Gaining access to good, affordable farmland is one of the hardest tasks for beginning farmers. This is especially true for businesses that depend on being near economic growth centers, where land is more expensive. As the farming population ages, more farms will be on the market, increasing the threat to the future of Vermont’s economy.
In 2004 we created the Farmland Access Program to help entrepreneurial farmers find affordable farms of their own.
Since then, we have helped nearly 40 farmers. Most of these farmers were able to buy their first farm after years of leasing land. Many were also able to expand their businesses. See some of their stories here.
Every farm and farmer is unique, so we have been creative and flexible in our approach, but here are some the ways we have succeeded:
Candidates must have three years of farming experience, strong farming references, plans to develop an agricultural enterprise that would gross $100,000 per year within five years of start up, and financial resources (or the ability to be financed) for start-up expenses. We focus on farms producing food and/or fiber that would use at least 25 acres of productive land.
You may fill out a sign-up form or contact Maggie Donin.
Check out our property for sale page to see if there are any offerings.
Contact Maggie Donin, Farmland Access Program Director
Fill out our sign-up form here.
Please consider signing-up and following us on social media to hear of future opportunities.
VLT Facts |
593,000+ Total acres protected |
720+ Farms using conserved land |
420,000 Acres of forestland |
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170 Recreation spots |
60 Miles Catamount Trail |
460 Miles VAST Trail |
2,500+ Properties protected |