Mid Atlantic Land Transfer Navigators

• Land for Good - Land for Good’s comprehensive resources and workbook will support you at the start of your succession journey, helping you clarify your goals and identify the next steps to take.

• "The Farm's Legacy: A Guidebook for Intra-Family Succession" - This guidebook, developed by Purdue University Extension, draws on years of firsthand experience working with farm families. It features articles and exercises covering essential topics such as goal setting, communication, management transition, estate planning, and asset transfer.

• "Cultivating Your Farm's Future" - This workbook, created by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, offers a series of worksheets and checklists designed to guide farm business members and families through a three-step process. First, you’ll assess various aspects of your farm and business. Next, you’ll define your goals for the future. Finally, you’ll develop strategies and create the tools needed to achieve those goals.

• Coalition of Agricultural Mediation Programs (CAMP) - There are 42 certified state agricultural mediation programs. Use CAMP’s interactive map to find your state’s program and contact info. From farm credit issues and USDA disputes to succession planning challenges, these programs can improve communication, repair relationships, and help parties create tailored solutions—often faster and more affordably than traditional litigation.

• "Your Land Is Your Legacy - Estate Planning for Farmers and Ranchers" - This resource from AFT and partners offers an introduction to estate planning while addressing the unique challenges farmers and ranchers face.

• "Estate and Succession Planning For the Farm" - Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation workbook simplifies key estate planning concepts like wills, probates, and trusts. It also includes an Estate Planning Questionnaire to help you gather important information about your estate.

• Financial Assets Inventory Worksheet - This worksheet from AFT provides a structured framework for listing and valuing the assets to be transferred or acquired during a farm or ranch transition. These assets may include land, buildings, equipment, and other components of the existing farm or ranch business.

• Retirement Budgeting Worksheet - This worksheet from Land for Good is a straightforward and practical tool to help you understand your financial picture and plan for retirement.

• Leasing Farmland - Land for Good has developed a clear, step-by-step lesson that covers different types of leases, how to determine rental rates, and other valuable information, including the pros and cons for short-term versus long-term leasing.

• Leasing Toolkit - The Farmland Access Legal Toolkit provides a thorough guide to different types of leases, including a "lease-builder" tool, key questions to consider before signing, and valuable insights into state-specific issues.

• FairRent - This tool, developed by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management, helps evaluate land rental decisions—whether cash, share, or flexible agreements—by estimating the breakeven rate after all other expenses.

• "Powerful Questions to Prepare for an Agricultural Lease" - Farm Commons specializes in offering legal advice for farmers, ranchers, and producers. This guide, featuring 41 key questions, is designed to help establish a strong foundation for all parties involved.

• Conservation Easements - Explore the Farmland Access Legal Toolkit’s guide to conservation easements and discover how they can help support your succession or land transfer goals.

• Protect Your Land - Learn about agricultural conservation easements with this guide from AFT. It also offers insights on how to explore opportunities to collaborate with federal, state, and local entities to prevent development, ensuring your land remains available for future generations of farmers and ranchers.

• ACEP-ALE Program Opportunities Webinar - This webinar from the Land Trust Alliance features Matt Oliver, the National ACEP-ALE Program Manager with USDA-NRCS. In the session, Matt provides an overview of the program, shares tips for creating strong application packages, and addresses key questions about the program's processes.

• Farmland Protection Directory - This tool from AFT’s Farmland Information Center makes it easy to connect with farmland protection partners in your area, whether you're a landowner seeking land trusts, public programs, or other options, or a farmer or rancher looking to sell, lease, or find protected land. You can customize your search by selecting criteria like “State,” “Services,” “Type of Entity,” and more to find the best match.

Find farm linking programs on our National Farmlink Finder Directory.