Ag Manager: a great resource for farm leasing information

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Working out the details of farm leasing arrangements doesn’t have to be complicated. But it can certainly end in a disaster if you don’t think through some of the common issues that arise. For example, when does your lease terminate? If you have a written lease, hopefully that’s spelled out. If you have an oral lease, Kansas law says those can only be terminated if written notice is given 30 days in advance of March 1 with the termination date set as March 1. If you miss those steps, the lease goes on for another year.

What about noxious weeds? Who controls those, the tenant or landowner? It’s best if that’s spelled out in a written lease, but if it’s not, both the landowner and tenant have a responsibility. Whoever owns the land or supervises the land has a duty to control noxious weeds.

Perhaps you’d like to do a written lease but don’t have a good example to start with. The good news is K-State has several lease examples you can use to develop a crop share or cash lease arrangement. Sample lease forms, how to understand Kansas Agriculture lease Law, and a variety of other resources are available at the K-State Ag Manager web site at http://www.agmanager.info/farmmgt/land/lease/default.asp