Land Management and Access

This site lists organic farmland available for sale or lease. When possible, these listings will also be cross posted in the land link section of the MIFarmLink website.

The Washtenaw County Black Farmers Fund (WCBFF) is transforming our community through food
sovereignty and land justice by investing in Black Farmers who have long been denied access to
land and resources. They are a coalition of nonprofits, farmers, and community members working
to build a more equitable and just food system. Funding is available for aspiring Black Farmers
living or farming in Washtenaw, Jackson, Ingham, Livingston, Oakland, Wayne, Monroe, and
Lenawee counties of Michigan who produce nutritious food and supply the Washtenaw County
foodshed.

This is a private for profit company website that offers a variety of real estate services to farmers,
including a searchable database of farmland listings, a few of which are located in Michigan.

The mission of IAC is to pursue and promote the conversation, developments and use of our
agricultural resources for the betterment of American Indian people. They conduct a wide range of
programs designed to further the goal of improving Indian Agriculture. The IAC promotes the Indian
use of Indian resources and contracts with federal agencies to maximize resources for tribal members.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

By statute, FSA targets a portion of all Guaranteed loan funds, Direct Operating and Direct Farm
Ownership loan funds, Microloan funding, and Youth loans, to historically underserved farmers and
ranchers.

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is a private, charitable trust serving Native farmers
and ranchers created from the historic Keepseagle v. Vilsack litigation settlement. The Trusts
Mission shall be to make grants to Eligible Grant Recipients, described in section 8, to fund the
provision of business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services
to Native American farmers and ranchers to support and promote their continued engagement in
agriculture.

If you're a beginning farmer exploring your options to get onto land, or an established farmer ready to expand, relocate or rethink your land situation, this toolbox offers guides, worksheets, articles and other resources to inform your decision-making and guide your planning and search for farmland. If you are not yet farming, you'll want to prepare and develop a plan before you even begin searching for land. Materials are most relevant to farming and farms in New England, but many may apply elsewhere.

The Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program or Public Act 116 (PA 116) Program
preserves farmland from being developed for non-agricultural uses. Landowners can enter into
agreements that protect their land for 10-99 years and receive an annual income tax credit. They
can also choose to donate their development rights permanently.

The State of Michigan offers incentives in the form of tax breaks for landowners that meet certain
requirements. The PA 116 agreement creates a temporary restriction on the land between the State
and a landowner, voluntarily entered into by a landowner, preserving their land for agriculture in
exchange for certain tax benefits and exemptions for various special assessments. (commonly
known as PA 116).

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

As part of their Great Lakes Navigator Network, the American Farmland Trust (AFT) has put together some curriculum materials to help farmers navigate land transfer - both from the land-seller and seeker sides. If you would like access to these materials, please email info@mifarmlink.org. We will get the most up-to-date version to you!

Formspal provides free, fillable legal templates relevant to farmers, agricultural workers, and rural business owners. Examples of how our resources pertain to this community include:

Land Lease Agreements – Essential for farmers renting or leasing land for agricultural purposes.
Equipment Rental Contracts – Useful for formalizing agreements when renting farming machinery or tools.
Partnership Agreements – Helpful for those entering farming partnerships or cooperative ventures.
Bill of Sale Templates – For buying or selling livestock, produce, or equipment in a secure and documented way.
Employee Contracts – Important for hiring seasonal workers or farmhands while ensuring clarity and legal compliance.
By offering these resources for free, we aim to ease the administrative and legal burdens faced by the farming community, allowing them to focus more on their essential work.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.

There are programs across the country that will purchase the development rights to farmland in order to create an agricultural conservation easement that protects the land from development in perpetuity. This site can help you locate a program near you, along with a plethora of other farmland protection tools, resources, policy information, and more.

Carl Jessen led financial institutions in Nebraska and Michigan for 30 years, and uses that well of
experience to help farmers create succession plans. Carl also facilitates the GreenStone Farm
Credit Services Farm Forward Mentor Program.

AgriStrategies is a third-party, independent, advisor that offers perspectives and assistance to your management team on an ongoing basis and helps your lenders better understandyour business and your industry. They focus on defining success, assessing strengths, and then leveraging those strengths to achieve success with a plan that shows lenders the potential of your business.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) helps and recognizes farmers who reduce erosion and runoff from private land into
public waters. The program is administered by MDARD and delivered by your local conservation district.

Michigan Farm Bureau is Michigan's voice of agriculture. This grassroots organization helps guide
policy at the local, state, and national level. Their Farm Business Resources page has a information
and tools on a wide variety of farm related topics, such as legal resources, drones, and
commodities.

Michigan Farmers Union (MFU) is a grassroots organization that works to protect the social and economic well-being of family farmers throughout Michigan. We are committed to enhancing the quality of life of family farmers through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.

Can't find what you're looking for here? No worries. Our partners at Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) also have an expansive library of resources that might be able to help you.