MU Extension offers farm lease workshops

University of Missouri Extension will host in-person and online workshops on farm leases in late September and early October.

Workshops are 4-6 p.m. in Kahoka on Sept. 22, Linn on Sept. 24, Paris on Sept. 30, and online via Zoom on Oct. 1.

The workshops are designed to help landowners and renters learn more about trends in leasing and land, types of leases, and what should be included in a lease to protect both landowners and renters, said MU Extension agricultural business specialist Mary Sobba.

Sobba said the workshop covers essential components of farm leases. The workshop will emphasize the importance of dates and strategies to avoid conflict. Attendees will gain knowledge about how to terminate a lease, and what rights each party has.

Sobba said workshops will include the three most common types of farmland lease agreements in Missouri:

• Fixed cash lease: The tenant pays a set dollar amount per acre or a lump sum each year regardless of crop yield or market prices. This gives the landlord a guaranteed, stable income while transferring production and market risks to the tenant.
• Crop-share lease: The landowner and tenant agree to split both crop yields and certain operating input costs (such as seed, fertilizer and chemicals) based on a predetermined ratio.
• Flexible cash lease: The cash rent fluctuates based on actual crop yields, commodity prices or a combination of both.

Details and registration. For more information, call Sobba at 573-581-3231.