Finding Farmland Course

A series of lessons that will prepare you to confidently approach the financial decisions related to acquiring your first farm.

Welcome to the National Young Farmers Coalition’s Finding Farmland Course, a one-stop shop to guide you through the financial decisions related to accessing farmland. This free course includes articles, videos, podcasts, activities, and resources, and was created in partnership with a nationwide network of farmland access organizations.

The Finding Farmland Calculator, another Young Farmers project, serves as a companion tool throughout the course. Watch the walkthrough video below for an introduction to the Calculator, or try it out yourself at findingfarmland.org.

Navigate through the lessons using the menu below. Take the course at your own pace, and send us your questions about the financial concepts discussed or your personal land financing via the comments section in each lesson or by emailing land@youngfarmers.org.

Take this short pre-course survey before you begin to help set a benchmark for your knowledge about the process of accessing land and to help us improve our work.

You can watch all the course videos here

Download all Finding Farmland Course educational resources here
Learn about the course, introduce yourself to the Finding Farmland Calculator, and set holistic farm goals.
Consider the many different forms of land tenure, and identify which best suits your holistic farm goals.

Plan for success, then put that plan into numbers. This lesson covers holistic financial planning and cash flow budgeting.
Understand what lenders are looking for, and make yourself a better loan candidate.
Learn about the financing options available to beginning farmers and ranchers, with a special focus on USDA Farm Service Agency.
Identify partners that can help you find and access land more affordably, and consider strategies to work with them responsibly.
Understand the best practices for land leasing, and a framework for considering whether leasing or buying land is right for you.
Gather tips for preparing yourself and your business to buy land, and introduce yourself to the real estate transaction process.
Consider how transferring ownership of a retiring farmer’s business and/or land can reduce your risk in accessing land, with a special focus on LLC-based transfers.