We connect landowners seeking to have their land farmed with farmers seeking land.
Please note this page is under construction while we update our database system. We anticipate launching a new matching website in fall of 2018. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The farm operations involved with these matches include meat, vegetables, and crops. Since its inception in 2008, we have worked with the Dutchess Land Conservancy to facilitate more than 70 matches!
Interested in participating in the matching program as a farmer or a landowner? Sign up below or contact Terence Duvall at terence.duvall@clctrust.org or 518.392.5252, ext. 225! You need to sign up for the program to use the databases.
CLC established the Farmer Landowner Match Program in 2008, and since that time the program has grown to include more than 200 active participants. In mid-2013 we formed a partnership with the Dutchess Land Conservancy in order to expand the program beyond Columbia County and serve farmers and landowners across Dutchess County.
CLC and DLC are a partner organizations of the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network, established in 2014 and coordinated by the American Farmland Trust to expand farmland linking services throughout the Hudson Valley. The network’s website, Hudson Valley Farmland Finder, is a collaboration of 14 organizations working to connect farmers and landowners to strengthen opportunities for agriculture and land conservation in the Hudson Valley.
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS?
Often, farmers are searching for more land to work yet the price of land is a major hurdle. At the same time, it enables landowners to promote agriculture and, in some cases, reap financial benefits as well. If you have open farmland that you do not use, having a farmer lease your land may benefit you, the farmer, and the community. A successful farmer match may provide:
- Lower taxes due to the Agricultural Property Tax Assessment
- Free or low cost upkeep of your land
- Improved soil quality
- Rental income
- A share of the produce from your land
- The satisfaction of putting your land to good use
If you are looking for land to start or expand a farm operation, we may be able to help you:
- Expand your operation or establish yourself in the farming community
- Lower your capital investment for start-up and operating expenses
- Share the risk and profit of farming with the landowner
- Gain experience running a farm before purchasing one
LEASE ASSISTANCE
Once the match has been made, we will direct you to important resources such as model leases and can help sort through important issues. The farmer and landowner work out the specific provisions of the lease together, and we can offer advice on suggested attorneys and other advisors familiar with farming and farm tenure. We are available to help parties think through important issues, such as:
- Form of payment
- Long term vs. short term leases
- Type of farming
- Expenses
- Termination agreement
Our farmland access program partners are the Dutchess Land Conservancy and the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network.
