August is here, which means that the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service has published its survey results showing average cash rental rates by state.  Next month, they will issue their report breaking this information down within each state by region and county.  Stay tuned for that information the second week of September. The 2018 NASS report offers average rental rates for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland and pastureland across the country.  Lands used for haying or CRP are considered to be cropland, rather than pastureland.  The 2018 results are… Read More →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →