Viva Farms announces local Latino family secures “forever farm”
July 26, 2024 | Burlington, WA
“What I like most about being a farmer? That in the fields, I feel free.” – farmer Francisco Farias
Farias Farm LLC, a family-owned organic farm in the Skagit Valley, will take over ownership of a ten-acre organic farm with 3-bedroom house in Burlington, WA. Through a creative lease with option to purchase, agricultural impact investment firm, Dirt Capital Partners, financed the $700,000 deal, which closed on July 18, 2024. Farias Farm, owned by Francisco Farias and Lorena Reza, will assume full ownership in several years. Dirt Capital’s Director of Investment, Amanda Zakharov, explains, “We partner with all types of regenerative farmers to purchase land, providing long-term secure access with clearly defined pathways to ownership. We love working with organizations like Viva Farms to support the growth of farmers and provide the flexibility and support they need.” Since 2009, Viva Farms, a non-profit farm business incubator, has been helping farmers start businesses by offering bilingual training in organic farming practices as well as access to land and other essentials needed to launch a viable business.
Washington state has lost over 56% of its farms since 1940, a trajectory that tracks with national trends. While aging farmers look to retire, land prices have skyrocketed as a result of increasing investor and developer interest. These compounding pressures are making the “forever farm” largely inaccessible to many beginning farmers, especially historically underserved farmers who face systemic barriers to land ownership and capital access. Even with funding, the pace of real estate is often out of step with what is manageable for farmers; they must contend with the sluggish and sometimes discriminatory financing process, while competing with investors who may be able to swoop in with cash. In recent years, Viva Farms has bolstered its capital and land access support and is delighted to celebrate the success of Francisco Farias and his family farm.
Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, Farias immigrated to the U.S. in 1996. He joined Viva Farms in 2016, where he attended the organization’s Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, and established Farias Farm LLC with his two brothers the following year in their Farm Business Incubator. Incubating at Viva Farms means receiving access to land and all the other essentials required to grow a viable farm business, including direct technical assistance from staff. Viva has supported Farias in a myriad of ways over the years and, most recently, Viva Farms’ Director of Farm Viability, Anna Chotzen, who is bilingual in English and Farias’ native language of Spanish, has walked side by side with the family to help facilitate this land acquisition. “It is such a thrill to see Francisco and Lorena achieve this huge milestone, and it has been an honor and privilege to support them throughout the process. Their success really speaks to the power of collaboration and creativity in making the dream of long-term land tenure a reality for next-generation farmers.”
There are many other farmers in Viva Farms’ programs eager and ready to find their forever farm. Over the past 18 months, Viva Farms has been working closely with capital partners, attorneys, land trusts, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (via the American Rescue Plan Technical Investment Program) to develop models of land and capital access that make land ownership and long-term tenure attainable for beginning farmers. Farias’ achievement is hopefully just the first of many similar successes to come.
Farias shares, “Lorena and I are so happy to have taken this step and are grateful for Viva’s support. It’s an important step, and we have a lot of plans. But the hardest part is now behind us. Now, when I’m out in my field, I think ‘Wow, this is my farm!’”
To learn more about Viva Farms and Farias Farm LLC, please visit vivafarms.org. To learn more about Dirt Capital Partners, visit their website. Follow Farias Farm LLC on instagram.
Contact: communications [at] vivafarms.org ; 360-969-7191 x812
