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WICD
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Board of Supervisors
    • Staff
    • District Documents >
      • Work Plans
      • Accomplishments
    • Projects
    • Volunteer
    • Community Involvement >
      • Orca Recovery Day
      • Whidbey Earth Day
      • Pollinator Pal Pledge
  • Our Services
    • Events & Education
    • Farm & Ag Assistance >
      • Cost Share Opportunities
      • Horse & Livestock Services
      • Agricultural Community
      • Beginning Farmer Resources
      • Farmland Owner & Transitioning Farmer Resources
    • Firewise
    • Forest Stewardship
    • Habitat Stewardship
    • Native Plants
    • Water Management >
      • Stormwater & Rain Gardens
  • News & Publications
    • Newsletter
    • Video Series >
      • What Do CDs Do?
      • Whidbey FarmWalks
    • Make A Difference Column
    • Weed Bulletin
    • Historical Maps
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Beginning Farmer Resources

Part of our mission at the conservation district is to support and preserve working farmland on our island. The average age of farmers in the Pacific Northwest is 58 years old, and Whidbey Island is no exception. Now, more than ever before, we need to help the next generation of farmers access affordable and fertile farmland in order to keep our farmland in production and our food local. 

​Beginning farmers are farmers with ten years or less of experience as the principle decision makers on their farm. If you are a beginning farmer, or a new farmer looking for resources and land, or an island farmer ready to begin succession planning, WICD is here to help!

We have resources on accessing farmland, planning your farm's succession, funding your farm, and connecting with other organizations that assist farmers.

Visit our Farm & Ag page for technical resources as well as information about farm plans and financial assistance through the conservation district.

Visit our Horsekeeping & Livestock page for livestock-specific technical guidance publications and recommendations.

Check out our Ag Community page for marketing and networking resources, and to connect with other new and experienced farmers through our Whidbey Island Growers Association potluck group.. 

Technical Assistance & Farm Plans

If you'd like our staff to assist you to find farmland to farm on Whidbey Island, create a farm natural resource plan for your property, begin the farmland succession process, or address a resource concern on your land, use the request assistance form below.

Business Planning Tools 

​If you are looking for resources in developing a farm business plan (which is different than a farm natural resource plan), check out the following resources:
  • Farm Business Plan Template from Agri-Business
  • Agricultural Business Planning Templates & Resources
  • Northwest Agriculture Business Center (based out of Mt. Vernon nearby) – Business Planning Services
  • Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses
  • Business Planning Tools – resources are shared by King County, a neighboring county to us, but are applicable to landowners in Island County, too
  • Washington State University Extension Cultivating Success Program 
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One Willow Farm at Greenbank Farm

Beginning Farmer Resources

Click a Tab Below for More Resources:
​Farmland access resources

Starting a Farm

  • Cultivating the Next Generation: Resources & Policies to Help Beginning Farmers Succeed in Agriculture (American Farmland Trust)
  • ​​Resources for Starting a Farm (National Center for Appropriate Technology)
  • ​Finding, Assessing, and Securing Farmland: A Plain Language Guide from the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project​​ (New Entry Sustainable Farming)
  • ​USDA's New Farmer Getting Started Resource Page
  • Crops, Plants, and More - Learning About Farming 

Acquiring Land to Farm

  • Farm to Farmer (WA Farmland Trust)
  • ​​​​Acquiring Land to Farm Guide (Land for Good)
  • ​How to Present Yourself to a Landowner (California FarmLink)
  • Acquiring Your Farm (Land for Good): a free, online tutorial for aspiring, new, and beginning farmers - and others - preparing to access farmland. AYF contains lessons organized around seven topics and designed to provide a thorough introduction to the complex issues of farmland access and tenure. The only tutorial includes sessions on 1) Farmland Tenure Basics; 2) Financial Assessment; 3) Owning Farmland; 4) Finding Farmland; 5) Leasing Farmland; 6) Communications & Negotiation; and 7) Community Partners.​​

Leasing Land to Farm

  • ​Elements of a Good Farm Lease (Land for Good)
  • Farmland Leasing: Success for Landlords & Tenants Fact Sheet (American Farmland Trust)
  • ​Farmland Tenure and Leasing Legal Guide (Land for Good)
  • Lease to Own Factsheet (California FarmLink)
  • Agricultural Cash Lease Basic Template (California FarmLink)
  • ​The Landowners Guide to Sustainable Farm Leases  (Drake University Agricultural Law Center)
  • ​Model Agriculture Ground Lease Agreement (Equity Trust)
  • Model Ground Lease Commentary  (Equity Trust)
  • Sample Short-term Lease Agreement (Land for Good)
Farmland succession & transfer resources

Farm Succession & Transfer 

​Strategies

  • Estate Planning & Succession Resources (Adam Draper, Draper Law LLC & Karen Bishop, Ebey Road Farm)
  • Farmland Succession Guidebook (California FarmLink)
  • Successful Farm Transfer Guide for Farmers Without a Designated Successor (Land for Good)
  • The Farmland Transfer Process (Land for Good)
  • Where Do I Start? Transferring the Farm Guide (Land for Good)
  • ​Planning the Future of Your Farm: A Workbook Supporting Specialty Crop Farm Transfer Decisions (WSCC Office of Farmland Preservation)

Farmland Conservation

  • Model Conservation Easement with Option to Purchase (Equity Trust)
  • Farms for Farmers (Equity Trust) - promotes alternative ownership structures for farms, to benefit farmers who need affordable farmland and communities that want a secure source of locally grown food and a way to preserve their environmental heritage.​

Working with Land Trusts

Many land trusts throughout the country have protected farmland through 1) direct acquisition for future lease to a farmer; 2) purchase then protection through a conservation easement, then resale; and 3) simultaneous purchase together with a farmer, including protection through a conservation easement. Conservation easements may specifically address future farming, or be more general. However, recent studies have shown that agricultural conservation easements do not necessarily ensure that the land is available for future farming.
  • Conservation and Affordability of Working Lands: Nine Case Studies of Land Trusts Working with Next-Generation Farmers (WA Land Trusts)
  • Beyond Easements: Broader Approaches for Greater Conservation Outcomes (Conservation Finance Network)
  • Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Funding resources

Funding Resources

Center for Rural Affairs
  • ​Beg. Farmer Funding & Financing Options
  • Beg. Farmer Financing Strategies

National Sustainable Agriculture Association
  • ​Direct Farm Ownership & Operating Loans

National Young Farmers Coalition
  • ​Credit & Capital for New Farmers
  • ​Crowd Sourcing for New Farmers

​USDA Farm Service Agency
  • ​Beg. Farmer Loan Programs
  • Guide to Farm Service Agency Farm Loans
  • Land Contract Guarantee Program

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • ​USDA's NRCS Five Steps to Assistance
top resource organizations

Top Resource Organizations

The following is a list of organizations that offer workshops, resources, and other support for new farmers and farmland owners seeking to transfer their farms. This is not a comprehensive list, as there are many other organizations dedicated tot he goal of sustainable farming, including connecting new farmers to farmland. 
  • American Farmland Trust - Farmland Info Center provides an extensive resource library and information for beginning farmers, farmland succession, farmland conservation, and more.
  • ATTRA - A national sustainable agriculture assistance program, developed & managed by NCAT
  • Washington FarmLink
  • California FarmLink
  • Equity Trust
  • Land for Good
  • National Young Farmers Coalition
  • New Entry Sustainable Farm Project

Training Programs for New

Farmers

Although this list is not exhaustive, several in-person and online training schools for beginning farmers are offered both locally, regionally, and nationally. Consider checking out the following, and searching online for the resources that fit your needs best.
  • Organic Farm School
  • Viva Farms
  • Growing Veterans
  • Washington State University Cultivating Success Program
  • Oregon State University Small Farm School
  • ATTRA's Farm Internships Directory
  • ATTRA Video Library
  • Cornell Online Farmer Courses

Office Hours:
COVID-19 Response: Our office is currently closed to visitors, and our staff is primarily working remotely. 
Mailing Address: PO Box 490, Coupeville, WA
Office Location: 1 NE 4th Street, Coupeville, WA

Office Phone: 360-678-4708
General Email: wicd[at]whidbeycd.org
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Next Monthly Board Meeting:
Regular Board Meeting:
​Wednesday, May 25, 2022, 9am - Noon

Contact us for remote meeting information.
  • Board meetings are open to the public
  • Learn more about our board supervisors
  • Upcoming and past board meeting dates
  • Past meeting minutes & agendas ​​
Picture
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Board of Supervisors
    • Staff
    • District Documents >
      • Work Plans
      • Accomplishments
    • Projects
    • Volunteer
    • Community Involvement >
      • Orca Recovery Day
      • Whidbey Earth Day
      • Pollinator Pal Pledge
  • Our Services
    • Events & Education
    • Farm & Ag Assistance >
      • Cost Share Opportunities
      • Horse & Livestock Services
      • Agricultural Community
      • Beginning Farmer Resources
      • Farmland Owner & Transitioning Farmer Resources
    • Firewise
    • Forest Stewardship
    • Habitat Stewardship
    • Native Plants
    • Water Management >
      • Stormwater & Rain Gardens
  • News & Publications
    • Newsletter
    • Video Series >
      • What Do CDs Do?
      • Whidbey FarmWalks
    • Make A Difference Column
    • Weed Bulletin
    • Historical Maps