Are you a new farmer looking for land? Are you a farmer reaching the end of your farming career? Perhaps you have an interest in advocating for farmland preservation.
While there are a myriad of resources available, NC State University’s NC FarmLink program connects those who love the land with the next generation of its stewards, ensuring that agriculture remains a viable career and a $111 billion dollar economy for our state.
Created in the early 2010s to address the rapid loss of North Carolina agricultural land—with the state currently ranking second in the nation for farmland loss—NC FarmLink has grown into a statewide network. At its core, the program operates through three main pillars of service:
- Land Matching Database: Provides information on farmland for lease or sale, alongside listings for farm jobs, apprenticeships, partnership opportunities, and internships.
- Farmer Matching Database: Provides information on farmers looking for land. A key component is the Certified Farm Seeker status, which highlights candidates who have verified farming experience, formal agricultural education, a completed farm business plan and are seeking a career in farming.
- Information on farm succession and planning: Not every farmer has a successor to take over a farming business upon retirement. Land transition can be a legally and emotionally complex issue. NC FarmLink can help with land leasing and succession planning to the next generation of family members or to a business partner.
NC FarmLink services are available to residents across all 100 North Carolina counties and currently has 3,059 acres and 70 active farms with open opportunities across more than 30 counties.
For more information visit their website at: NC FarmLink.
