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Farm Transition Resources

Land Link Montana can't be the expert service on all things agriculture.  Fortunately, many resources already exist, and many are listed here.  If you know of any other resources, please email them to Annie Heuscher at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so we can share them with farmers and ranchers like you!

Beginning farmers and ranchers may need professional guidance for:
  • Business planning and formation,
  • Loans and financing,
  • Lease, share-crop, and buy-sell arrangements,
  • Marketing strategies,
  • Production systems.
 Retiring farmers and ranchers might need expertise in the following areas:
  • Estate planning,
  • Lease, share-crop, and buy-sell arrangements,
  • Retirement planning,
  • Conservation strategies and funding sources.
  Non-farming landowners might have questions around:
  • Agricultural and legal issues,
  • Lease, share-crop, and buy-sell arrangements,
  • Estate & retirement planning,
  • Conservation strategies and funding sources.

Access to Capital/Financing your Farm:

 Montana Department of Agriculture/The Montana Beginning Farm and Ranch Loan Program

http://agr.mt.gov/agr/Producer/GrantsLoans/beginFarmRanch/

 Montana Farm Service Agency

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/stateoffapp?mystate=mt&area=home&subject=prog&topic=landing

 Washington State Department of Agriculture Guide to Financing your Business

http://agr.wa.gov/Marketing/SmallFarm/Financing.aspx

 Amazing list of grant programs from FamilyFarmed.org

http://www.familyfarmed.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/FinancingResources.pdf

 

Business Planning/Legal Advice:

 MSU Extension Family Economics

http://www.montana.edu/extensionecon/familyeconomics.html

 Marsha A. Goetting (MSU Extension Family Economics Agent)

http://www.montana.edu/extensionecon/webinarpresenter.html

 Montana Community Development Corporation

http://www.mtcdc.org/training.html

 US Small Business Administration

http://www.sba.gov/sba-direct/59807/local-resources/

 Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

http://nofavt.org/programs/farm-financial-resources/business-planning

 Nolo, Law for All  (There is free information under the “Get Informed” section.)

http://www.nolo.com/

 

Lease Arrangements:

 Calculating Crop Share, Cash and Flexible Cash Lease Arrangements

http://www.msuextension.org/beginningfarmer/Leasing%20Webinar/Crop%20Lease%20Documentation.pdf

 A Lease Agreement Guide for Landowners and Farmers

http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/Documents/leaseagreementguide.pdf

 

General Beginning Farmer Resources:

 ATTRA’s Beginning Farmer Resources

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/local_food/startup.html#attra

 Beginningfarmers.org

http://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-business-planning/

 New England Small Farm Institute

http://www.smallfarm.org/main/for_new_farmers/resources_by_topic/

 Northeast Beginning Farmer Project (useful online courses, publications, and webinars)

http://nebeginningfarmers.org/

 Rooted Montana (documenting a new generation of farmers and ranchers in Montana)

http://www.rootedmontana.com/resources.html 

 

Certification in Montana:

 Montana Sustainable Growers Union

http://www.homegrownmontana.org/

 Montana Organic Certification

http://www.montanaorganicassociation.org/

 

Farm Planning and Beginning Farmer Education:

 Montana State University Extension

http://www.msuextension.org/ 

http://www.msuextension.org/beginningfarmer/

 Cultivating Success (sustainable small farms education in Washington and Idaho)

http://www.cultivatingsuccess.org/courses.htm

 University of Idaho Extension - small farms

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/sustag/smallfarms/

 http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/sustag/smallfarms/exploreyouroptionsindex.htm

 Oregon State University Extension – small farms

http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/

http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/beginning-farmers

 Washington State University Extension

http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/

 Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service

http://www.mosesorganic.org/resources.html

 Land For Good

http://newsite.landforgood.org/index.php/home.html

 Resource Guide for Vermont’s New and Aspiring Farmers (not Montana specific, but still very helpful)

http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/Documents/vtnewfarmerguide.pdf

 

Beginning Farmer Activism/Community:

 National Young Farmers Coalition

http://www.youngfarmers.org/

 The Greenhorns

http://www.thegreenhorns.net/

 Farm Hack

http://www.farmhack.net/tools