# Cash Rent for tillable ground



## gerkendave (Jan 8, 2014)

Anyone on here cash rent tillable dryland ground to do some custom haying? I'm pondering the idea of trying to rent out about 40 acres of dryland here in central Nebraska to make a run at making and selling alfalfa rounds. This area is all crop, very little grass or hay ground. Right now I do this with 10 acres and seem to do alright, but the ten acres is my ground (no rent). Any insight would be helpful, amount payed per acre, things to consider that I probably am over looking etc. Thanks guys


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I pay anywhere from $80/acre up to $125/acre for hay ground, of course I do all the necessary things to plant alfalfa/orchard grass. Rarely do I rent an already established hay field as what some people think is smooth enough to make hay on is one I'd no-till to corn, then beans and start over on the hay after I get it smooth.


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## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

Take a look at Nebraska Rental Rates here Dave.

http://agecon.unl.edu/documents/2369805/5842081/CE+7.2+Table+2.pdf/c78802ab-2686-4279-8ae2-b3acdc94c114

I pay about $60 per acre dryland from family members. This is sub-irrigated ground. Irrigated runs around $210 for me here in central Nebraska.

Some people do a 50/50 share basis on established stands.

Troy


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

If you want alfalfa ground here, you rent corn ground and make it alfalfa ground. You will pay whatever going rate for corn will bring. My alfalfa ground just happens to be my highest priced rents of any place. I planted alfalfa because I figured it would do better than corn. So far I was right.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Wow $80-$120 those are like 1950s cash rents here average rents here are $300+ and the big farmers are paying $500-$600 on the big tracs. I have some commercial alfalfa on afarm renting for $275. That my biggest rent hay farm. Good luck sounds like cheap hay


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Wow $80-$120 those are like 1950s cash rents here average rents here are $300+ and the big farmers are paying $500-$600 on the big tracs. I have some commercial alfalfa on afarm renting for $275. That my biggest rent hay farm. Good luck sounds like cheap hay


Nope those were not cash rent prices in the 50's more like the price of farmland .


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Wow $80-$120 those are like 1950s cash rents here average rents here are $300+ and the big farmers are paying $500-$600 on the big tracs. I have some commercial alfalfa on afarm renting for $275. That my biggest rent hay farm. Good luck sounds like cheap hay





endrow said:


> Nope those were not cash rent prices in the 50's more like the price of farmland .


This is non irrigated ground in the area that beans would do fair on and corn would burn up on with two weeks of no rain. These are also smaller fields or very odd shaped.

For the most part these are also fields that all the landowner wants to see growing there is hay.

So the above conditions lowers the price considerably.

It's not unheard of for some irrigated ground in the area to be renting for around $350/acre for seed corn or other specialty crops.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Wow, I thought I was paying too much for my rental ground, but maybe not. I have small 6-acre field (4.5 acres after you exclude the overgrown hedgerows) that is gravel ground and I'm at $100 per acre a year. Maybe I'm still high for my area, but the field has some sentimental value... the last person to own it outside of the family tree owned England too.

As far as things to consider, don't just look at the cost of mowing, raking, baling, etc. but also at the cost of fertilizer, fitting and seeding costs, spays (if you use them), etc.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

When you put in an alfalfa field (at your own cost) on cash rented ground, what conditions do you put in the lease to make sure you have a chance to recoup the cost of establishment?

We rent 25 acres for $65 a year and are guaranteed the ground for 5 years following alfalfa establishment. Ground is family in-laws and has historically done poor in corn and beans though. And alfalfa was desired for attracting deer for hunting.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I did a 5 yr lease,plus had a clause if for whatever reason I lost the lease I would be reimbursed % of seed costs on any yrs left on the lease.Say if the farm was sold or in this case there was a possible ditch project that would of went threw the middle of the field.

Here you are going to pay going rate of row crop rent also.Yhe only sheaper rent you are going to get is for a pickle patch.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

JMT said:


> When you put in an alfalfa field (at your own cost) on cash rented ground, what conditions do you put in the lease to make sure you have a chance to recoup the cost of establishment?


I go 7 years from the time the alfalfa is planted, may take a few years just to get the ground back in shape before planting depending on how bad the last guy mined it out.


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## gerkendave (Jan 8, 2014)

Thanks guys! I'm still in the process of finding some ground close to me that would be rentable. Hoping we can get something going!


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

swmnhay said:


> Here you are going to pay going rate of row crop rent also.Yhe only sheaper rent you are going to get is for a pickle patch.


 Pickle patch?

I had an old friend stop in today and offer 25 acres rent free. Clay, wet spots, hillsides and maybe broken up into 5 parcels. Hasn't had a crop on it for a couple years. It's far enough away that distance was a reasonable excuse to say no. In some cases high $ ground may be a bargain.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

swmnhay said:


> I did a 5 yr lease,plus had a clause if for whatever reason I lost the lease I would be reimbursed % of seed costs on any yrs left on the lease.Say if the farm was sold or in this case there was a possible ditch project that would of went threw the middle of the field.Here you are going to pay going rate of row crop rent also.Yhe only sheaper rent you are going to get is for a pickle patch.


Thats exactly how I would set up a lease. But since most of ours are "free" leases or barter deals it works out


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

mlappin said:


> I go 7 years from the time the alfalfa is planted, may take a few years just to get the ground back in shape before planting depending on how bad the last guy mined it out.


Took us five years and alot of inputs and low yeild to finally get some ground the Amish raped, back to producing normally


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