Ontario Land Access Guide
The purpose of this guide is to support new and landless farmers as they journey toward accessing land.
In researching and writing this guide, the driving question has been: how have new farmers gotten onto land? There are several different options to consider: from leasing and purchasing, to community farms and incubator plots— each with its own set of pros and cons.
This guide will lead you through a brainstorming and reflection process to help frame your needs and directions. It will outline the various choices for accessing land. It provides useful tips for assessing land for farming, as well as a checklist for negotiating an agreement with a landowner. You will also find sample lease and license templates. We’ve included examples of different types of land access relationships—from leasing, to owning, to family tenure.
This guide was developed in partnership with Young Agrarians & the National Farmers Union – Ontario in 2018.
These resources might also interest you:
Find Farmland (Land Listings)
A free land listing tool designed to connect those looking for farmland in Ontario with opportunities for short and long-term leases, and a variety of other business relationships.
Land Linking & Farmland Conservation (Workshop Recordings)
A video playlist of recordings from our Land Linking & Farmland Conservation workshops (2021-22), co-hosted with the Ontario Farmland Trust.
Farmland Rental Agreement (Template)
A farmland rental agreement template, prepared by Farm & Food Care Ontario.
Toolkit for Non-Family Farm Transfer
The Transition Toolkit for Non-Family Farm Transfer is a resource kit for anyone curious about – or neck-deep in – alternative ways to transition land and farms from one generation to the next, developed by Young Agrarians.
Accessing Land for Farming in Ontario (Guide)
This guidebook has been developed to assist farmers, especially new farmers, who are looking to “rent” or buy land for
farming, and also farmland owners looking for someone to use their land for farming.