Networks of Support Help Farmers Achieve Land Access in New York State

Land access models – based on relationships, collective and comprehensive learning, and the great effort of individuals – provide a roadmap for designing public policy, new farm incubator programs, technical assistance, and education programming.

Land access is one of the biggest challenges for those who dream of starting a life in farming or expanding the farm they’ve made great efforts to start. Despite these difficulties, I have been privileged to witness a range of inspirational stories related to land access. With ingenuity, perseverance and a deep connection to the land, many have been able to transform obstacles into opportunities.

Once new and beginning farmers get access to farmland, an important next step is ongoing technical assistance. Here two farmers at a bilingual training facilitated by Cornell Small Farms Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension adjust a manual plastic mulch layer that will help with weed management. Tim W. Shenk / Cornell Small Farms Program

Through our work in the Cornell Small Farms Program’s Futuro en Ag project, we accompany many families who are now growing food, creating sustainable farm businesses and working toward becoming landowners. These experiences not only reflect their resilience, but also offer valuable lessons on how to build pathways to agricultural stability, especially when resources are limited. In this article, I will share examples from our experience working with Latino/a/x producers in New York State. Every farm and every farmer are unique, facing different challenges, but they are all important, and we can learn from everyone’s experience.

An analysis of USDA Ag Census data reveals an interesting trend. From 2002 to 2017, the number of Hispanic producers in the U.S. grew 122 percent, from 50,592 to 112,451. This growth can be attributed to the increase in the Hispanic population, access to certain assistance programs, and the community’s interest in farming. However, between 2017 and 2022, growth plateaued and even declined slightly. This stagnation could reflect current challenges: limited profitability of small farms, difficulties in accessing land and financing, climate-related issues, and shifts in policy and public funding priorities.

In the particular case of New York State, the data show a story that deserves attention. In 2017, there were 629 farming operations operated by at least one Latino/a/x producer. By 2022, that number dropped to 569. This decline, while small, could also reflect the increasing difficulties Latino/a/x producers face in maintaining access to land in a market where prices are high and financing opportunities are limited. However, these figures do not reflect the impact and importance of existing operations, which cover more than 81,000 acres and represent significant agricultural production. Despite the challenges, Latino/a/x producers continue to be a vital force in the state’s agriculture, contributing generational knowledge from a range of national origins and a strong sense of community.

While the numbers help us understand the big picture, it’s the life stories that really show how Latino/a/x farmers deal with and overcome challenges related to land. In my work, I have had the chance to get to know many of these experiences firsthand. In what follows I’d like to share a few examples that reflect the ingenuity, perseverance and hope with which so many families build their future in agriculture.

Access to land is one of the most difficult challenges for new and beginning farmers, especially those who also face barriers in terms of language, formal education, capital, and credit history. Cornell Small Farms Program has worked with this farmer to formalize a lease of a few acres in New York’s Hudson Valley, and the farmer now hosts a monthly bilingual training on the land. Tim W. Shenk / Cornell Small Farms Program

A farmer who started out as a landscaper and farm laborer was able to access his first plots of land to farm thanks to the trust of a family to whom he provided landscaping services. Now, in partnership with his brother, they are in the process of buying some farmland of their own.

Another farmer started his farm business on land he was offered by an acquaintance in an informal verbal agreement. After the farmer invested resources, time and significantly improved the land, the landowner evicted him. Because the farmer didn’t have any documentation proving his right to use the land, he lost access to it.

However, the farmer didn’t give up. Now that he had clarified his objectives, market experience and sound technical assistance, he was able to lease ten acres at a new farm. With assistance he wrote a grant to buy a farm vehicle to take his produce to market, and he got the money. Today this new leased land and improved transportation represent significant advances as he saves money and prepares to acquire his own land when the opportunity arises.

Many farm laborers have found opportunities to farm at their workplace. In recognition of their dedication and work ethic, a group of women farm employees has been given access to land by their employer every year to grow vegetables and corn. They are now gaining increased financial literacy, developing entrepreneurial skills, and building up some savings with the goal of becoming landowners.

One poultry farmer our team works with was inspired by a phrase he heard at one of our conferences: “If I can work every day to fulfill my boss’s dreams, how much would I be willing to do to fulfill my own?” With our support, he wrote a business plan, and he presented it to his employer. His employer offered him a plot of land to start raising broilers. Today he has a formal business and continues training with the goal of acquiring his own land.

Farmers who work together cooperatively have also found creative ways to access land. A group of farm employees from different companies joined together and formed a cooperative LLC. With the support of our program and county cooperative extension officers, they were accepted into a farm incubator program at a land trust. They now have access to three acres, infrastructure and educational resources at the land trust. Their vision is to become producers and future landowners.

These farmers not only produce vegetables, apples, eggs, chickens and other specialty crops. They also adopt agroecological practices that integrate traditional knowledge with local conditions and promote food security and cultural identity in their communities. Each piece of land they cultivate represents more than a source of income: it is a commitment to the community and the environment.

Farm infrastructure such as greenhouses, irrigation systems, and processing facilities are important for making farming operations viable in the Northeast. In many cases, state and federal grants are what make these investments possible for new and beginning farmers. For Latinx farm families with limited English skills and limited digital literacy, support is often essential to apply to these programs. Tim W. Shenk / Cornell Small Farms Program

These stories, and many others, demonstrate that access to farmland rarely begins with a large purchase. For most, high costs, barriers related to credit, and legal obstacles make that option unattainable. Instead, most Latino/a/x producers take progressive steps starting small, through informal agreements, family support, mentoring, technical support from trusted service providers, and above all, building trusting relationships.

As a society, we must recognize that these land access models – based on relationships, collective and comprehensive learning, and the great effort of individuals – provide a roadmap for designing public policy, new farm incubator programs, technical assistance, and education programming. These case studies show us that farmers thrive when provided with culturally relevant education, mentoring, legal guidance, technical support, and connection to local resources, among other supports.

Informal access may be a starting point, but producers do best when pathways to formal leases are made available and when the door is opened to land ownership. For anyone working in agriculture, rural development, or public policy, these stories offer both inspiration and direction.

It’s imperative that funders, landowners, foundations, policymakers, and other allied organizations come together to design and strengthen intentional and culturally sensitive land access systems. Because when opportunity meets preparedness, not only are new farms established: community resilience becomes more robust, and the networks of family and social support grow as well.