Access to Land

One of the toughest parts of farming can be finding and accessing the right kind of land to grow your business on. New and beginning farmers are encouraged to reach out to their local extension office staff as well as visit the general resources on the sidebar to help guide them through their path to farmland.

For those just starting their land journey, Land for Good has a free, online tutorial, for aspiring, new and beginning farmers—and others—preparing to access farmland called Acquiring Your Farm (AYF). This tutorial contains lessons organized around main topics to help improve your land access readiness.

Lease Land

For beginning farmers and those looking to expand their operation leasing land offers an affordable option and provides flexibility. The following resources are pulled from Land for Good, American Farmland Trust, the Center for Agriculture & Food Systems, and Farm Commons. DISCLAIMER: the resources provided are for educational purposes only and not considered legal counsel.

Lease Rates

To calculate lease rates and view regional and statewide irrigated and non-irrigated lease rates, visit the USDA National Ag Statistics Service website. Under 2024, scroll down to Cash Rents by County 2023 and 2024.

Land for Good

• What Makes for a “Good” Farm Lease – from a legal perspective
• Build-a-Lease online interactive tool

American Farmland Trust

• Farm Leasing: Success for Landlords and Tenants
• Farmer & Landowner Guides to Leasing Agricultural Land
• Farm Rental Agreement Checklist, Ohio State University

Center for Agricultural & Food Systems

• Leasing Farmland Resources
• Farm Lease Builder

Farm Commons

• Farmland and Ranchland Leasing Resource Collection

Purchase Land

Owning farmland provides a secure tenure option, allows you to own the improvements you make, and can serve as collateral to back a loan. Access the following resources to learn more about purchasing farmland and the organizations out there that can help you navigate the process.

• Farmer Guides to Buying Agricultural Land
• Access to Capital

Evaluate Land

Once you have chosen whether to lease or purchase, the resources below can help you assess site conditions and variables best suited to your operation.

Guide to Finding, Assessing and Securing Farmland, New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (pdf) – This guide will help you answer:

1. What kind of land am I looking for?
2. What sort of land tenure situation is right for me?
3. How do I get started with my land search?
4. What should I look for during a farmland visit?
5. How do I negotiate with a landowner and sign an agreement to use the land?

Find Land

Click the land resource below to be matched with farmland for sale or lease in our area. This is a program of Washington Farmland Trust that aims to help farmers find land, build capacity, access resources, and ultimately, thrive as business owners and stewards of the land.

Additional Resources

Tilth Alliance – Offers classes, farm walks, funding, and farmer resources.

Washington Farmland Trust – nonprofit land trust working to protect and steward threatened farmland in Washington. They work to keep land in production by making it accessible to future generations of farmers.

American Farmland Trust – ATF’s three priorities: protecting agricultural land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land.

Land for Good – Includes a comprehensive online Toolbox for Farm Seekers looking to purchase or lease land.

USDA New Farmers Website – listing of tools and resources that USDA offers to new farmers/ranchers.

Farm Answers – Farm Answers is the USDA-NIFA beginning farmer and rancher (BFRDP) clearinghouse, providing resources to help you get started farming, as well as tools to help more seasoned producers succeed. Their site includes a farmland access toolkit.