FAQ

• expand_more How does Find A Farmer work?

  Find A Farmer connects landowners and land seekers to help preserve family farms.

  Are you a beginning farmer looking for farmland to start your operation, or a farmer looking to expand your operation? Are you a landowner interested in selling or leasing your land to someone who shares your vision for the future? Find A Farmer was created by Practical Farmers of Iowa to help maintain family farms and vibrant rural communities by facilitating the transfer of land from one generation to the next. The website may also be used for short term lease arrangements, or other farm partnership arrangements.

  Anyone can create a free account as a land seeker or landowner, pin your location on the map, and send messages to other users.

• expand_more How do I create an effective profile to make a land connection?
  1. Create an account.

     It’s free! All you need is a valid e-mail address to create an account using a unique username and password.

  2. Build a profile that tells your story.

     Under the ‘Info’ tab in your profile, click ‘Edit Info’ to share your story. The Intro section is intended for a very short, 1-2 sentence introduction to yourself or your land opportunity. The Story section is a chance to describe yourself or your opportunity in more detail.

     Land seekers: Describe your background with farming, and what you hope to do in the future. What crops would you like to grow, what production practices do you plan to use, and why? Share what you think would set you apart from other land seekers.

     Landowners: Describe the farmland opportunity, including its past and current use, and what you hope to see happen to it in the future.

  3. List your desired land characteristics, or your land opportunity, and pin your location on the map.

     Land seekers: Under the ‘Land Sought’ tab, complete the form with your desired land location, a brief description for what you’re looking for, and check the boxes according to what land type, amenities, enterprises and practices you plan to do. Select whether you prefer to rent or own, and your preferred time frame. If you’re willing to relocate to somewhere other than where you are, complete a separate land sought form in each location where you are looking for land.

     Landowners: Under the ‘Owned Land’ tab, complete the form with your location, a brief description of the opportunity, and check the boxes according to what land type and amenities are available. Also check the boxes for what enterprises and practices you think are appropriate for the land. Select whether you prefer to rent or sell, and your preferred time frame.

  4. Use the search tool to look for landowners or land seekers that meet your criteria.

     When logged in to your account, access the search tool to look for landowners or land seekers within a specified radius of any location. You may also choose to narrow your search by other characteristics such as land type and preferred enterprises.

     From the search results list, you may click on a username to view their profile. You may check a box on the search results list to save a user and easily find them again under your profile’s ‘Saved Profiles’ tab. If you would like to communicate with a user, add them as a friend.

  5. Start an anonymous conversation by adding a friend and sending a message.

     You may add anyone as a friend from the search results list, or from their profile page. From your own profile, find your friends listed under the “Friends” tab and click the message button next to their username. You may also access your messages under the ‘Profile’ menu in the top-right corner.

• expand_more Is Find A Farmer free to use?
  Yes! Find A Farmer is a free service provided by Practical Farmers of Iowa. Want to support the work of Practical Farmers? Become a member or donate today!
• expand_more Do I have to be a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa to participate?
  No, membership with Practical Farmers of Iowa is not required to use the Find A Farmer service. Anyone with internet access and an email address is free to join.
• expand_more Does Find A Farmer work outside of Iowa?
  Yes. Although Find A Farmer was created by Practical Farmers of Iowa, we want this service to work all over North America.
• expand_more Can Find A Farmer be used to find a lease arrangement, or is it only for selling a farm?
  The Find A Farmer service can be used to make a match for permanent land transfer, short-term lease arrangements, or to find someone that can add an enterprise to an existing farm operation. Find A Farmer helps provide the platform to find a match and start the conversation, but it is up to the two parties to work out the details of the agreement.