You’ll need to get used to some of the work involved and the rhythms of the changing seasons. There’s a bit of luck involved in finding lifestyle farms near regional cities, though, because they’re generally in high demand.Īs mentioned above, lifestyle blocks aren’t just for retirees. It’s like having your ‘home among the gumtrees’ but still having easy access to basic services like shops, schools and hospitals. You may currently live the typical ‘home in the suburbs, work in the city’ lifestyle and just want a piece of bushland or open space to escape.

In fact, many budding lifestyle farmers tend to favour smaller blocks (20 hectares) within driving distance of a major town or capital city. What you do with these structures is up to you, though.

When you search for viable real estate, you’ll notice that some hobby farms will be set up with existing farming amenities like horse stables, food troughs for pigs, sheep and chickens, and sheds and barns. It’s why land plots of 100 hectares or more may not be considered for a hobby farm loan. Strictly speaking, hobby farms are not for the purpose of turning a profit. Don’t expect to live like a king with such a small-scale enterprise: running a successful farm is tough.įor example, you could have a cow, a horse for riding, a few chickens and some vegetables for a sustainable lifestyle. In saying that, it is possible to earn a little money by selling things like eggs and vegetables at the market. If the bank determines that you may be using the hobby farm as your sole source of income, you’ll need to apply for a commercial loan instead and go through another credit department with stricter lending requirements. Most hobby farms can be anywhere from 10-100 hectares, with the block itself usually consisting of a property for you and your family to live on and a lot of land acreage to do whatever you want with as long as it meets council building codes and you’re not breaking the law. That being said, there can be plenty of hard work involved. The main reason people buy a hobby farm is less about raising livestock and working the land and more about lifestyle. With recent estimates of 60,000 “small lifestyle blocks” currently operating, it’s a growing national passion worth considering, no matter your stage of life. Hobby farms, or lifestyle blocks, are generally considered by banks to be non-income-earning rural properties, but that vanilla definition doesn’t tell the full story.Įvery hobby farm is different, depending on what crops you’re planning on growing, the animals you’re looking to raise and, ultimately, the work you’re willing to put into it. Headwaters Farm Incubator Program, by the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, is designed to assist in the development of new farmers.Calendar_today Last Updated: 4th January, 2023.Chemeketa Community College in Salem offers agricultural programs.Oregon’s Rogue Farm Corps training program for beginning farmers & ranchers.National Sustainable Ag Coalition Land Contract Guarantee Program provides federal loan guarantees for farmers who self-finance the sale of their land to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer.FSA’s Beginning Farmer & Rancher loans can help beginning and small farmers.Oregon Farm Service Agency (FSA) website.OSU Extension Service: The Oregon State University Extension Service engages the people of Oregon with research-based knowledge and education that focus on strengthening communities and economies, sustaining natural resources, and promoting healthy families and individuals.OSU College of Agricultural Sciences: OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences is educating the next generation of agriculture professionals, provides continuing education opportunities, and conducts important ongoing research that benefits the industry as a whole.Lots of info from OSU Extension catalogs about ag production, marketing, business, and specific commodities.Check out Oregon State University’s (OSU) program for small & beginning farms.How to Qualify for an Agricultural Loan.of Agriculture grants, loans, and technical assistance of Agriculture (ODA) has a page of resources for new/beginning farmers and small farms. The USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) provides grants to organizations for education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers or ranchers.Looking for agriculture-related work in Oregon? See what’s available in the online Capital Press classifieds.Check out the Oregon Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Program (YF&R).Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation.REAL Oregon (Resource Education & Agriculture Leadership).Farm Employer Education & Legal Defense Service (FEELDS).

Hobby farm loans in oregon