FAQs

OFL is a public platform for farmers & landowners to connect and a tool to help you showcase your goals & properties.

Farm Link is not a broker, real estate agency, a matchmaker or verifier of users. Always treat potential matches as you would a job interview and verify information etc.

Site users can view and search for listings and contact others directly after signing up. 

Visitors can look at listings on the site and access resources without creating a user account. 

To list land or a landseeker ad or to view contact info for jobs you must first create a user profile on the site.

Once you have a user profile you can submit a landseeker or land listing for approval. That listing will go to our staff for review before being published on the website (please allow 2-3 business days for listings to be approved.)

After you have an approved listing you will be able to see contact information for listings on the site. 

Users can contact each other via a blind email system (hides your email address) or via direct contact information for those who choose to provide it. All messages are sent through your email provider.

Users must complete a two step process in order to contact other listing holders: First, create an account, and second, submit a listing (following the listing criteria guidelines). With an approved listing you will be able to sign in and see contact information on the listings. 

To get started, first click on the “Signup” button at the top right corner of the menu, and fill out the profile form, making sure to complete all required fields, then submit the completed profile form.

Next log into your Oregon Farm Link account from the home page and complete a listing form (farm seeker, land listing, job announcement.)

Users must have an active listing to contact other landholders or landseekers on the site. 

With an active listing you must first log into their accounts to access other listings contact info. 

Landseekers may only contact Landholders and visa versa. There will soon be an OFL forum for land seekers to connect with other land seekers, and landholders to landholders here on the OFL website.

Users must complete a two step process in order to message listings: First, to create an account, and second, to submit a listing (following the listing criteria guidelines). Once the listing is approved, you will then be able to see contact information on the listings. 

If you have an approved listing and are not seeing the contact information, ensure you are logged in to your account using the ‘log in’ option on the home page. 

Requiring users to create an account drastically reduces the amount of spam and fake user activity on the site. It’s primarily to provide the most secure resource that we can and also helps us track general numbers and demographics of users to better serve you and to apply for funding to keep this service active. 

Note: your user information is private (except for items listed as ‘public’) and will only be used for reporting in aggregate form. ie numbers only, no personal information used or shared.

We require an active listing in order to contact others on the site for several reasons:

• Listings allow us to verify that people are using the site for it’s intended and funded purpose: Our mission is to help Oregon grow the next generation of farmers. To support that mission the site serves farmers seeking land for production of farm goods with an intent to sell at some level. Similarly land opportunities should be compatible with farming at a scale to sell products. 
• Requiring approved listings cuts down on spam and protects your contact information from being exploited. 
• Allowing each party to view the other person’s listing before responding fosters transparency and open communication.

Unfortunately, listing drafts can’t be saved and completed later. Users must be prepared to complete and submit their listing form in one sitting.

Listings can only be edited after they are approved and published, not during the staff review period. You will have the ability to edit your listing after it is approved by OFL staff.

If you would like to submit a new listing instead you can contact OFL staff at farmlink@friendsoffamilyfarmers.org for directions.

Listings do not automatically get published after submission. They must be reviewed and approved by OFL staff before they are published on the site. We review listings several times per week, and after your listing has been approved and published, you will receive a welcome confirmation email with information on how to use the site and contact other listings.

If you already have an approved listing, check to ensure that you are signed in to your account.

Yes, payments submitted with the listings are processed only after listings are approved and published. Payments for listings not approved will be canceled.

To make any changes or edits to an active listing, users must log into their account first. After logging in users can find their listings under My Account with the options to; View| Edit| Deactivate| Delete| Renew.

All listings are active for a year and are automatically deactivated if not renewed before the expiration date. 

**We ask all users to please deactivate their listing themselves once the land or farmer is no longer available.**

 We strive to keep the database up to date, but there may be listings on the site which are no longer available and have not yet been deactivated.

All new published and renewed listings will appear at the top of the listing page.

Farm seekers can find the date the land listing was created to the right of the listing under the Farm Basics description.

Landholders can find the date the farm seeker listing was created to the right of the listing under Additional Land Seeker Details.

After creating your account, you’ll be able to post a public listing and connect with other users. We do not match people directly, we provide a platform for you to connect with others independently. There is no single “match” process, it all starts with a conversation between you and the listing holder.

We encourage you to do your due diligence, and treat this relationship like a job interview. Feel free to ask any pertinent questions you think necessary to determine a good fit. A few examples are:

• How much land is available to lease? Does your property have water rights?
  • What is available for tenant use (housing, infrastructure, tools, map of parcel, power etc)?
• What are your expectations around maintenance? 
  • What is the tenet responsible for, and not responsible for?
• Have you had tenets before? 
  • What went well?
• OFL page 

We encourage you to do your due diligence, and treat this relationship like a job interview. Feel free to ask any pertinent, appropriately worded, questions you think necessary to determine a good fit. A few examples are:

• What is your vision for your farm business?
• What are your business goals?
• Do you have a business plan?
  • How does my property fit into your vision for your business?
• How long of a lease are you looking for? What kind of renewal process?
• What’s your farming experience and/or business management experience? 
  • Have you leased or owned farmland before?
• What farming practices do you use?

To reset your password; go to the log in page and click on the “Lost your password?” question to have a reset link emailed to you. You can also email the OFL staff to request a reset link and for any additional support. farmlink@friendsoffamilyfarmers.org

Listings can be renewed on your own before the expiration date. Email reminders are sent 14 and 7 days before the expiration date. After listings are expired you will need to contact OFL staff for listing renewal support. When reaching out to OFL staff for renewal support, please include the type of listing you need to renew.

Sometimes it may take a few days to hear back from some users even though we ask all users to be prompt in responding. We recommend patience and persistence during this process. Some farmers might be in the middle of their farm production and may not have the time to check and respond to inquiries right away. To increase your chances of a response, be prepared to provide as much information as possible to explain why you are a good fit or match. Don’t forget to share the link of your listing as well! 

We’re all human and sometimes messages simply go unanswered. After sending a few messages over a couple weeks or a month it may unfortunately be time to move on.

For additional information or support please contact the OFL staff at farmlink@friendsoffamilyfarmers.org