Category Archives: Leases

Recorded Webinar: Ranchers Agricultural Leasing Webinar

Ranchers Leasing Workshop is now available on demand to be taken anytime at your own pace. To register click here. Earlier this month, we hosted a Ranchers Agricultural Leasing Webinar focused on grazing and hunting leases.  We had a great turn out and many compliments on the program being useful and practical for landowners and producers. Pete Flores in the Ecosystem Science & Management Department was kind enough to handle all of the logistics, hosting duties, and he recorded the webinar for folks unable to attend. View recording… Read More →

Negotiating a Fair Cash Lease Rate in Texas

One of the most common questions I am asked is how much a person should charge (if a landowner) or pay (if a tenant) for an agricultural lease.  To help folks answer this question, I have put together a fact sheet listing several free resources available to Texas landowners that may help in this process.  From who to talk to at the coffee shop, to the United States Department of Agriculture surveys, to a Texas Land Value Trend report, to Agricultural Economics Department budgets, this fact sheet will… Read More →

Texas Rural Land Value Trends Published

I have received many calls recently inquiring about average land leasing rates across the state.  There are two major publications that offer this type of data to landowners.  In addition to the USDA NASS survey results I blogged about earlier this month, the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers publishes the Texas Rural Land Value Trends Report. This publication, which comes out each April, looks at land prices for the prior year across Texas, broken down into 7 regions and then into several sub-regions…. Read More →

Landowners Leasing Property for Hunting Required to Obtain License from the State

With the fall comes opening day of several popular hunting seasons across the state.  For Texas landowners, this often means entering into hunting lease agreements that generate added income for the operation.  Under Texas law, a landowner leasing private property for hunting in return for any type of compensation is required to obtain a Hunting Lease License from Texas Parks and Wildlife  (“TPW”).  Note, this is separate from a hunting license that the hunter must possess. Under TPW rules, a private landowner or the landowner’s agent may not… Read More →

2017 State Cash Lease Results Published

The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service recently published the results for their nationwide cash lease survey.  The results are broken down by state and are drawn from producer/landowner survey responses collected earlier this year.  Importantly, while these statistics can offer a ballpark idea, keep in mind that lease rates are dependent on a number of facts like fence quality, pasture quality, livestock markets, etc.  Visiting with folks on the ground like other landowners, producers, and your County Extension Agent is always a great place to get accurate information… Read More →

FREE Ag Leasing Workshops Scheduled Around Texas

Kay Ledbetter with TAMU Agrilife Communications recently wrote an article highlighting our upcoming Ranchers Leasing Workshop series.  We are excited about the chance to expand the reach of these workshops and really hope to see you there!  Feel free to contact me with any questions at all or to RSVP. Agricultural leases to be covered by AgriLife Extension in four workshops “After such a positive response last year, four new Rancher Leasing Workshops covering grazing, hunting and livestock leases are scheduled across the state by the Texas A&M… Read More →

May 26, 2017 Weekly Round Up

Hello from lovely Lubbock, Texas!  I’m here for the always fantastic Texas State Bar Agricultural Law CLE for attorneys.  A huge thanks to course directors, Trace Blair and David Waggoner, for all of their hard work to make this such a great conference.  As always, I’ve enjoyed great presentations, visited with old friends, and even drummed up some new topics for the blog and guests for upcoming podcasts.  Stay tuned for that! Here are some ag law stories in the news this week. *  Federal court finds FAA… Read More →

Amarillo Court of Appeals Considers Farm Lease Case

The Amarillo Court of Appeals’ decision issued in Arriola v. Kutscherousky, a case involving a farm lease, offers an interesting discussion of legal issues surrounding co-ownership of land and the alleged breach of a farm lease. Background When their father died, three siblings, Robynn, Jack, and Raven, inherited the family farm.  Each was given an undivided one-third interest in the farmland.  Robynn decided to live on the property, a decision supported by her siblings/co-owners.  Her husband, Joey, met with a prospective tenant of the land in May 2011.  The… Read More →

2016 Cash County Rent Report Available

The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service recently published its County Cash Rent data for 2016. As we mentioned in this prior blog post, NASS publishes a yearly report showing cash rent values by state.  In even-numbered years, NASS breaks down the statistics further, providing cash rental information by region and then by county for each state in the US.  To view the database with all 2016 regional and county data, click here.  You will then need to scroll down to Texas to locate your specific county. Regionally in Texas,… Read More →

August 26, 2016 Weekly Round Up

Sorry for the lack of Round Up Posts recently–it seems I’ve been on the road and just hadn’t gotten a chance to get one put together.  I’ve had a bit of time in my office this week, so here are some of the ag law stories in the news this week. * Grimes County passes regulation to prevent high speed rail.  The County Commissioners Court in Grimes County recently passed a regulation prohibiting high speed rails from crossing county roads without proof of eminent domain authority being given to… Read More →