Rent-to-own an organic farm in Ontario Canada
Buying your own organic farmland in Ontario can be a real financial challenge, especially if you are a young farmer who is just starting out. The average age of farmers in Ontario is 54, largely because farmland simply isn't affordable to those who weren't lucky enough to inherit a family farm.
We may have the solution for you to be able to own your own farm — either as a sole proprietor or as part of a partnership or cooperative. Our rent-to-own farmland program allows you to find the farm you want, at which time we will purchase it for you. We will then lease it to you under the terms of a rent-to-own financing lease. You can be on the farmland you want, while you save enough capital to buy out the lease and own your farm outright.
We only work with ecologically-minded farmers (organic, permaculture and bio-dynamic) to help you get the land you need to start up your farm.
As in our residential rent-to-own program, you can lease the land to live and work on until you build up your business to the point that you can afford to buy it out. The initial deposit and monthly lease option payments are credited to your down payment, giving you a much easier path towards land ownership than if you had to raise the entire purchase price up front.
Ownership Options
Not every organic grower wants or needs a full farm for their growing operations. We offer great flexibility in creating an ownership structure that best suits your needs. Some of the options to consider may include:
- Farm partnership: Two or more partners co-own the farm, and divide the use of the land, buildings, equipment and resources according to the terms of the partnership agreement.
- Farm cooperative: The farm ownership is placed in the name of a registered cooperative, and member growers share the land and resources according to rules set out in the Canada Cooperatives Act and the articles of incorporation.
- Farm business joint venture: You may choose to work with a third-party investor, or a business partner whose primary interest is not in farming the land. In this case you may enter into a business agreement in which the needs of both parties are met and you can have the use of the land for agricultural purposes.
We are happy to talk with you in detail about the terms of your rent-to-own agreement. We understand that your needs and situation are unique, and we will work with you to create an arrangement that is best for you. Please contact us now to discuss the possibilities.
Protection of the Land
One of our standard practices is the placement of a farm easement on the land in order to preserve it as an integrated farm and nature preserve in perpetuity.
This entails a restrictive covenant on title that will not allow chemical fertilizers or pesticides, among other practices deemed harmful to the environment. It will also restrict the land from being subdivided, clear cut or used for another destructive purpose. The farm easement will be held and monitored in all likelihood by the Ontario Farmland Trust to ensure the land will always be preserved as intended.
Farm easements may carry tax benefits, as well as land protection. If a portion of the property is designated as conservation land, that area will receive a full property tax exemption. Managed forest areas are only taxed at 25% of the full rate.
In addition to farm easements, we generally wish to maintain organic certification on all farms. In some cases, the farm is purchased as conventional land, and must pass through a transition process in order to be certified organic.
Appy to our rent-to-own farmland program
Let us know what kind of farm you are looking for and in what area. Please fill out the rent-to-own form below and we will get the process moving.
In a matter of a few months, you could be living on your very own farm!
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