Farming part-time for income
Updated Oct 5, 2026
Seeking
- 11-50 Total acres
- 6-10 Acres of cropland or tillable land
- 0-5 Acres of pasture
Desired locations
Hello! I am looking for a small farm in Yancey/Madison County, as my ancestors lived in those areas!
Plan
I would like to grow herbs and crops, but I only have a little bit of experience thus far with growing anything. I have more experience with animals like chickens and goats, and many family members of mine have farms all over western NC and the rest of Appalachia. A situation where I lease (at first) and learn about the specific practices of a farm would be best for me.
Desired infrastructure
Equipment and infrastructure details
I am flexible when it comes to preferred equipment, but a barn for storage would be nice, housing for me or any other farmers or family members who could live with me, a spring house or other cool place for storage, a water source like a spring, creek, or river, a greenhouse (or multiple) for growing plants that require one.
Preferred type of opportunity
Opportunity details
I am freshly graduated from college, so I am not in a financial place to buy land just yet. I have a lot to learn and I am very eager to learn, so a lease w/ mentorship or an internship would be amazing for me. I do plan to someday buy land, but I do not have a concrete idea of when that would be possible for me.
Desired farming practices
Practices details
I would like to learn more about traditional (but regenerative and eco-friendly) practices as it pertains to farming. My ancestors have been farming the land of Yancey County before it was ever a county, and I'd like to learn how they would have done it and how I can improve these practices so they are ecologically friendly and efficient. Ideally I'd have a closed-circle situation, for example using compost, animals like goats for weeding and excess plant clippings, and selling produce.
Production goals
Goals details
Ideally I would like to join an existing business and learn the ins and outs of how they run it before I attempt to form my own business plan. I'd like to carry on the legacy of a local farm the way the previous owners would like it to be carried on.
Farm experience
Years of experience
1 total years of experience
1 years employed as a worker (non-manager)
0 years as a manager
Education, training, and employment experience
Experience details
My first education started when I was a little girl. My family raised chickens and grew a small amount of crops. I also learned from my grandfather, who had a farm in McDowell County. Then, in 2025, I volunteered on a farm in Boone, NC while I was in college harvesting winter crops. Then, after I graduated, I moved to a small farm where I worked to pay off part of my rent caring for chickens, goats, and dogs, as well as helping run a farm stand at the Haywood County Farmers Market. Now, I am working as a seasonal grape harvester at the Biltmore.