Workshop looks at intricacies of renting farm land

The process of renting farm land is the focus of a workshop being conducted in Antigo on January 22. The workshop will be held at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Antigo Town Hall, located at W9291 state Highway 64, Antigo. If in doubt about weather issues for the meeting, contact the Langlade County Extension office at 715-627-6236. University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension is providing the opportunity for owners of farmland and agricultural producers to find out about land rent realities and options. This free, in-person workshop is sponsored by the Extension offices of Langlade, Marinette, Oconto, and Shawano counties. Registration is not required. Crops/soils educator Scott Reuss will lead the discussion of the details that farmers should consider when negotiating a farm rental contract, and why having a contract is important. He will also detail some of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of annual or multi-year leasing contracts. Current data regarding land rental rates in the multi-county area will be shared and discussed, as well. Although a written contract is not a legal requirement, it does allow for protections for both parties and allows the producer involved to more readily access crop insurance and governmental programs, according to Reuss. Many different things can go into a contract, but the most important center on timing, payment processes, restrictions, and opportunities for flexibility when unusual cropping conditions occur. Contract templates of multiple types will be available as handouts, ranging from extremely simple to more complex arrangements. However, farmers need to make sure they match legal needs and the true needs and desires of both parties. The discussion will focus on basic cropland rental situations, but can expand to building leases, grazing land, and other situations which attendees are interested in discussing. For information, contact Reuss at 715-732-7510 or scott.reuss@wisc.edu. For those unable to attend, another good source of farmland leasing information can be found at http://www.aglease101.org.