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 More
than one might think, many landowners who have never farmed
themselves feel unqualified to have frank discussions with their
farmer and may feel intimidated. Some farmers struggle to
communicate with landowners, and some are concerned their landowner
may learn too much and be more demanding. Other farmers do not
realize their landowner is frustrated. On very few occasions, I have
found strained relationship to not be repairable.
I believe that being proactive on both sides helps the farmer/owner
relationship flow smoothly. Anecdotally, I find the best farms out
there are a result of a strong and open relationship between the
landowner and farmer. For example, if a farmer knows that drainage
tile is needed, it is a hard sell to get a landowner to pay for
drainage improvements, if the owner has not been engaged in what is
going on the farm.
Here are some suggestions for both sides to consider using to help
the relationship become and remain strong:
FARMER: Ask how often the owner wants communication, how they want
to be contacted, and what information they want/need.
OWNER: Tell the farmer how often you want communication, how you
want to be contacted, and what information you want.
All lease agreements for
farmland should be in writing and clearly understood. The temptation
for both sides to agree with a promise, a handshake, and a smile is
not wise. Get the lease in writing to help reduce the risk of
misunderstandings.
Owners do not always know what information they need. The landowner
should ask for either hard copies, digital copies, or both. If the
landowner does not want the records, the farmer should go ahead and
keep the records for them and have them available if asked for
later. Sometimes it's necessary to have records going back in
history, so the farmer is doing a good thing in keeping these for
the owner. The owner may not know what the record means, so farmers
should be prepared to explain them. Below you will find helpful
communication lists for both the farmer and the landowner.
Records and Communications for Farmers to Provide to Landowners:
1. Soil Tests Results
2. Copies of Liability Insurance Policies and naming Landowner as
Co-Insured
3. Yield History for at least 10 years and longer
4. Production Records including planting dates, crops planted,
fertilizer/lime applied, seeds used/planting rate, tillage
practices, yield maps, herbicide applications, and similar data
5. Crop Plans prior to planting
6. Grain Elevator Deliver Sheets for verifying production.
7. Grain Sales Records (Crop-Share Leases where farmer actively
sales owner grain)
8. Crop Insurance Records verifying yields.
9. Tile Improvement Records and GPS Waypoints of improvements and
maps
10. Records from USDA (Farm Service Agency (FSA) and NRCS
•
Form 578 (The purpose of the form is to collect acreage data to
determine program eligibility.
• Form 156EZ
• CRP and other Environmental Program forms and communications
• Commodities and Disaster Program Forms
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11. Narrative of the year
•
Short Summary
•
Longer Narrative
o Weather
o Challenges
o Chemical Spills
o Checklist of meeting lease requirements
12. List of Needs of Farm
Improvements and Repairs
13. Photos/Videos
14. Concerns of the landowner and farmer
15. Emergency Contacts
16. Emergency Disaster Plans
17. Updated phone numbers, emails, and addresses.
18. IRS 1099 NEC forms and Tax IDs
Records for Landowners to
Provide to Farmers
1. Review of Expectations in Detail
2. Emergency Contact Information
3. Tax IDs
4. Past drainage and other improvements
5. Environment hazards or concerns
6. Future Plans
The list may seem like a lot to do, but farming is a
multimillion-dollar endeavor. Landowners trust farmers with a
valuable asset. Farmers make risk decisions based on trust with the
landowner. Both sides should take the management of the information
that involves farming seriously. Farmers who provide this
information are taking big steps in securing a good long-term
relationship. Farmers likewise should be interested in having a
landowner that is knowledgeable and concerned about the farm. Having
such information organized will help the landowner in making needed
improvements on the farm. Putting the above documents into a binder
or into a computer will be a nice way to make the records look
professional.
ABOUT EXTENSION:
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois
by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois
families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make
informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.
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