We work one on one with farmers looking to acquire or lease land, and land owners interested in making their land available for farmers. For farmers we assist with exploring farm access and financing possibilities, and navigating through various options and considerations for farm acquisition. For landowners we provide information on ways to partner with farmers, lease land, or transition ownership of farmland and/or farm businesses.
Help for both farmers and land owners
We are here to help new and existing farmers find the land they need to sustainably grow crops and raise livestock while building financial viability.
Early help with developing agreements:
We facilitate early-stage negotiations for all types of farm tenure agreements, ranging from short term leases to longer term ownership transition scenarios. We serve as an objective, non-biased, third party, providing relevant information on options and considerations for all parties to the agreement.
Farm transition and business planning support
We work with retiring farmers to develop plans for transitioning management and ownership of farm assets to the junior generation. We provide business planning assistance when the business plan is connected with maintaining enterprise viability during farm transfer from senior to junior generations, or establishing success on a new farm or new potential location.
Site assessment services
We are once again able to offer site visits for farm land, water, and infrastructure assessment. Our goal is to help provide you with an understanding of the knowledge and resources that can help you make the best, most informed decisions about the sustainable establishment and management of productive assets -- namely land, water and farm infrastructure. Please visit the Land Assessment Services page to see if we can help in your particular situation.
Land Access Resources for Farmseekers & Landowners
- Vermont Land Link (link opens in new page): An online gateway to listings of Vermont farmland available for sale or lease.
- New England Farmland Finder (link opens in new page): An online gateway to listings of farmland in New England available for sale or lease.
- How To Determine the Right Farm Rental Rate (link opens in new page): A comprehensive guide to various methods and considerations for setting fair farm rental rates.
- Keeping Farmland Working in Vermont: A Lease Agreement Guide for Landowners and Farmers (PDF download)
- Resource Guide for Vermont's New and Aspiring Farmers (PDF download)
- Your First Farm Loan (PDF download)
- Family Farm Succession (link opens in new page)
- The Guide to Financing the Community-Supported Farm (PDF download)
Interested in knowing more about the Center's work or seeking additional information? Contact Extension via the short form on this page and one of our colleagues will help get you the resources you need.