Beginning Farmer Intake Form

Please fill out this form and submit it to your
local Extension Agent for review

Use one form for each farm or ranch site

Please submit all lab results from soil and water testing and business plan if available

Contact info

Name: Date:

Mailing address:

Phone and email:

Farm/Ranch name (if applicable):

Natural resources

Soil, land base and site characteristics

  1. Physical address of site:
  2. Soil type (this is soil texture – sand, silt, clay. If multiple on this site, name all):
  3. Have you conducted any soil testing? Y or N
  4. If yes, what are the EC values from that test?
  5. Acres available: that you own ______that you lease ______other (please describe)______
  6. If you have a lease arrangement, what is the length of the lease in years?
  7. Elevation and aspect (which direction does it face? ) of this site:
  8. Areas of slope greater than 5%: ¨ yes ¨ no ¨ don’t know
  9. What are the typical first and last frost dates for the area?
  10. Is the crop production area fenced? How tall?
  11. Have you witnessed wildlife, or signs of wildlife, on the potential site? If so, what, and to what level?
  12. What are the problem weed species on site? Name all:
  13. Name other known pest problems affecting this site (insects, disease, rodents, deer, etc.):
  14. Is there a high water table (higher than 5 feet below the surface)? Y or N

Water:

  1. What are the acre feet of water per acre (as average shares on ditch, talk to ditch company) versus actual delivery of water based on ditch conditions (rights may not equate to actual delivery)?
  2. For crop irrigation and/or livestock watering, does this site have:
  3. surface water ¨ yes ¨ no ¨ don’t know
  4. ground water ¨ yes ¨ no ¨ don’t know
  5. municipal water ¨ yes ¨ no ¨ don’t know
  6. Have you determined what type(s) of irrigation you would be using? If so, what is the distance between the source and the end use?
  7. Have you had the water tested at the production site? Y or N
  8. If yes, what is the electrical conductivity value?
  9. If pumping from a well, have you established the recharge rate of the well to know how many gallons per minute can be pumped? Y or N
  10. If yes, what is that max GPM?
  11. During what months is water available for crop/livestock use?
  12. Do you have the ability (including legal rights) to store water? Y or N

Additional site characteristics ?

  1. Has this site been farmed/ranched recently? Y or N
  2. If ‘Yes’, by whom? You___ Previous Owner___ Lessee___ Unknown___
  3. What is the production history on this site?
  4. Do you have direct access to the production site or is there an easement or other property to cross?
  5. What are the adjacent site characteristics (residential neighborhood, other ag, non-ag commercial businesses)?
  6. Are any practices or structures prohibited on the site by the owner or by county/municipal zoning?
  7. Do you know the adjacent property owners and their land management practices?
  8. Potable water on site: Y or N
  9. Electricity on site: Y or N

V5, September 2011

Enterprise characteristics

Please list each cropping mix and/or livestock enterprise separately, with as much detail as you can provide.

Production characteristics / Marketing characteristics
Crops or livestock you intend to grow / # of acres, beds, or animals / Considering season extension?
(yes, no or maybe) / Total # of production months per year (if livestock enter 12 months) / Anticipated production practice(s), for example, organic, grass-fed, no-till, etc. / Where do you intend to sell your product(s)?
  1. How would you describe your human resources available for each enterprise listed above? Do you have skilled labor available for management and production tasks?
  2. Do you have any prior experience selling to the markets you described above?

V5, September 2011

Additional infrastructure

  1. For livestock, is there fencing, corrals, barn or other shelter areas (coops, sheds)? Y or N
  2. Irrigation infrastructure (canal, center pivot or sprinkler equipment, pond for water storage). Please
  3. Are there buildings for storage, livestock feed storage, post-harvest handling of produce, livestock watering tanks or systems, etc. on site?
  4. Is there a walk-in cooler on site or available off site (if applicable for perishable products)?
    Y or N
  5. Are there indoor crop/livestock production structures such as hoophouses, high tunnels, or greenhouses on site? Please describe.
  6. Do you have trucks, trailers, tractors, tractor implements, tillers, hand tools, etc. needed to implement your production and marketing plan? Please describe.
  7. Would this be a full-time job for you? Y or N
    if ‘No’, what is the expected and realistic amount of hours per week during the growing/production season that you could devote to this operation?
  8. Is there any off-farm income being generated by you, partners, family members, etc.?

Additional information

Educational experience in production agriculture (degree and non-degree programs, training courses, workshops, etc.):

V5, September 2011