Sample farm lease forms are available at no charge from MidWest Plan Service, a regional publishing service for land grant universities. SDSU Extension Farm Financial Management Specialist Burton Pflueger said separate leases are available for cash leases, crop share leases, irrigated cropland, pastures, and farm buildings. They discuss issues such as rental rates, cropping programs, repairs and maintenance, and government programs.
Fall is a good time for reviewing farm leases and examining and discussing various lease provisions before new leases are written or agreed upon, Pflueger says. Putting all the lease provisions in writing will help avoid disagreements later, as well as provide documentation for income and estate tax treatments.
All of the leases were developed by Extension farm management specialists in the north central region. Visit the MWPS Web site at http://www.mwpshq.org/ for more information. Click on the button labeled "Free Materials" to find the lease forms.
For each lease form a bulletin that explains how to arrive at a fair and workable lease agreement is available for a cost of $4. Topics include how to set a fair cash rental rate, developing a flexible rental agreement, and other provisions to include.
Publications can also be ordered by calling 800-562-3618 or writing to MWPS, 122 Davidson Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3080.