Renting farmland to feed families: an incoming trend for 2025

With grocery prices unaffordable for the average American family, parents are turning their attention to renting one or two acres of farmland to feed their families.

I am in a few local Facebook groups that help me stay plugged into the communities around my farm. People post everything from restaurant recommendations to local news stories that may be of interest to those of us who own land in the region.

This week, I noticed something unique. My mom sent me a post on Facebook early yesterday morning of a father asking if anyone was renting one or two acres of farmland in Saratoga County (where my farm resides). He said he wanted to rent the acreage to grow food to feed his family.

This piqued my interest. Could renting an acre of farmland, planting crops, and tending to the garden be more cost effective than buying produce at the grocery store? To my amazement - yes.

The average cost to rent an acre of farmland in the U.S. is around $148/acre. Of course, that’s an average, which is why you will find the figure closer to $500 in a state like California, yet as low as $86 in a state like Wyoming. Though, the $500 figures are for acres that border big cities, like Los Angeles. Here in Upstate New York, you can rent an acre or two of farmland for well below $300/month - and New York is generally considered an expensive state. I learned when I bought my farmland last summer that if you’re willing to border a smaller city (Saratoga Springs, the closest city to my farm, has 28,000 residents) and be about a 15-minute drive outside of the city bounds, you can find affordable farmland, even in expensive states.

Commenters flocked to the Facebook post, sharing information about community farms in the area that rent plots, as well as farmers looking to rent out some of their farmland as they age. The average age of the American farmer is now over 60 (I would argue it’s at 70 from my travels) - they are tired and barely hanging onto their massive farms they inherited from their parents. Wall Street is approaching these farmers and snatching up their farmland before it hits the market. These farmers would much rather rent out their acreage to families looking to garden and grow their own produce nearby.

Many of these farmers are open to trusts, like a charitable remainder trust that allows families to pay a rent until either the cost of the farm is paid off or the farmer passes on. But seeing this Facebook post opened my eyes to the possibility of everyday people renting the farmland from farmers before corporations and foreign entities get their hands on it.

I took to my personal Substack yesterday to post about this phenomenon, and a fair amount of folks from Europe chimed in to let me know the following:

• In Poland, there are plots of land available to people who live in apartments so they can grow their own food.

• In the UK, local councils rent plots of land to its citizens to grow their own vegetables.

• In the UK, a big movement is underway called ‘allotmenteering:’ small parcels of land, no more than 250 square meters, are available to each person. One person commented that they received an overflow of veggies from neighbors who grew more than they needed in their allotment.

• In Switzerland, citizens can rent plots of land from local governments as well.

Typical to Europe when compared to America is more government control/ownership over what citizens use. Though these concepts are amazing in theory and teach us a lot about how to curate our future, these plots and allotments are owned by the governments of each country (they have seized plots, levied fees, and enforced rules over plot usage from time-to-time).

To me, an ideal arrangement is private ownership, which is why the American allotmenteering movement will be one of an arrangement between citizens and private land owners/farmers.

The American allotmenteering movement

I would argue that though our European sisters and brothers beat us to this concept, America is ready to embrace this kind of food decentralization in 2025. Groceries can cost the average American family of four around $200/week (obviously this varies depending on where you live), scaling up to almost $1,000/month (especially if you have sons).

If it costs around $200/month to secure your plot, around $100 in seeds (you can also find free seeds at local gardening stores or through seed exchanges) when getting started, and let’s say around $300 for the equipment, like a hoe, soil, maybe some materials for a garden bed (though these can be obtained for free from local farms if you just ask), the cost savings speak for themselves. Plus, as I have learned being in the country now for about 1.5-years, rural folks love a good trade or bargain. If you have a surplus of sweet potatoes, the dairy farmer down the road will trade you some milk in exchange for your produce. All you have to do is ask!

Not to mention, being outside, working the land, and growing the food that feeds your family comes with a list of health benefits that are so long, I couldn’t possibly sum them up in this article.

It’s a win-win arrangement: American families will save money, be healthier, and be happier, while farmers break up their acreage to receive rent to support them as they age. Before long, you’ll befriend the farmer from whom you rent your land, and they can pass on their critical agricultural knowledge to you.

As for the surplus food grown at your plot, you can sell it at a farm stand on the property, donate it, or use it for crafts and other items you can sell in-person or online.

The last 100-years has proven that massive monoculture farming has destroyed our soil, led to nutrient-depleted food, and required farmers to rely on pesticides to turn a profit. With mounting costs, taxes, and land prices doubling in value, farmers are struggling to keep their operations afloat following the ‘big-ag’ model. I would argue that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, from our personal health to the health of the environment around us. But, these farmers deserve our support and respect for the work they have put in for decades, which is why renting farmland could be a way to supplement their income while paving a path for the average American to be reacquainted with the art of gardening.

I do feel this Substack is going to play some role in connecting people and farmers with land exchanges. I am always open to your suggestions below.

The farmland revolution is beginning

$24 trillion worth of farmland is going to be for sale starting now over the next 20-years (source: the 2025 Farmer’s Almanac). As farmers age out of farming, their land has to go somewhere, which is why it’s a much better future for you and me if everyday Americans tend to this land and care for it the way it was always meant to be stewarded.

Covid-19 made us scared to visit people, knock on doors, pick up the phone, and shake hands. It’s time we break out of it for the sake of our food, land, animals, and farmers.

I plan to test my own theories right here at my farm, and feel we are just at the onset of a farmland and agricultural revolution that is going to change the nature of farming forever. It’s an exciting time to be alive, if you choose to see the positive!

Follow along here as I cover all things land loans, starting new farms, urban farming, Amish culture, solarpunk innovation, conservationism, working with the USDA, farm grants, and so much more.

And happy New Year!!