Accessing land

Securing Long-term Acess

A food forest requires at least 5 years before break-even (when revenue equals costs), and around 10 years before producing significant yields on all layers. Hence, accessing land that provides a long-term perspective is key. This can be reached through different types of land ownership which are outlined below.

This success factor is closely linked to another one: Overcoming restrictive regulations. A story from Ramos on how they accessed their land – by in-depth research and communication with diverse public institutions and lawyers – shows how an assciation can be a legal entity for accessing agricultural land in Germany.

Before accessing land, a suitable site needs to be identified. A site might come through personal contacts or the real estate market. Alternative ways are land cooperatives that finance land acquisition through crowdfunding and cooperative shares. In any case, it is valuable to have search criteria to weigh different options when looking for land.

Further readings: Site Selection criteria, Land ownership