The Working Farms Fund makes it more affordable to own and invest in the most import part of a farm business — land. We are saving threatened farmland and ensuring that your growing farm businesses can flourish on that land.

 

Farmers who are ready to expand their farm business will work with the Working Farms Fund to achieve landownership in 3 to 5 years. This patient pathway to land ownership allows farmers to invest in their business while gradually working toward purchase of the land.

 

Farmers in the Working Farms Fund have support from The Conservation Fund and network of farm resource partners who will invest in:

 

• Access to farmland at an affordable farming value
• A patient pathway to farmland ownership through a lease-to-own model
• Support in identifying and applying for farm business tools and federal programs
• Access to new and emerging markets
• Time to focus on investment in farm infrastructure and growing the farm business

 

Do you want to learn more? Complete our Farmer Survey and we will be in touch.

 

The Working Farms Fund is currently being piloted in metro Atlanta and metro Chicago. If your farm is serving another metro market, you are welcome to complete the survey—we will keep your information on file for future pilots, and it helps us to know which geographies have interested farmers.

 

RESOURCES

 

New Farm Support and Farm Business Planning

• USDA Resources for New Farmers
• University of Georgia Small Business Development Center
• Georgia Organics Accelerator Program
• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s Building a Sustainable Business Resource

 

Sustainable Agriculture and Land Protection

• Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Office
• National Young Farmers Coalition, A Farmer’s Guide to Working with Land Trusts

 

Loan Guidance

• SDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Loans
• National Young Farmers Coalition FSA Loans Guidebook