
• Erin Frank – Intern at Branched Oak Farm, Raymond, Nebraska
Donegan Family FarmEmily and Joe Donegan
• Seasonal Jersey diary in Charlotte, Vermont
• Starting keeping heifers at Joe’s family farm but needed a milking facility to ship milk
• “Looked around the neighborhood” for defunct diary farms The Donegan’s son, Frankie,
“helping” with chores
Donegan Family Farm• Narrowed down options
(milking facility, enough land, place to live) and approached owners
• Started renting a farm that only stopped shipping a few months before – equipment, parlor intact
• Farmhouse was unlivable so purchased a mobile home and pulled it next to the house
The Donegan’s Jersey Cow “Happy”
Five Years of Horse Manure
• Lived at farm for 2 years then approached a neighboring farm about leasing land/barn
• Farm stopped milking five before and used barn for horses = 5 years of horse manure
• Cleaned up barn, set up tie-stall and moved into farmhouse
• Began milking into buckets and purchased a pipeline in 2012
• Approached landlords about purchasing the farm and had it appraised but landlords wanted more money than the land was worth
Donegan Family Farm
Future:
• No lease – so feel vulnerable.
• Plan to do some “door knocking” to aging diary farmers this winter
• Key strength: local connections in the community
Patrick and Frankie Donegan
West Blue Farm Deb and Dave Welsch and Steve and Shelley Lorenz
• Accessed land working closely with the landowners and current farmers
• Importance of mentoring, planning and trust
• Partnership based on strengths of each party
Dave and Deb Welsch and Shelley and Steve Lorenz and the Lorenz’ twin daughters
Land Link Video featuring West Blue Farm
Free Union Grass FarmErica Hellen and Joel Slezak
• Grassfed beef and pastured pork poultry farm near Free Union, Virginia
• Quickly realized that purchasing land in their area is “next to impossible”
Free Union Grass Farm Logo
Free Union Grass Farm
• Started on 8 acres of pasture owned by Joel’s family
• Expanded to 15 acres of usable pasture, with barn for hay storage and reliable well owned by a neighbor – “sold” idea based on tax rebates for keeping land in agricultural production
Hay Girrrll – Erica Hellen of Free Union Grass Farm
Free Union Grass Farm
• Original 8 acres surrounded by land owned by a wealthy absentee landowner – farmers wrote letter asking to use 25 acre pasture
• Mutual friend wrote recommendation to landowners
Pasture raised duck
Free Union Grass Farm• Conditions of using
25 acres pasture included purchasing liability insurance and they have to avoid grazing certain areas of the property
• Insurance policy is $220/year – cheap compared to a 25 acre lease
Erica moving bales
Free Union Grass Farm
Future:• Continue acquiring
free/cheap land leases from people who are not using their land
• Save to purchase a small property in the middle of those properties – build credit by paying mortgage and purchase land
Joel at the Free Union Farm Farmers Market Stand
Erin Frank Intern at Branched Oak Farm
• Branched Oak Farm certified organic, grass-based dairy specializing in creating farmstead cheeses.
• Host interns who pursue their own entrepreneurial ideas
Intern Erin Frank at Branched Oak Farm
Erin Frank
• Erin is starting a small CSA at Branched Oak in summer 2013 along with helping out on the diary and creamery
• Previous intern projects include raising hogs, chickens and vegetables
Why Join Land Link?
Beginning Farmer• Experience and passion to farm• Need resources to start your own operation• Land Link connects you with people who can help.
Retiring Farmer• Want to maintain your farm and legacy• Land Link helps you find the right match
Landowner• Interested in renting or selling any amount of land• Land link helps you find an interested beginner
Linking Procedure
Beginning Farmer or Rancher
• Application
• Listings
• Consider
• Contact
Landowner/Retiring Farmer or Rancher
• Worksheet
• Review
• Listing
• Potential matches contact you
Making a Match
• Explore shared interests/goals, meshing needs
• Land Link staff provides support
• Beginner and landowner negotiate and enact transfer
Additional Resources and Programs for Beginners
• High value markets• Advice • Federal programs• Many additional programs and
resources listed on our website
Land Link brings together new farmers and established landowners to secure the
future of American family farms
