Conservation-focused farm seekers interested in a low or no cash rent stewardship agreement. Our goal is to manage farmland using soil health, habitat, water-quality, and regenerative practices, with conservation programs such as CSP incorporated where appropriate. Seeking a landowner interested in long-term land improvement and measurable conservation outcomes.
Preferred location: Jackson, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne
Desired Transitional Agreement: Farm Seeker/Farm Owner Partnership, Lease, Lease to buy, Mentorship, Working arrangement with future partner
Aug 19, 2026
Desired Acreage
- 5-10 Acres
- 11-25 Acres
Desired Infrastructure
Desired Land Usage
Goals, Values, Vision
Our goal is to develop a productive farm operation centered on conservation, responsible land stewardship, and long-term improvement of the property. We are especially interested in an arrangement where conservation management and improvements can form part of the value we provide to the landowner in exchange for affordable or potentially no-cash-rent access to farmland.
Conservation is also an important part of our household. Erika completed the Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) and works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a National Wildlife Refuge. Her conservation background complements our interest in managing farmland with careful attention to soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and overall ecosystem health.
Depending on the property and the landowner’s goals, we're interested in practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage, native plantings, pollinator and wildlife habitat, invasive species management, buffers, erosion reduction, and other appropriate conservation practices. We would like to work collaboratively with a landowner to identify improvements that benefit both the agricultural operation and the land over the long term.
Ultimately, we're looking for a landowner who sees good stewardship as part of the value of a farming arrangement.
Farming Status
Current Farming Status
Not currently farming, Current active business plan
Farm Experience/Education
Formal agricultural education, No experience farming
Mentoring
I am seeking mentorship
Farming Plans and Practices
Farming Method
Organic Practices, Conventional
Robert's hands-on growing experience comes primarily from controlled-environment agriculture rather than traditional field farming. He's previously worked in a professional indoor cultivation facility where he gained experience throughout the plant production cycle, including propagation, maintaining mother plants, cloning, coco-based growing systems, drip irrigation, plant nutrition, pH management, pruning and training, and identifying and responding to plant health issues.
Erika is also an experienced home gardener with a strong interest in conservation and ecology. Between us, we have spent considerable time growing plants and learning how to keep them healthy, but we also recognize that managing acreage outdoors is a different discipline with plenty for us to learn.
Our goal is to apply that foundation to practical, conservation-minded farming, working with the land rather than trying to force an intensive production model onto it. We are particularly interested in soil health, responsible nutrient management, water conservation, biodiversity, and farming practices that improve the land over time.
We are open to conventional and organic practices and are more interested in using the right practice for the land than attaching ourselves to a particular label.
