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Want to Buy a Farm?
What to Know Before Buying Farmland (Midwest Farm & Land Co., Aug. 14, 2024)
Before finalizing a purchase, it is essential to have the farmland inspected by a professional. A land inspector can evaluate the soil quality, drainage, irrigation systems, and potential environmental issues. This inspection will help you identify any problems with the land that may affect its value or usability.
How Much Land Can I Afford? (FCSAmerica, Feb. 7, 2024)
Purchasing farmland is an important, emotional decision. The key to making it work is staying grounded in the numbers and knowing what you can realistically afford based on your business. Work with your lender to find the loan terms that work for your operation and consider the ways you can subsidize any difference between the additional income and your payments.
5 Ways to Invest in Farmland (Bankrate, Sep. 2, 2024)
The capital needed to buy a farm may be quite significant. For instance, according to the USDA, the average farm size in 2021 was 445 acres. The USDA also reported an average cost of $3,800 per acre in 2022. Using these averages, you could expect an average purchase price of $1.69 million for a farm. Naturally, you may be able to get started with less if you can find the right opportunity.
How to Start a Farm: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (United States Department of Agriculture)
USDA can help you get started or grow your operation through a variety of programs and services, from farm loans to crop insurance, and conservation programs to disaster assistance.
Financing Farm Property
Farm Grants: How to Get Free Money in 2025 (NerdWallet, Jan. 2, 2025)
Many states offer government farm grants through their Department of Agriculture. These grants may provide funding for farm management and development, agricultural research, marketing and promotion, energy efficiency, climate action, and technology advancement, among other purposes.
Farm Loans: Understanding Traditional vs. Alternative Financing (United Farm Mortgage, 2025)
Alternative financing, like hard money loans for farms, is key when usual bank options fall flat. These are asset-based, which means your farm itself secures the loan. This kind of funding works well if you’re caught off-guard by sudden costs or disasters that hurt your cash flow.
Sure, these loans might cost more in interest compared to traditional ones. They often have higher rates but offer interest-only payments during shorter terms, which can ease immediate financial pressure. So consider this: if regular banks say no because their rules are tight, alternative agricultural loans could be a lifeline to keep your farming business running strong.
Buying a Farm: How to Get a Farm Loan with No Down Payment (FarmRaise, Nov. 6, 2024)
The Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) loans are low-interest loans specifically designed for “small, beginning farmers, niche and non-traditional farm operations.” In other words, FSA microloans fund land acquisition and farm operations and are a great option for first time farmland buyers and beginning farmers and ranchers.
How to Start a Farm: Find Land and Fund Your Operation (Farmers.gov)
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.
Farm Loan Programs (U.S. Department of Agriculture - Farm Service Agency)
The Farm Service Agency offers loans to help farmers and ranchers get the financing they need to start, expand or maintain a family farm.
Funding Resources (Loans/Grants) (Beginning Farmers)
This page contains comprehensive information about finding financial help for starting your farm business.
Agricultural Property Values
Farmland Values Increase Despite Income Declines (Agriculture Dive, Jan. 7, 2025)
U.S. farmland values are positioned for growth in 2025 with more buyers in today’s market than sellers, according to a report from agricultural real estate services provider Farmers National Company.
FNC said demand is outstripping land availability, which is set to drive a strong market this year despite factors that typically would detract buyers from obtaining farmland, including lower net farm income, volatile market prices and higher interest rates.
Land Use, Land Value & Tenure - Farmland Value (U.S. Department of Agriculture – Economic Research Department, Jan. 5, 2025)
Regional farmland real estate values vary widely because of differences in general economic conditions, local farm economic conditions, and local geographic conditions that affect returns to farming. For example, in the Corn Belt, farm real estate values are nearly twice the national average, while farmland real estate values in the Mountain region are less than half the national average.
Land Values 2024 Summarypdf (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Aug. 2024)
The United States farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $4,170 per acre for 2024, up $200 per acre (5.0 percent) from 2023. The United States cropland value averaged $5,570 per acre, an increase of $250 per acre (4.7 percent) from the previous year. The United States pasture value averaged $1,830 per acre, an increase of $90 per acre (5.2 percent) from 2023.
Hobby Farms
Backyard Cultivation: 2025’s Best States for Hobby Farms (Lawn Love, Dec. 15, 2024)
Kentucky (No. 1) and Virginia (No. 3) land at the top with large backyards, plenty of farm veterinarians, and few restrictions on hobby farming. These states also feature better air and water quality, smaller numbers of bird flu cases, and fewer natural hazards to worry about.
Everything You Need to Know About Hobby Farming (LandLeader, Jul. 26, 2024)
Hobby farms vary significantly in size and purpose. They might range from urban agriculturists with backyard chickens to local farmers producing meat, cheese, and vegetables for farmers’ markets. Regardless of the scale, a common feature of hobby farms is that the principal income of the owner does not come from farming.
Starting a Hobby Farm: What You Need To Know Before You Begin (Lucerne Farms)
Starting a hobby farm can be a lot of fun, but there are many things that can go wrong. Before breaking ground, take a moment to define your goals for the hobby farm. Are you interested in growing vegetables, raising animals, or both? Understanding your objectives will guide your decisions on land size, infrastructure, and the types of crops or animals you want to manage.
Agrihoods
Anatomy of an Agrihood: Get Back to the Basics with Farm-to-Table Living (The Zebra, May 7, 2024)
Seventy-three percent of Americans consider access to fresh, healthy foods a top priority.[2] Eating clean is easy in an agrihood, since you can purchase produce directly from the source of your neighborhood’s working farm.
Families can also take advantage of culinary workshops on-site to learn the best recipes to make with the local ingredients. Some agrihoods even have restaurants where a chef whips up dishes from the crops grown on the working farms.
This Area in Detroit is Now America’s First Self-Sustainable Agrihood (The Hearty Soul, Apr. 27, 2024)
The first sustainable urban agrihood, which recently debuted in Detroit, is the project of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative — an all-volunteer nonprofit, which seeks to empower urban communities using sustainable agriculture.
The three-acre development has vacant land, along with occupied and abandoned homes centered around a two-acre urban garden, with more than 300 organic vegetable varieties, like lettuce, kale, and carrots, as well as a 200-tree fruit orchard, with apples, pears, plums, and cherries, a children’s sensory garden, and more.
Are Agrihoods a Growth Opportunity? (National Association of Home Builders, Jan. 30, 2024)
Although located mostly in the South and West, there are an estimated 200 agrihoods across the U.S. in at least 30 states, in rural communities to major cities, as Ed McMahon, a senior fellow of sustainable development at ULI, told Civil Eats, a nonprofit publication focused on sustainable food news.
Useful Websites
Agricultural Statistics by State (National Agriculture Statistics Service)
State statistics, publications and news releases.
American Farm Bureau Federation
The American Farm Bureau Federation is the Voice of Agriculture®. We are farm and ranch families working together to build a sustainable future of safe and abundant food, fiber and renewable fuel for our nation and the world.
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
ASFMRA is the premier organization for rural property professionals, focused on advancing the standards of the disciplines we represent through an unparalleled level of expertise and integrity.
Business Services (National Young Farmers Coalition)
We are actively developing new resources, trainings, and online tools for young and beginning farmers, including guidebooks on federal programs and regulations, and in-person workshops and trainings.
Census of Agriculture (U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Agricultural Statistical Service)
The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.
Farm Answers (Center for Farm Financial Management – University of Minnesota, U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
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.
Farm Beginnings Program (Land Stewardship Project)
The Land Stewardship Project works on various fronts to ensure future generations of stewardship-minded farmers are successfully established on the land and in our communities. Whether you are dreaming of farming, in the process of establishing your own farm business, or have 10 years under your belt, LSP is here to support you and your farm.
Farm Business Toolbox (National Farmers Union)
Growing conditions and production practices present demanding challenges, but those are not the only skills today’s farmer must maintain. To thrive in changing markets, farmers must also operate with a high degree of business savvy. Farm business health can be divided into eight different topics for purposes of identifying a farm operation’s strong points and weak areas, and to direct efforts for business health improvement.
Farm Loan Programs (U.S. Department of Agriculture - Farm Service Agency)
The Farm Service Agency offers loans to help farmers and ranchers get the financing they need to start, expand or maintain a family farm.
Minority and Women Farmers and Ranchers (U.S. Department of Agriculture – Farm Service Agency)
While FSA is committed to serving all farmers and ranchers, by statute, FSA targets a portion of all Guaranteed loan funds, Direct Operating and Direct Farm Ownership loan funds, Microloan funding, and Youth loans, to historically underserved farmers and ranchers, which include:
Women in Agriculture (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Women have been a critical part of farm and ranch operations across the country — and around the globe — for centuries. But now, as women in agriculture, we have a unique opportunity to be the change we want to see in our industry. We must build on the incredible legacy of stewardship, innovation, and productivity and help one another succeed now and moving into the future.
Publication 225 (2024), Farmer's Tax Guide (Internal Revenue Service)
This publication explains how the federal tax laws apply to farming. Use this publication as a guide to figure your taxes and complete your farm tax return. If you need more information on a subject, get the specific IRS tax publication covering that subject.
REALTORS® Land Institute
The REALTORS® Land Institute (RLI) elevates the level of professionalism in the land industry by providing all land professionals the expertise and camaraderie that are the foundation for becoming the best in the business.
Resources (Cornell Small Farms Program)
Current information is essential to manage your farm and grow your business. The Cornell Small Farms Program has created a suite of resources based on these needs, ranging from production to policy and everything in-between.
Regional Small Farms (Washington State University)
The Regional Small Farms Program supports small to mid-sized farms by leveraging the broad resources of a major university to resolve issues and create a positive food future for our region.
Service Center Locator (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
This web site will provide the address of a USDA Service Center and other Agency offices serving your area along with information on how to contact them.
Small Farm Funding Resources (U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Agricultural Library)
This guide contains information about issues to consider before starting a farming operation.
Find links to full-text guides on how to start a small farm business and develop business and marketing plans. Identify information about funding programs for beginning and experienced farmers, technical assistance contacts, disaster assistance, and organizations with available resources.
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (University of California, Davis)
UC SAREP has united with the Organic Agriculture Institute, the Small Farms Network, and the Master Food Preserver Program. Together, our work across the food supply chain supports agriculture and food systems that are economically viable, conserve natural resources and biodiversity, and enhance the quality of life and equity in the state’s urban, rural and Tribal communities.
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks
The Back to Basics Handbook: A Guide to Buying and Working Land, Raising Livestock, Enjoying Your Harvest, Household Skills and Crafts, and More (eBook)
The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner (eBook)
Buying Country Land (eBook)
Finding Good Farmland (eBook)
Green Guide: The Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely (eBook)
Mini Farming (Audiobook)
The Profitable Hobby Farm: How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business (eBook)
The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Own Food (eBook)
The Ultimate Guide to Urban Farming (eBook)
The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
Rural Property Valuation (Chicago, IL: Appraisal Institute, 2017) HD1393 .R864 2017
Journals Available through EBSCO (E)
Agricultural Research - Research articles on food, nutrition and aspects of farming and pest control published by the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers – Articles represent a cross-section of happenings in the various agricultural professions.
Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.
The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
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