For Tennessee Farm Families

Save. Family. Farms.

Keep the farm in the family.
Let the land earn its keep.

More families than ever want land, a garden, and a home they own. Family farms have the land and the know-how. Here are six ways a farm family can earn from part of its land by serving those families, instead of selling it all to a developer or a data center.

★ ★ ★ See the Six Ways
The Idea

Keep most of it.
Put the rest to work.

You decide how much and how fast. Nothing here requires selling the home place.

What You Keep

The home place, the fields you farm, and the say over who comes onto your land and when.

What You Put to Work

A parcel to sell, a pasture for a field day, a barn for a class, or the beef and eggs you already raise.

Six Ways

Six ways the land can earn.

Each one is paid for by the families or partners who use it. Start with one. You don't have to do them all.

  1. 1

    Sell a homestead parcel, owner-financed

    Sell a few acres to a homestead family and carry the note yourself. You earn monthly payments, keep the rest of the farm, and gain a neighbor who shares your way of life.

    Who paysThe buying familyOur partIntroducing families looking for land
  2. 2

    Teach what you know

    Raising cattle, keeping a garden, canning, fencing, running a small farm. Families will pay to learn from people who actually live this life. You set the class and the price, and families buy their tickets from you.

    Who paysFamilies who attendOur partListing and filling your classes
  3. 3

    Host field days and cookouts

    Your farm becomes the place families come to see how it's done. You sell your products while they're there, and a sponsoring partner may pay you to host.

    Who paysSponsoring partners and buyersOur partBringing the families and planning the day
  4. 4

    Sell what the farm grows

    Beef, pork, eggs, produce, honey, hay. Families who want food from a farm they trust can find you in our directory and buy from you directly, with a member discount you set.

    Who paysFamilies who buyOur partSending buyers your way
  5. 5

    Barn homes or a small home community

    Over time, part of the land can hold a few homes or a small homestead community, built by a vetted builder. It's a long-term option for families who want to plan for it.

    Who paysThe families who buildOur partConnecting you with vetted builders
  6. 6

    Protect the rest for good

    A conservation easement can keep farmland as farmland forever, while you still own it, farm it, and pass it down. Easements can bring tax benefits, and Tennessee now has a state program that helps pay for them.

    Who paysLand trusts and state programsOur partPointing you to the right people, at no cost
Working Together

How working with us goes.

We're a family business, and we'd rather sit at your kitchen table than send you a brochure.

First

A Conversation

We come to you, hear what you want for the farm, and tell you plainly whether we can help.

Then

A Plan You Choose

Pick the one or two options that fit. Everything we agree on goes in writing before anything starts.

After

The Right Families

We bring families who are ready to learn, buy, or build, and someone on our team stays in touch.

Straight talk about money. Membership and introductions never cost you a dime, and sitting down with us won't cost you a thing. If we ever earn a fee for bringing someone your way, we'll agree on it together, in writing, before any work starts. Every partner we work with signs our Homestead Pledge, and we hold ourselves to it too.

Before You Start

A few things to have in place.

This is general information, not legal, financial, or tax advice.

From the Land Up

Got a Farm Story?

Has your family held on to the farm through hard years, or found a new way to make the land pay? We'd love to hear it.

We're recording conversations with Tennessee farm families for From the Land Up, and your family could be one of them.

Share Your Story
Let's Talk

Let's talk about your land.

We're a family business in Franklin, Tennessee, and we'd be glad to come to you. Send us a note and tell us a little about your farm.

Know a farm family who should see this? Send them this page.

“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.”Jeremiah 29:5 (ESV)