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FARMER STORY

Southside Community Farm

Farmer’s name: Southside Community Farm, Phyllis Utley & Cleaster Cotton Acreage: 0.5 acres Location: Asheville, NC Method of Access: handshake [...]
FARMER STORY

Cheryl Lewis Alston

Farmers name: Cheryl Lewis Alston, Joanne Spruill Acreage: 19 acres owned, 5 acres leased Location: Goldsboro, NC Method of Access: [...]
FARMER STORY

12:03AM Farm

Farmer name: Darius and Shameeka McKoy/12:03AM Farm Acreage: 36 acres Location: Faison, North Carolina Method of Access: Purchase Year Founded: [...]
FARMER STORY

Kendra Ragland

Farmers name: Kendra Ragland Acreage: collectively, about a ¼ acre Location: Silver Spring, MD Method of Access: Ownership Year Founded: 2022 Affordability Tools: Purchase Farm Operation: Purchase
FARMER STORY

Just Harvest

Farmer name: Jay L. Richardson Grebe (she/they), Just Harvest Acreage: three acres, small land plots Location: Virginia's Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula Method of Access: Inheritance, city lease Year Founded: 2022 Affordability Tools: self-funded, donations Farm Operation: Vegetables
FARMER STORY

G4 Farms
- Farmer name: G4 Farms LLC, owned by Raina Turner-Greenlea, Charles Greenlea III, & George Turner III
- Method of Access: Inherited family land
- Acreage: 160 acres in Crawfordville, GA, and an urban homestead on 0.2 acres
- Location: Crawfordville GA, Atlanta, GA
- Year Founded: 2016
- Affordability Tools: self-funded, federal programs, grants, and donations
- Farm Operation: Fruits and nuts, medicinal herbs, teas, dyes and fiber
FARMER STORY

Green Heffa Farms
- Farmer name: Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley
- Acreage: 14.84 acres
- Location: Liberty, NC
- Year Founded: 2018
- Affordability Tools: Purchase
- Farm Operation: organic and regeneratively grown herbs and medicinal plants, including hemp flower
FARMER STORY

Black Cotton
- Farmers name: Julius Tillery
- Acreage: 125
- Location: Rich Square, NC
- Method of Access: Ownership
- Year Founded: Six generations, early 1900s
- Affordability Tools: Purchase
- Farm Operation: Cotton, mushrooms, hunting
FARMER STORY

Nature’s Candy Farms
- Farmers name: tenisio seanima
- Method of Access: Ownership, lease, handshake
- Acreage: 1/4 acre
- Location: East Point, GA
- Year Founded: 2011
- Affordability Tools: Purchase, Lease
- Farm Operation: Vegetable, Specialty Crop
FARMER STORY

Tierra Fértil
- Los agricultores: Chang y Ger Xiong, Christina Dedora, Ben Torpey, John Kenny, Michele Kozloski, Garmai Mawolo, Choua y Kia Xiong
- Método de acceso: Arrendamiento a largo plazo, tierra pública
- Superficie en acres: 50 acres
- Ubicación: Henderson, North Carolina
- Año de fundación: 2004
- Herramientas de asequibilidad: Incubadora agricultora, servidumbre de conservación, agricultura colaborativa, tierra pública
- Operación agrícola: Verduras orgánicas, huevos, flores y hierbas
FARMER STORY

Brooklyn Grange
- Farmers: Ben Flanner, Anastasia Cole Pakias, Gwen Schantz, and colleagues
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 5.6 acres on 3 rooftops
- Location: Brooklyn and Queens, New York
- Year Founded: 2010
- Affordability Tools: Lease
- Farm Operation: Diversified vegetables, agritourism (dinners, weddings, workshops, farm tours), landscaping services
FARMER STORY

Caretaker Farm
- Farmers: Bridget Spann and Don Zasada (junior farmers); Sam and Elizabeth Smith (senior farmers)
- Method of Access: Bridget and Don own the farmhouse and structures and rent the farmland via a ground lease
- Acreage: 35 acres
- Location: Berkshires, Massachusetts
- Year Founded: 2006 (Don and Bridget's operation); 1991 (Sam and Elizabeth's CSA); 1969 (Sam and Elizabeth's operation)
- Affordability Tools: Ground lease, conservation easement, community fundraising, land trust
- Farm Operation: Diversified animal and vegetable operation with 200 varieties of 40 different crops every season, plus chickens and pigs
FARMER STORY

Diggers’ Mirth
- Farmers: Hilary Martin, Dylan Zeitlyn, Elango Dev, Sophia Zowat
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 11 acres
- Location: Burlington, Vermont
- Year Founded: 1992
- Affordability Tools: Farm incubator, collaborative farming, LLC
- Farm Operation: Vegetables and salad greens
FARMER STORY

Elmer Farm
- Farmers: Spencer and Jennifer Blackwell
- Method of Access: Ownership
- Acreage: 89 acres
- Location: Middlebury, VT
- Year Founded: 2006
- Affordability Tools: Conservation easement, OPAV, land trust
- Farm Operation: Vegetables and grains
FARMER STORY

Full and By Farm
- Farmers: James Graves and Sara Kurak
- Method of Access: Ownership
- Acreage: 100 acres
- Location: Essex, NY
- Year Founded: 2010
- Affordability Tools: Conservation easement, land trust
- Farm Operation: Vegetables, meat, eggs
FARMER STORY

Greenfield Berry Farm
- Farmers: Daniel and Michele Greenfield
- Method of Access: Lease, public lands
- Acreage: 20 acres
- Location: Cuyahoga, OH
- Year Founded: 2006
- Affordability Tools: Leasing public lands
- Farm Operation: Berries
FARMER STORY

Growing Veterans
- Farmers: Chris Wolf is the Farm Manager and oversees hundreds of veterans and volunteers
- Method of Access: Lease with option to purchase
- Acreage: 3 - 40 acres - there are three farms at different locations: Whatcom County Farm, Skagit County Farm, and Auburn Farm
- Location: Washington State
- Year Founded: 2012
- Affordability Tools: Nonprofit status, short-term lease with option to purchase, "pay with product" rent
- Farm Operation: Berries, vegetables
FARMER STORY

Higher Ground Rooftop Farm
- Farmers: John Stoddard
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 1.3 acres
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Year Founded: 2013
- Affordability Tools: Urban rooftop farming, lease, fundraising donations
- Farm Operation: Produce, herbs
FARMER STORY

Hillen Homestead
- Farmers: Maya Kosok
- Method of Access: License, lease pending (rolling lease)
- Acreage: Two lots, about 1/4 acre combined
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Year Founded: 2013
- Affordability Tools: Use of public land
- Farm Operation: Flowers
FARMER STORY

Hmong American Farmers Association
- Farmers: HAFA members, who typically have over 20 years of experience growing on less than 10 acres of land
- Method of Access: Long-term lease with option to buy
- Acreage: 155 acres
- Location: Vermillion Township, Minnesota
- Year Founded: 2013 (farm), 2011 (HAFA)
- Affordability Tools: Research and incubator farm, conservation easement
- Farm Operation: Vegetables and flowers
FARMER STORY

Natick Community Organic Farm
- Farmers: Lynda Simkins as Executive Director, additional full-time staff, seasonal and part-time youth, and adult employees/trainees
- Method of Access: Long-term lease on public lands with management contract
- Acreage: 27 acres
- Location: Natick, MA
- Year Founded: 1975
- Affordability Tools: Leasing public lands, nonprofit status
- Farm Operation: Produce, flowers, maple syrup, meat, wool yarn, honey
FARMER STORY

Pine Island Community Farm
- Farmers: Chuda and Gita Dhaurali, Theogène and Hyacinthe Mahoro
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 230 acres: 80 acres are grazed, 8 acres are used for vegetable production, and the remaining acreage is used for beekeeping and ecological protection
- Location: Colchester, Vermont
- Year Founded: 2013
- Affordability Tools: Collaborative arrangement, nonprofit status, lease, land trust
- Farm Operation: Vegetables, goats, chickens
FARMER STORY

Say Hay Farm
- Farmers: Chris Hay
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 50+ acres
- Location: Esparto, Yolo County, California
- Year Founded: 2010
- Affordability Tools: Long-term lease with option to purchase, long-term lease with right of first refusal
- Farm Operation: Organic vegetables, pastured eggs
FARMER STORY

Sunbow Farm
- Farmers: Yadira Ruiz and Nate Johnson (junior farmers); Harry MacCormack and Cheri Clark (senior farmers)
- Method of Access: Lease
- Acreage: 15 acres
- Location: Corvallis, Oregon
- Year Founded: 1972
- Affordability Tools: Lease, LLC, living trust
- Farm Operation: Vegetables
FARMER STORY

Temple-Wilton Community Farm
- Farmers: Lincoln Geiger (dairy), Anthony Graham (vegetables), Benjamin Meier (cheesemaker)
- Method of Access: Long-term leases, fee simple
- Acreage: 200 acres
- Location: Wilton, New Hampshire
- Year Founded: 1986
- Affordability Tools: LLC, nonprofit status, land trust, conservation easements, rolling 99-year ground leases, community fundraising
- Farm Operation: Diversified operation, including raw milk and cheese, biodynamically grown vegetables, pastured broiler chickens, laying hens, pigs, grass-fed beef and veal
FARMER STORY

Urban Edge Farm
- Farmers: Chang and Ger Xiong, Christina Dedora, Ben Torpey, John Kenny, Michele Kozloski, Garmai Mawolo, Choua and Kia Xiong
- Method of Access: Long-term lease, public lands
- Acreage: 50 acres
- Location: Cranston, Rhode Island
- Year Founded: 2004
- Affordability Tools: Farm incubator, conservation easement, collaborative arrangement, public lands
- Farm Operation: Organic vegetables, eggs, flowers, herbs
FARMER STORY

Wahl Ranch
- Farmers: Wahl siblings
- Method of Access: Percentage interest in partnership-owned land
- Acreage: 2,000 acres
- Location: Oregon
- Year Founded: 1874
- Affordability Tools: Rolling lease, legal multi-member partnership, federal conservation programs
- Farm Operation: Ranching
FARMER STORY

Windswept Farmstead Cooperative LLC and Dickey Hill Farm
- Farmers: Eric and Alison Rector (senior farmers); Noami Brautigam and James Gagne (junior farmers)
- Method of Access: Transitional ownership via LLC, lease
- Acreage: 18 acres
- Location: Monroe, Maine
- Year Founded: 1990
- Affordability Tools: LLC and lease
- Farm Operation: Dickey Hill Farm produces organic vegetables and grass-fed beef; Eric and Alison raise chicken and pork and produce artisanal cheese and yogurt

The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems is an initiative of Vermont Law School, and this toolkit provides general legal information for educational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute, and should not be relied upon, for legal advice. Each farmer’s circumstances are unique, state laws vary, and the information contained herein is specific to the time of publication. Accordingly, for legal advice, please consult an attorney licensed in your state.

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