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Virginia first
Pilot zones open first. Every state has a waitlist.
Veteran founded · Virginia pilot
Keeping Working Farms in Working Hands.
A staged mentorship and lease-to-own transition platform connecting retiring farm owners with vetted next-generation and veteran stewards, without selling out to subdivision developers, data centers, corporate consolidators or foreign buyers.
Pre-launch. Accepting pilot interest from Virginia landowners, aspiring farmers and partners.
58.1
Average age of a U.S. producer, per the 2022 USDA Census
40%+
Share of U.S. producers age 65 or older (National Young Farmers Coalition)
300M
Acres expected to change hands in two decades (American Farmland Trust)
2 : 1
Farmers 75 and older outnumber farmers under 35 (CAST)
The gap
The land is ready to pass on. The next farmer is ready to work. Nothing connects them.
Retiring owners have their retirement locked in land, equipment and a lifetime of know-how. Many have no heir who wants to farm. The easy exit is a check from a subdivision developer, a data-center speculator, a corporate consolidator or an outside foreign buyer, and the farm is gone for good.
Young and veteran farmers have the drive but rarely the capital, the track record a lender wants, or a place to learn on real ground. Listing boards help people find each other. They do not carry a transition from first handshake to final deed.
Semper Terra is the structure in between: mentorship first, earned management, then a protected buyout.
How it works
A three-year mentorship to a 20- to 40-year buyout, built in three phases.
Every match follows the same staged path, so both generations know what is expected, what is earned and when each side can step away.
Year 1
Apprentice
Paid trial season on the farm. The steward learns the soil, the stock, the equipment and the buyers alongside the owner.
- Written trial agreement with a clean 12-month off-ramp
- Stipend, housing terms and safety standards set up front
- Monthly check-ins with a Semper Terra coordinator
Years 2 to 3
Manager
The steward takes on an enterprise unit, then full day-to-day management, with a growing profit share and sweat-equity credits toward a down payment.
- Builds the management record lenders look for before a USDA FSA beginning farmer loan
- Owner stays as mentor and advisor
- Books, records and tax returns kept clean
Year 4+ (20 to 40-Yr Term)
Owner
A protected buyout amortized over 20 to 40 years (30-year baseline). Seller financing, lender loans and conservation tools combine so the steward gets mortgage-sized payments and the owner retires with steady income.
- Optional 10-year FSA Land Contract Guarantee on 20- to 30-year seller financing
- Working-land easements can lower the price and keep it farmland
- Owner may keep the homestead by agreement
Who it's for
Six sectors. One transition table.
A farm handoff only works when every party who touches it has a seat and a reason to show up. Pick your role.
Tools
Run the numbers before anyone signs anything.
Estimates only. Every real transition is reviewed by a lender, an attorney and a tax professional.
Sweat-equity and buyout calculator
Both sides of the deal
Easement sale paid to the owner; the steward buys land without development rights.
Steward's estimated annual payment after year 3
$0
Total farm value
$0
Buyout price after easement
$0
Owner's easement payout
$0
Sweat-equity down payment
$0
Owner's yearly installment income
$0
Financed by lender
$0
Platform coordination & match fee (1.5% net + $2,500; 3.0% gross)
$0
Where the owner's money comes from
Cash at closing (easement, lender, down payment)Installments over the term
Illustrative estimate using a level annual payment. It is not a loan offer, appraisal or tax advice. Program eligibility, rates, terms and easement values are set by lenders, USDA and land trusts.
Legacy transition vs. outside sale
For retiring owners| Sale to a developer, data center, consolidator or foreign buyer | Semper Terra transition | |
|---|---|---|
| The farm | Often subdivided, paved for data centers or absorbed by corporate/foreign buyers | Stays a working American farm, protected by easement and Va. Code § 55.1-508 |
| Your income | One lump sum, one tax year | Easement cash, closing proceeds and installments over time |
| Your home | Usually sold with the land | Homestead can be reserved by agreement |
| Your know-how | Leaves with you | Taught to a steward over three seasons |
| Programs | Rarely applicable | May qualify for the FSA Transition Incentives Program on expiring CRP land and the FSA Land Contract Guarantee |
| Daily work | Ends at closing | Steps down gradually as the steward steps up |
Tax treatment depends on your situation. Installment sales and easements should be reviewed with a CPA and attorney.
Platform economics & fee transparency
How Semper Terra sustains the mission and earns a return.
A multi-year farm mentorship and 30-year buyout cannot survive on volunteer goodwill alone. Semper Terra combines five transparent revenue streams that keep upfront barriers at zero for aspiring farmers while building a self-sustaining business.
1 · Closing & Brokerage Track (3-Stage Licensing Roadmap)
3.0% gross transition success fee at buyout (1.5% conservative net baseline)
When the 3-year mentorship succeeds and the farm closes, the transaction carries a 3.0% transition success fee ($24,300 on the $810,000 baseline buyout), half of a traditional 6% to 10% rural land-broker commission.
- Stage 1 (Months 1 to 36 Co-Brokerage): Founding Outreach Director Shelly Elliott holds an active Virginia DPOR Salesperson license (Va. Code § 54.1-2106.1) paired with a designated Virginia Broker of Record under a 50/50 to 75/25 co-brokerage split, retaining 1.5% to 2.25% net ($12,150 to $18,225 per farm; $14,650 conservative net with the $2,500 milestone).
- Stage 2 (Year 3+ In-House Brokerage): After 36 months of active salesperson experience, Semper Terra upgrades to an in-house Virginia Principal Broker and Real Estate Firm License, retaining 100% of the 3.0% closing fee ($24,300 per farm; $26,800 total with milestone).
- Funded out of conservation easement proceeds or seller closing proceeds so the incoming steward brings zero cash on day one.
2 · Consulting Milestones
Staged coordination fees
Fixed administrative fees ($1,500 to $3,500 per milestone) for transition readiness assessments, candidate vetting, and Year 1 to 3 management tracking, which do not require a real estate license.
3 · USDA & Grant Funding
Public technical-assistance grants
Eligible regional partnerships can apply for USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer (BFRDP) grants ($50,000 to $750,000 over 3 years) to fund coordinator salaries, vetting and mentor stipends.
4 · Partner Packaging
Lender & land trust retainers
Packaging and origination support fees from participating ag lenders, conservation land trusts and professional advisors who receive pre-vetted, bank-ready succession deals.
5 · Co-op & Brand Sponsors
Corporate & equipment sponsorships
Annual sponsorships from tractor dealers, rural co-ops and regional food hubs underwriting first-year apprentice stipends in exchange for long-term customer relationships.
Protections
Guardrails, so neither generation gets burned.
The trial year
Nobody is locked in until the fit is proven.
The first season is a defined, paid trial with written exit terms for both sides.
- Compatibility interview on farming practice, family and housing
- Written roles, hours, stipend and safety rules
- Quarterly milestone reviews with a coordinator
- Either party may end the trial with notice; credits earned stay documented
Screening
Vetted stewards
Background checks, references and a skills and readiness review before any farm visit.
Property
Equipment stewardship
Use, maintenance and damage responsibility written down before keys change hands.
Coverage
Insurance in place
Farm liability and workers' coverage confirmed for every on-farm arrangement.
Legal
Independent counsel
Each side is encouraged to have its own attorney review agreements before signing.
Programs we build around
Existing tools, put to work together.
FSA beginning farmer loans
Direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans for beginning farmers, with a land contract guarantee for owner-financed sales.
USDA FSA fact sheetTransition Incentives Program
Up to two extra CRP rental payments when expiring CRP land goes to a beginning or veteran farmer.
USDA FSA program pageVirginia Farm Link
State program supporting business plans and transitions from retiring to active farmers.
Code of Virginia § 10.1-1119.4Virginia agricultural tax credits
State credits for best management practices and qualifying equipment on working farms.
Virginia Tax
Who we are · Founding team & partners
Veteran-led, with dedicated outreach and brokerage execution.
Based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Semper Terra combines high-accountability U.S. Marine Corps operational discipline with hands-on kitchen-table farm outreach, sponsor partnerships, and a 3-stage Virginia real estate licensing roadmap.
Jason Roman
U.S. Marine Corps veteran (12+ years) leading platform architecture, capital-stack structuring, and 12-quarter sweat-equity governance from Fredericksburg, Virginia.
- Military & asset stewardship: More than 12 years of Marine Corps aviation maintenance, tool control, safety, quality assurance, and high-value asset accountability.
- Facilities & field execution: Civilian track record in facilities operations, property stewardship, contractor coordination, and multi-party project execution.
- Transition governance: Oversees the 9-document Semper Terra legal and financial suite, quarterly sweat-equity ledger verification, and USDA FSA / conservation capital stacks.
- SBA SDVOSB controlling ownership: Retains 80% to 85% direct, unconditional LLC membership, voting, and distribution interest plus sole Managing Member control, exceeding the 51% SBA VetCert Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) requirement under 13 CFR §§ 128.202 and 128.203.
- Direct contact: 408-687-8792 · [email protected]
Shelly Elliott
Founding team member based in Harrisonburg, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley) who originated the generational farm-handoff thesis and leads kitchen-table landowner relations, sponsor partnerships, and the Virginia brokerage track.
- Founding equity & idea origination: Originated the Semper Terra generational farm-handoff thesis; holds 15% base to 20% stretch Founding Team Equity across 4 milestone tranches (5% Idea Origination & Pilot Launch, 5% 90-Day DPOR License & First 5 Farms, 5% 15 Farms & $25k Sponsor Revenue, and 5% Year 3+ Principal Broker Upgrade).
- Architecture & wildland land stewardship: Holds a B.A. in Architecture from Montana State University (Dean's List) for farmstead, barn, and life-estate boundary evaluations, plus three seasons as a wildland firefighter with Castle Mountain Fire in Montana operating heavy equipment, controlled burns, and safety inspections.
- Door-to-door, consultative & team sales: Proven track record in residential door-to-door outreach, showroom design and pricing consultation, retail sales team leadership, and award-winning Toastmasters public speaking; anchors Semper Terra's Shenandoah Valley hub alongside the Fredericksburg/Piedmont corridor.
- 90-day Virginia DPOR licensing lead: Completing the 60-hour Virginia Real Estate Salesperson license (Va. Code § 54.1-2106.1) to co-broker Stage 1 closings (50/50 to 75/25 split) and upgrade to in-house Principal Broker at Month 36 (100% of the 3.0% fee).
Join the pilot
Tell us where you fit.
Pick your track. We read every submission and follow up personally.
FAQ
Straight answers.
I have no money. Can I really end up owning a farm?
That is the point of the model. You start paid, earn credits toward a down payment through work, and build the management record lenders and USDA programs look for. Ownership still depends on financing approval and a successful trial.
What does the retiring farmer get?
Help on the farm now, a trained successor, and a buyout that can combine easement proceeds, cash at closing and installment income. The farm stays a farm.
Is Semper Terra a lender or a real estate broker?
Semper Terra is a succession coordination platform, not a bank or law firm. We charge fixed, non-contingent milestone coordination fees ($1,500 to $3,500 per milestone; $2,500 baseline) for vetting and 36-month transition management. For Phase 3 buyout closings, our 3.0% transition success fee ($24,300 gross on an $810,000 protected buyout) is executed under our 3-Stage Virginia Licensing Roadmap pursuant to Va. Code § 54.1-2106.1: during Years 1 to 3 (Stage 1), our Virginia DPOR-licensed Salesperson (Founding Outreach Director Shelly Elliott) co-brokers with a designated Virginia Broker of Record (retaining 1.5% to 2.25% net, or $12,150 conservative baseline), and in Year 3+ (Stage 2) Semper Terra transitions to an in-house Virginia Principal Broker and Real Estate Firm License retaining 100% of the 3.0% fee.
Do you only work with veterans?
No. Veterans are a priority pipeline, but any committed aspiring farmer can apply.
What if the match does not work out?
The trial year has written exit terms for both sides. Credits earned are documented, and we work to re-match both parties.
Where are you launching?
Virginia first, starting in the Fredericksburg and Piedmont corridor, then the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Neck. Other states open by waitlist demand.