Farmland leasing programs offered in multiple ways

Focus is on improving communication to benefit all parties involved

Iowa farmers entered 2020 with uncertainty regarding trade agreements with China and the uncertainty has escalated with the impacts of COVID-19.

In the midst of the turmoil, agricultural production continues and along with that, decisions regarding farmland rental arrangements. With ongoing concerns to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach farm management specialists will provide educational materials on farmland leasing in a variety of ways intended to reach individuals in the method most accessible.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host multiple farmland leasing meetings, which began in July and continue in August, at various times and locations throughout the state. More information available at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/info/meetings.html. The annual meetings are offered to address questions that landowners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland.

Core components of the 2020 program will be land values and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, the latest legal updates that impact farm leases and land ownership, and communication between tenants or landlords.

A 100-page workbook to complement the program topics includes resources regarding land leasing agreements such as surveys, sample written lease agreements and termination forms, along with many other publications.

Find local options for meetings and webinars
To allow for social distancing requirements, pre-registration is required. Face coverings are advised and social distancing will be followed. Registration fees vary. To pre-register, call or email the ISU Extension and Outreach county office host site.

The leasing meetings being held across Iowa are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach. Live webinars and recorded videos will also be offered as alternative methods to attending an in-person leasing program. A statewide webinar with ISU Extension and Outreach economists, along with Kristine Tidgren, Center for Ag Law and Taxation, will be offered Aug. 25. The Ag Decision Maker meeting page, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/info/meetings.html, will have meeting and webinar details along with additional video recordings and related publications.

An article in the July edition of Ag Decision Maker,  https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/edwards/EdwJul20.html, explains the different types of farm leases, along with the risks and rewards.

The Ag Decision Maker leasing section provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.