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Persistence and Partnerships Both Key to Land Access for New and Beginning Farmers [1]

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Date: 2024-10-01

Despite significant efforts to support new and beginning farmers (NBFs), substantial challenges persist in the agricultural sector, the foremost being land access.

“Without ownership or secure land tenure, farmers can’t invest, improve, or grow their business,” Rachel Brice with Land for Good (LFG) said. In New England, where her organization is based, the high cost of land is one of the biggest barriers.

“Young and beginner farmers who do not have the opportunity to participate in a family transition are especially challenged,” said Charlene Andersen, a farm and food lender with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund. For these NBFs, fast-paced pressure from within the real estate market can reduce their chances of finding agricultural land they can afford. And the overlapping need for housing on or near the farm compounds search struggles.

“Rising costs are due in part to intense competition from developers and non-farmers seeking second homes or estate properties,” Brice said. This can certainly take NBFs with little capital out of the running, especially if they lack connections within the farming community. “Many land transactions occur through word of mouth before properties are publicly listed,” Brice said.

She serves as program and development manager at LFG, focusing on providing support and expert guidance around land access, tenure, and transfer. Her organization, alongside the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, is an example of hundreds of groups working within the farm and food systems.

But in spite of their dedicated efforts, gaps still exist.

This can be particularly true for BIPOC and immigrant farmers, who “may struggle with language barriers and legal status issues that affect their access to capital,” Brice said.

But specialized entities, like the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, are combatting the problem by building deep connections within the agricultural community. One example is a partnership the organization created with New Hampshire’s Cheshire Conservation District and LFG to create the NH Farm Future Fund.

“This program provides funding for farm viability planning in concert with the conservation of important agricultural soils,” Andersen said. The NH Farm Future Fund enables them to help NBFs put land into a conservation easement, which in turn can help reduce the cost of the land with easement proceeds.

Business planning is offered in tandem to ensure long-term viability. It can be especially crucial for those without a farming background as they may be unprepared for the realities that lie ahead.

“Farmers need finances to cover not only land, but equipment, infrastructure, and operational needs. …It takes time to build a business and have income in substantial amounts to cover all these aspects,” Brice said.

To effectively address the challenges facing NBFs, a comprehensive approach is essential. “Farmers need a team who are collectively well-informed about local and regional conditions, including the location of farmland, methods for finding it, and the relevant policy landscape,” Brice said.

Contoocook Creamery brothers are Nate, Si, Bram Robertson of Contoocook Creamery in Contoocook NH. (Photo courtesy of NH Community Loan Fund)

Creative solutions are out there, like unique land leases and collaborations with municipalities or faith communities. Not to mention the option of connecting with a retiring farmer who’s preparing to transition. “This keeps active farmland in active agriculture and can sometimes ease the burden a brand-new, startup faces,” Brice said.

It really comes down to the farmer’s goals and proposed model because every agricultural entity looks different. One of the NBFs Andersen worked with had financing needs to acquire a property. Through business coaching, the farmer developed a detailed enterprise analysis that enabled them to determine where to focus first to generate profitable income.

Simultaneously, Andersen worked with them on a creative loan structure that enabled the farmer to make monthly payments while becoming established. “Having patience and flexible capital is crucial,” Andersen said.

For New Hampshire farmer Andal Sundaramurthy, 10 years of patience was required before she ultimately signed a lease-to-own agreement. The LFG team first met her at a workshop about leasing farmland when she was still working as a farm employee.

Despite countless visits, calls, and letters to landowners, Sundaramurthy’s desired farmland did not surface. She even placed an ad in the local newspaper. “Eventually Andal found a 3-acre field owned by an open-minded couple who were supportive of local agriculture and willing to enter a new relationship with a young farmer,” the LFG website shared.

An LFG field agent helped with drafting a custom lease, and today, Sundaramurthy is actively growing at her very own Nalla Farm. “Persistence is important. The process of finding and securing suitable farmland can be lengthy and challenging,” Brice said.

But NBFs don’t need to undertake it alone. “By fostering these connections and resources, organizations can offer more comprehensive and sustained assistance to farmers navigating the complex landscape of land access and tenure,” Brice said.

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[1] Url: https://dailyyonder.com/persistence-and-partnerships-both-key-to-land-access-for-new-and-beginning-farmers/2024/10/01/

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