Renting land

Renting land can be an effective strategy for both entry and long term growth of a farm business. 

As a new entrant with limited capital or a personal desire to remain connected to the city, it can provide an option to get started.  Following the “function over form” advice, if the goal is land/beginning commercial scale production, renting can be a more cost effective option.  For existing farms, it can provide a way to expand while investing capital in other areas (such as a specialized harvester). 

Specific challenges for renting land for certified organic production include maintaining certification, the audit trail and making long term investments in soil fertility and health.  Organic production is not generally viewed as a 1 year project.  Those challenges can be managed through

• Only renting land with a known field history
• Discussing long term soil building as part of the rental agreement
• Renting land as an interim step as your own land is in transition

Issues related to the audit trail and certification may not be an issue for many new entrants as they would not be pursuing certification right away due to costs.  The benefits of ‘getting started’ and ‘getting experience’ may take priority.

Land banks, trusts, incubators and large urban yards are other potential options to help new entrants access land. 

Renting blocks of land could also be an income stream for existing certified organic growers.  For example, a certified organic dairy producer in Ontario is renting part of the farm to a new vegetable grower to operate a CSA.

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