Join the CCOF Foundation, California FarmLink, and the National Young Farmers Coalition for a webinar that will guide you through the key steps in negotiating and composing a lease that has a built-in pathway to ownership.
Every farmer hopes to own their own property. But with high startup costs and sky-high land prices in places like California, it often doesn't make sense to purchase property before starting your farm business. Learn about different types of lease structures, clauses, tactics that can lead to farm ownership, and how to position yourself financially to be able to execute a purchase option.
By 2030, more than two-thirds of all private agricultural land in the United States is expected to change hands. Additionally, over the past decade, the average cost of farmland has doubled, and land prices continue to climb. Unless you stand to gain farmland the old fashioned way—inheritance—new and scaling farmers need “out-of-the-box” strategies to stand up against the tide of U.S. farmland transition.
This webinar will provide ideas on choosing a land tenure method that’s right for your growing organic farming business, and how to best position yourself to consider a possible farmland purchase in the future, including financial planning through the National Young Farmer Coalition’s Finding Farmland Calculator tool.
About Our Speakers
Liya Schwartzman, Central Valley Program Coordinator at the California FarmLink, has been working in partnership with farmers on behalf of California FarmLink since 2010. She has supported hundreds of farmers and ranchers in accessing land, securing strong tenure agreements, exploring financing, and facilitating farmland and business succession plans. Schwartzman frequently speaks at workshops and conferences on topics of importance to beginning and retiring farmers and ranchers.
Michael Parker, Land Access Program Associate at the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), helps beginning farmers understand their financial decisions related to accessing land, through NYFC’s Finding Farmland Calculator, as well as in-person and online education projects. He has varied professional experience in farm direct marketing, including as a farmworker, food hub marketing associate, farmers’ market manager, caterer, and writer. Parker holds a degree in accounting from Georgetown University.
About Our Funder
USDA RBD: This webinar is made possible by a Rural Business Development Grant from the USDA Division of Rural Development.