What constitutes a Farm referring to farm exempts?

[fatty]

We have a 'hobby farm' meaning we have some chickens, pigs, llamas, goats, etc. Do we need to be in a business of buying, selling, etc to be considered a 'farm' and thus justify farm equipment?

does adding several cows (which I have been planning on) make the difference? Am I a farm with 1 cow, or is 10 the number... to use as an example.

Or is it a profit/loss thing that would define it? Then, would one have to have previous losses to show? Another...what about hay fields? I have a tractor (old) that I use to cut hay, but do not sell it. So am I now a farm?

thanks for your thoughts

[fatty]

Another thought, is it the intent to make a profit off the land that makes it a farm? would this then create an asset, even though there will be no possible profit for a very long time, if ever?

[Pandora]

in order to be qualified as a farm and get write offs, you need to look at your local laws regarding it. You cannot just start a farm and then get write offs; you must be a licensed named farm (for example, an LLC). I believe here in VA to be a farm you must have at least $2K in sales a year.

We have a farm however we do not claim farm status as we do not sell our items.

[AngelinaCat]

If your state allows it, check into your local zoning laws and exemptions. If you qualify for an 'Agricultural Exemption', or a 'Green Belt' or some other similarly named device, apply for it and get it attached to your land. It might help give you a break on property taxes.

Similar to Pandora, we also have a farm. It has been in the family since my g-grandfather bought it in 1860. We are also not producing since 2002, but we have the 'Green Belt' and are considered a 'Historic Farm' under the local laws and ordinances. We had to prove it, though when we had some zoning trouble a few years back. We have the paperwork to prove it and did so. I also hold a certificate from the Florida Department of Agriculture, designating us a 'Florida Pioneer Farm Family', honoring those who have 100 years or more of continuous farm production, under the same family on the same land. We did, up until 2002.