WASHINGTON COUNTY, NEBRASKA
(2024 December 16, Monday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
Understanding farm rental arrangements is becoming increasingly important in Nebraska’s agricultural landscape, where roughly half the state’s farmland is under rental agreements. To address this need, the Nebraska Extension’s Center for Agricultural Profitability is hosting a comprehensive workshop in Blair next month.
The 2025 Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent Workshop, scheduled for January 9 from 1-4 PM, will explore critical aspects of agricultural land management. The free session will be held at the Nebraska Extension Office in Washington County, located at 597 Grant St., Suite 200.
“A landlord is someone that owns an agricultural property… that is wishing to rent that parcel of land to someone else for a set period of time,” explains Jim Jansen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economist, who will lead the workshop alongside fellow economist Anastasia Meyer.
The workshop arrives at a time when many are weighing their land management options. Some landowners choose not to sell because “they look to land as an agricultural investment,” Jansen notes, while others maintain ownership due to “sentimental attachments to the property.”
Attendees will learn about various rental arrangements, including crop share, cash lease, and custom lease agreements. The program specifically addresses current trends in land values and cash rental rates, lease provisions and legal considerations, communication strategies, and planning for successful land transitions.
The workshop’s scope extends beyond current landowners and tenants. “It’s a great resource for people who might be potentially inheriting land in the future,” says Jansen, adding that agricultural industry professionals such as “agricultural bankers, crop insurance agents that has clients, bankers… someone that would like to know some of the more recent trends that are occurring” will also find value in attending.
While the workshop is free, registration is required by January 8. Refreshments will be provided by Farmers National Company, and the event is supported by several organizations including the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Nebraska Extension.
To register, call the Nebraska Extension in Washington County at 402-426-9455.