Finding Farmland
The future of New York agriculture depends on the next generation of farmers accessing farmland. Between 2017 and 2022, New York lost some 2,788 farms — more than 8% decline, mostly from small farms. The average age of a NY farmer today is about 57. Many don’t have a clear successor lined up.
Land access is one of the biggest barriers to beginning farmers, making it difficult for viable new farms to get going.
Through our Land Access Program, CADE works to help bridge this gap — connecting aspiring farmers with landowners, sharing opportunities (specifically across Deleware, Schoharie and Otsego counties), and supporting careful transition planning to ensure a resilient food system into the future.
In our land access match-making role, CADE is a regional navigator for Farmland for a New Generation NY (FNG), a farm linking website designed by American Farmland Trust to help beginning farmers and landowners connect.
Resources
CADE’s Land Leasing Basics webinar will help you understand what to expect during lease negotiations.
Farm Commons is fantastic for legal resources and community support. Check out their FAQs on leasing and purchasing land.
Land for Good has a wealth of resources in English and Spanish to help navigate the challenges of land access, tenure, and transfer. We especially like their Guide for Accessing Farmland Together, published in collaboration with the National Young Farmers Coalition, which explores cooperative farming models.
Greenhorns has an excellent, thorough guidebook that covers both traditional and alternative methods of accessing and financing farmland.
Still have questions, or need help navigating these resources? Fill out our Support Request Form and a member of our team will be in touch!