Performing Department
Farm to Farmer
Non Technical Summary
The aging demographics of Washington farmers who lack succession plans are putting the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the state's food system at risk. It's imperative that connections are fostered with the next generation by ensuring that beginning farmers and ranchers have the skills, knowledge, and support to secure and access farmland for their operations. Through the Farm to Farmer (FTF) program, Washington Farmland Trust takes the novel approach of customizing technical support for BFR through an intensive discovery process that results in a personalized plan. In partnership with a network of service providers, FTF helps farmers gain the skills they need to successfully access and secure farmland. Farmland evaluation through site vists and developing relationships with landowners are also key components. BFR are empowered to directly connect with landowners through Farmtofarmer.org, a land linking website maintained by FTF.Working across cultures and generations FTF's Innovative Land Tenure Opportunities And Succession Strategies project seeks to create a bridge between retiring landowners and BFR including BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee communities. The project will serve 50 BFR with personalized technical assistance, conduct 20 site visits, and educate 20 landowners about succession planning and land leasing, resulting in introductions between BFR and landowners who are ready to transition their farmland to a new operation and ultimately allow BFR to establish or expand their farm businesses. With translation services and ASL interpretation available, the program is designed break down barriers for individuals who have been historically excluded from farming.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1: Beginning farmers and ranchers (BFR) are able to access and secure farmland. Outcome 1.1: 35 BFR increase knowledge and understanding of how to access and secure farmland.Outcome 1.2: Five BFR secure farmland to establish or expand their farm business.Outcome 1.3: Three BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee farmers secure farmland to establish or expand their farm business.The objectives are:(1) BFR have the skills to access and secure farmland(2) BFR are connected to landowners.To achieve these objectives 50 BFR will receive personalized technical assistance quantified as 100 hours, and 25 BFR maintain active listings on Farmtofarmer.org. 70 unduplicated connections between farmers and landowners will be made through Farmtofarmer.org. Additionally, Farm to Farmer (FTF) will conduct 20 site visits in support of BFR seeking land with 40% of those visits in support of socially disadvantaged farmers. As a result FTF will facilitate 10 introductions between landowners and BFR. Each site visit is two hours in duration.Goal 2: Farmland is available and accessible to BFROutcome 2.1: Ten BFR are introduced to retiring landowners.Outcome 2.2: Ten landowners begin to transition their land to BFR either through succession planning or lease agreements.The objectives are:(1) Increase the amount of viable farmland available to BFR(2) BFR gain access to farmlandTo achieve these objectives FTF will build relationships with 50 farmland owners who were not previously listed on farmtofarmer.org; FTF will host two forums focused on succession planning and land leasing with a total of 20 participants. As a result, 10 new farmland listings will be created and listed on Farmtofarmer.org, increasing available acreage by 65 acres, a 10% increase in inventory. 50 BFR will learn about land opportunities and 20 BFR will be introduced to landowners.
Project Methods
Farm to Farmer (FTF) is centered on offering personalized assistance to farmers in search of land. Knowing what questions to ask, the red flags, and how to advocate for oneself isn't always clear, especially for people from marginalized groups and immigrants and refugees who are unfamiliar with American laws and customs. In partnership with International Rescue Committee's (IRC) New Roots Program, Viva Farms, and SnoValley Tilth (SVT) - all located on the urban fringe of Seattle - FTF connects with farmers in search of land. Specifically through IRC, FTF reaches new refugee and immigrant farmers. While these partners have small parcels of shared farmland available and collaborate with FTF to provide resources to farmers, FTF specializes in finding long-term options for expanding farm enterprises.To facilitate the acquisition of farmland, FTF conducts a detailed intake process and discovery process, documenting participants' challenges, needs, and aspirations. This leads to the co-creation of a personalized plan. FTF then offers ongoing consultation, referrals, and connections to trusted service providers, including partners named in this project, on a range of topics from business plan development to grant programs, accounting or legal support. These connections empower farmers to gain the knowledge needed to support their land search. With a deep understanding of the farmer's goals, the program facilitates connections with compatible landowners. This tailored support is provided at no cost, with free translation services and ASL interpretation available. The duration and depth of support is driven by the farmers needs.BFR will complete assessments to gauge their understanding of the approach and best practices to access and secure farmland before and after receiving personalized technical assistance.FTF will record the number of of BFR that receive technical assistance with a target of 50 unduplicated BFR, the number of socially disadvantaged BFR that receive personalized technical assistance with a target of 60% of total BFR served, and the number of hours of technical assistance provided to BFR with a target of 100 hours.Searching for farmland can be dauting, especially for beginning farmers outside of the farming community. Farmtofarmer.org, a registration-based land-linking website was created to connect agricultural landowners and farmers. It allows direct communication between farmers and landowners of diverse backgrounds. Users can message each other directly through the platform, view and search listings, and receive personalized support from FTF. FTF assists landowners and farmers to create their listings, ensuring that vital details are included for better matches. Once a match is made, the FTF team offers coaching and guidance to assess properties within the framework of the BFR's business plan, addressing knowledge gaps, assisting in formulating pertinent questions, and understanding their infrastructure needs. Site visits either with or in support of BFR are crucial for vetting and evaluating property to determine suitability and understand the landowner's priorities and constraints. This is especially important for immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC farmers who often encounter additional challenges related to safety, cultural disparities, and personal biases. FTF conducts site visits to all properties listed on Farmtofarmer.org to understand the assets and potential challenges of each parcel.FTF will record: the number of site visits conducted in support of BFR with a target of 20 site visits, the number of unique BFR provided with information about land opportunities with a target of 20 BFR, and the number of Farmtofarmer.org listings maintained by BFR with a target of 25 listings. FTF will also record the number of BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee farmers served.FTF will record: the number of unduplicated connections made between BFR and landowners on Farmtofarmer.org with a target of 70 unduplicated connections. FTF will record the number of direct introductions made between BFR and landowners by the FTF team with a target of ten introductions.Farmtofarmer.org only lists a fraction of available farmland across Washington state since landowners are still learning about the service. As more farmers depend on it as a resource for finding land, the inventory of viable farmland opportunities must increase to meet growing demand. This work starts with outreach to landowners. In collaboration with King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP), county ag programs and conservation districts, FTF will identify landowners in Pierce, Thurston, King, and Snohomish Counties with suitable farmland based on county GIS data to be invited to forums on succession planning and leasing land. American Farmland Trust (AFT), along with lawyer Dylan LeValley, will provide learning materials and deliver succession planning training during the forums targeted to landowners. Additional partners IRC, SVT, Snohomish Conservation District, and Washington State University Food Systems Program will participate in the forum planning, development, delivery, and evaluation as well. South Sound Farmlink in Thurston County, with deep ties to its ag community and veterans, will provide meeting space as well as outreach to retiring, veteran, and BFR in Thurston County. In addition to the forums, planned activities include informational mailers, phone consultation, and site visits. The ultimate outcome is to connect BFR already served by FTF with these landowners.FTF will record the number of farmland owners that participate in the succession planning and land leasing forums, including the number of military veterans with a target of 20 participants and 15% military veterans. At the conclusion of each forum, participants will complete an assessment to gauge the change in their understanding of transitioning their land for lease and succession planning, and their readiness to transition their land to measure gains in knowledge and readiness. FTF will also document the number of introductions made between landowner forum participants and BFR with a target of ten introductions.FTF will document the number of acres available through Farmtofarmer.org in new listings created by landowners with a target of 65 acres which represents a 10% increase in available farmland inventory.