Find Land and Fund Your Farm Operation (2024)

Finding land and money for your business can be tough, but USDA has been helping new producers for decades. As a new farmer or rancher, access to land and access to capital are probably your biggest challenges. Whether you are looking for a small amount of funding to acquire a few basic pieces of equipment, need a larger chunk of money to invest in scaling up your operation, or need financing to acquire land and infrastructure, USDA has a variety of loans and resources that can help you.

Keep reading about finding land and capital below, get an overview of the beginning farmer's journey, or jump to a different section of the farmer's journey.

1. Plan

2. Visit

3. Fund

4. Build

5. Sell

6. Maintain

On This Page

Finding Land

Finding Capital for Other Farm and Ranch Needs

Next Steps

Plan Before You Fund

The first and most critical step to obtaining financing is a good business plan. If you haven’t done so already, follow our guidance on writing a business plan to build your own. Once you have a business plan,visit your local service center to learn about financing options through USDA.

Finding Land

You will need land to grow your business. You may choose to lease, rent, or purchase land.You may also be interested in a creative approach to growing space—such as container farming, aquaponics, or rooftop farming. USDA has resources for all types of farmers!

If you’re inheriting land and unsure on how to move forward, visit our Heirs’ Property Landowners page for more information on how to navigate this process.

Considerations When Looking for Farmland

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Understand your budget and operation needs.Take a long look at your financial situation when evaluating the prices of farmland that you’re considering.

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Compare different optionslike the costs between purchasing and renting land. Be sure to check land values and rental rates to see if it is in line with what you can afford.

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Check the climate and growing conditionson the land to make sure it matches needs of your specific operation.

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Assess the land properlybefore agreeing to rent or purchase it.Learn more about assessing land from theFarmland Information Center’s site assessment worksheetand use it as a guide when documenting your findings. Assessment examples:

  • Visit the land multiple timesand walk the property to make sure the property fits your needs.
  • Test the soils and the waterto make sure they fit your standards for your land.
  • Collect information and documentwhat you find on the land.
  • Explore the communityaround the area and visit the state, county or municipal websites to learn about policies that can support your type of operation.

Leasing Land

Renting land may be a better option when starting out. You might find some leads from these groups:

  • Connect with the local farming community and get the word out about your search.
  • The Cooperative Extension program from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Purchasing Land

To see what’s available, check out FSA’s inventory of farmland property for purchase. Beginning farmers have first priority to purchase these properties at the appraised value.

To buy the land, you might want to consider Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans from FSA such as the Down Payment Loan and farm ownership loans.

If you're connected with your local farming community, the Transition Incentives Program might provide an opportunity to purchase land from owners looking to return land to production.

USDA does not offer grants for purchasing land and most grants that are available are for low dollar amounts or for very specific purposes. If you are looking for a grant, check with your local service center — they may be aware of state grant opportunities — or check out the following resources:

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Finding Capital for Other Farm and Ranch Needs

The next step after acquiring farmland is to start looking for capital to fund your operation.

Considerations When Finding Capital

Understand the types of funding you need before applying for loans. USDA offers loans for different types of agricultural needs including but not limited to:

  • Equipment, Livestock, and Other Improvements.
  • Feed, Seed, and Inputs (annual operating loan types).
  • Value Added Processing-Loans from USDA and/or SBA may help you finance further processing your products (like turning your cucumbers into pickles, or independent label beef), or aggregating products with others (for example, making jams and jellies using fruits from multiple producers).
  • Cost Share - FSA financing may be able to be used to assist with the capital needed for other USDA agency programs that require a cost share such as those offered by NRCS or Rural Development.

Use our Farm Loan Assistance Tool, read ourFarm Loans factsheet, or check out FSA's information about farm loan programs to learn about USDA farm loans that might be right for you.

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Working with USDA

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes and guarantees loans to farmers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial lenders. You can use FSA loans to pay normal operating or family living expenses, purchase and develop farmland, implement approved conservation plans, and buy farm structures, seeds, livestock and equipment.

Each year, FSA targets a portion of its lending by setting aside a portion of all loan funds for financing beginning farmer and rancher operations through the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans.These opportunities also address the unique circ*mstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers known collectively as “historically underserved producers”.

You can also get loans to help finance your portion of conservation practices supported by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Visit our Loans page for more information about funding you can apply for.

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Working with the Small Business Administration

You may want to explore other agencies that finance agriculture and food businesses. Sometimes combining funding from multiple sources is helpful.

To get started with the Small Business Administration (SBA), you should visit a local bank or lending institution that participates in SBA programs. You can use Lender Match to connect with participating SBA Lenders and complete a short, online questionnaire. An interested lender and prospective borrower can then connect.

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Learn More About FSA Farm Loans

Next Steps

Once you have acquired your land and obtained the necessary funding, you will need to start building your operation by determining the legal structure of your business and obtaining the necessary licenses and permits. Start considering insurance options and making decisions on business management components.

4. build your farm operation

How to Start a Farm with USDA

Get an overview of the beginning farmer's journey or jump to a specific page below.

1. Plan

2. Visit

3. Fund

4. Build

5. Sell

6. Maintain

Find Your Local Service Center

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USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.

Learn more about our Urban Service Centers.

Visit the Risk Management Agency website to find a regional or compliance officeor to find an insurance agent near you.

Find Land and Fund Your Farm Operation (2024)

FAQs

How do farmers afford their land? ›

Purchasing Land

Beginning farmers have first priority to purchase these properties at the appraised value. To buy the land, you might want to consider Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Loans from FSA such as the Down Payment Loan and farm ownership loans.

How do you find net farm income from operations? ›

Net Cash Farm Income = Total Cash income – Total Cash expense Net Farm Income from Operations (NFIFO) = Total Adjusted Income – Total Adjusted Expense Net Farm Income (NFI) = NFIFO + gain (or loss) of capital assets.

What are two things that made farming in the Great Plains difficult explain your answer? ›

What were some of the challenges faced by early farmers on the Great Plains? Bitter cold winters, low rainfall, drought and dust storms. Tough, hard soil eroded by fierce winds and dust storms that was generally considered unsuitable for farming.

What is the most profitable thing to farm? ›

Dubbed "red gold", saffron's high market value makes it arguably the most profitable agricultural crop. Though it requires careful cultivation, the potential profits per acre are unmatched, highlighting its viability for small farms looking to maximize their earnings.

How do people afford to buy land? ›

There are several options. One is a land loan. However, you may also qualify for seller financing, local lenders, or a home equity loan.

How do I make farmland pay for itself? ›

How to Make Land Pay for Itself
  1. Maximizing Productivity of Land. ...
  2. Generating Income from Crops and Livestock. ...
  3. Investing in Sustainable Farming Practices. ...
  4. Exploring Other Business Opportunities on the Farm. ...
  5. Taking Out a Loan For Farm Land Purchase. ...
  6. Securing Loans For Buying Existing Farmlands.

Can I write off farm expenses? ›

Examples of farming expenses that can be deducted:

Depreciation. Feed. Fertilizer. Gasoline, fuel and oil.

How many acres do you need to farm to make a living? ›

In some cases, a decent income can be realized from as little as half an acre of land if you are doing something like greenhouse plant production. Other enterprises, such as pine straw production, beef cattle, or Christmas trees will take considerably more acreage.

How do you calculate farm income? ›

Net farm income (NFI) reflects income after expenses from production in the current year and is calculated by subtracting farm expenses from gross farm income. NFI considers cash, non-cash income, and expenses and accounts for changes in commodity inventories.

What made farming difficult in summer? ›

As high temperatures and extreme weather events create difficult conditions for crop growth, farmers teeter on the edge of extreme profit loss if a respite from the weather does not arrive soon.

What were the social problems faced by the farmers? ›

Many attributed their problems to discriminatory railroad rates, monopoly prices charged for farm machinery and fertilizer, an oppressively high tariff, an unfair tax structure, an inflexible banking system, political corruption, corporations that bought up huge tracks of land.

Why was farming very difficult for the early farmers on the plains? ›

Lacking much rainfall, farmers had to drill wells several hundred feet into the ground to tap into underground aquifers. Windmill-powered pumps were necessary to bring the water to the surface and irrigate fields. Steel tipped plows were necessary to cut through the plains' grasses dense roots.

What crop is in the highest demand? ›

Top 13 Most Profitable Crops To Grow
  • Mushrooms.
  • Microgreens.
  • Ginseng.
  • Lavender.
  • Saffron.
  • Goji Berries.
  • Wasabi. ...
  • Bonsai Plants.

What to grow on 10 acres? ›

Where an adequate supply of water is available, other fruit crops become feasible, including strawberries, apples, peaches/nectarines, pears, persimmons, chestnuts and pecans. These enterprises are only feasible if an adequate supply of water is available for irrigation and other needs.

How many acres does a farmer need to make a living? ›

To attain $30,000 net farm income – approximately 4½ acres at $19,000 gross income per acre ($6,650 net income); approximately 7 acres at $12,000 gross income per acre ($4,200 net income); and approximately 12 acres at $7,000 gross income per acre ($2,450 net income).

How much profit do farmers make per acre? ›

Though they may have offices in which to manage paperwork, they typically work outdoors. Average farm income per acre grossed ​$790​, according to Lisbdnet.com in 2021. Net income varies widely depending on the size of the farm, loan payments, taxes and operational costs.

How rich is a farmer? ›

In 2022, the median U.S. farm household had $1,376,404 in wealth. Households operating commercial farms had $3.5 million in total wealth at the median, substantially more than the households of residence or intermediate farms.

Why do rich people own farmland? ›

Hedge against inflation. As inflation climbs, many investments can plummet in value. Farmland, on the other hand, has seen its value increase during inflationary periods, making it an effective hedge against rising prices. This cushion can be particularly valuable to those with an ultra-high net worth.

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