For many farmers both established and beginning, farming is about building a legacy to last for generations. This makes finding a successor a key part of any transition plan, which can be a challenge. Starting that legacy can also be a challenge. Beginning farmers face barriers to entry including access to farmland, equipment, working capital and other key necessities.

To help address these challenges the Beginning Farmer Center at Iowa State University created AgLink, an online platform to help facilitate the transition of farming operations from established farmers to beginning farmers. Kitt Tovar Jensen, manager of the Beginning Farmer Center, says the program is completely user-led, and allows beginning farmers, or established farmers and landowners to build connections person to person.

Find right opportunity

“On one hand, finding a farm successor can be difficult if there isn’t a family member to take over. On the other hand, finding the right opportunity to get into farming can be just as difficult for beginning farmers,” Tovar Jensen says. “Recognizing these challenges, we created this platform as a resource for these two groups of people to connect and find the right opportunities for them.”

In addition to connecting beginning farmers with established farmers looking to find a successor, AgLink can help connect beginning farmers with other opportunities.

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“It’s not just for those looking to purchase or sell land,” she explains. “It’s also for those looking for or advertising all sorts of farm opportunities, such as on-farm employment, machinery leasing and sales, and other traditional or nontraditional farming opportunities. There’s a wide range of opportunities to help beginning farmers.”

To get started, potential AgLink users submit an application that includes questions about the general location and type of farming opportunity being sought or advertised. The staff will review the application. Upon approval, users can use AgLink to post opportunities, search opportunities and start a conversation. Beginning farmers can make profiles.

It’s not a matching service

“For increased privacy, AgLink will only share basic information submitted. For example, the county or farm opportunity, rather than a specific address,” Tovar Jensen says. “After that initial application is approved, it’s up to the individual to reach out to other users through AgLink and decide when they are comfortable sharing their personal contact information.”

While AgLink offers a great venue to make connections, Tovar Jensen reminds users to be patient while waiting for the right opportunity to come along. “AgLink is a wonderful way to see what opportunities are out there, build connections and start the conversation,” she says. “Put your best foot forward with an application and be open and flexible to diverse opportunities.”

To learn more about AgLink or register, visit aglinkservices.com. For questions, contact Tovar Jensen at [email protected] or 515-294-5217.