Resources

Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and anticipates having 100 percent in the near future.

In the United States almost 40% of farmland is leased. According to data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York's average cash rental rate is $77 per acre. Leasing land offers an affordable land access option for farmers when compared to purchasing land. A fair, equitable, and secure lease is important for the success of the lease and the relationship between the farmer and landowner. Below are resources on leasing for both farmers and landowners.

A farm business plan is a valuable tool to help famers stay on track to achieve their farm goals such as profitability and growth. A business plan is a written document that defines the business goals, outlines reasons why these goals are attainable and details a plan for reaching these goals. A business plan is not a static document and should be updated regularly. Below are some resources we commonly refer to that can help you draft a business plan.

The Farmland Information Center (FIC) is the nation’s largest online collection for information on farm and ranch land protection and stewardship. The FIC's team of experts respond to requests for information and offer assistance related to farmland protection, on-farm conservation, transferring your farm, supporting agricultural viability, model laws, statistics, and make referrals to other farmland protection entities and more.

On the Farmland Information Center (FIC) farmland owners can find resources and tools to help improve on-farm conservation, protect your land from development, transfer your land to the next generation, and lease land to agricultural producers. Farmers can find resources and tools on how to evaluate and find farmland, how to access capital to begin or expand your farm operation, and how retain and improve rented farmland.

We are farmers and ranchers who steward the struggle to transform agriculture. We are an intersectional coalition that works for justice and collective liberation of our food and farm systems. We champion policies that resource connections to the land and foster our health in the face of climate crisis. We advocate for policies that recognize farming as a public service. We work in partnership with social justice movements for a future in which people, land, and relationships are respected. We aspire to stand in ever greater solidarity with global movements that advance human rights – especially the right to food and place.

This interactive map allows you to explore USDA-NCSS soil survey data for locations throughout most of the U.S. It is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.

The New York Farm Viability Institute is a nonprofit grantmaking organization. We run a competitive grant program seeking to fund agricultural research and education projects that will create and share knowledge to improve the economic viability of New York’s farmers.

Our programs weave together the framework that the land trust requires to achieve our vision to advance permanent and secure land tenure for farmers and land stewards of color who will care for the land in a sacred manner that honors our ancestors' dreams for regenerative agriculture, sustainable human habitat, climate justice, ceremony, native species ecosystem restoration, and cultural preservation.

Our mission is to promote New York State agriculture and its high-quality and diverse products, foster agricultural environmental stewardship, and safeguard the state’s food supply, land, and livestock to ensure the viability and growth of New York’s agriculture industries.