# What do folks charge to make their land available to hay producers?



## Robert1617 (Nov 13, 2009)

Will likely soon have a small place in East Texas that will have about 10 acres of quality producing hay pasture. What are common arrangements that folks have to make such land available to a local person interested in growing, cutting and baling hay on the property. I don't need any of the hay currently, so is there a typical range per acre that land owners will charge to a hay producer. Any past experience with this would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Just rent it out in a per acre basis. I pay anywhere from 80-150 an acre for hay ground, deciding factors are how well it drains, size and convenience. I'll take a ten acre square field with no obstacles rather than a 20 thats like an obstacle course and completely surround by trees, will also pay more for the ten.

If you decide to rent it out, get a contract and specify that soil testing be done, some guys are more like miners than farmers.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Another consideration is proximity to other acreage that is rented or owned by the interested party.
Around here, ten acres would be a tough sell. If that is the case, let someone use it and consider the savings on mowing.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Is a 10 acre field in east Texas something people actually want to rent for hay ground? Here a ten acre field would basically have to be within 1/4 mile from my fields and the landowner would have to be the one irrigating it.


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## Circle MC Farms LLC (Jul 22, 2011)

Welcome to Hay talk, I'm from East (Northeast) Texas, and I would encourage you to visit with your local Agrilife extension agent as they're usually pretty knowledgeable.

Secondly, in this area unless it is improved bermudagrass meadow already you will not get much if any interest on a lease for any sum of money. When I lease unimproved ground in tracts this size and similar the typical payment the landowner is getting is the improvements that I put down in the way of fertilizer and Bermuda grass or another crop in addition to the savings via AG exemption on your taxes and the reduced hassle because you're not having to maintain the land. It's worth mentioning as well that if you find someone like me, we will generally expect at least a three year lease term, would prefer five if I'm going to come in and improve the ground.


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## Wcbr1025 (May 1, 2015)

It's all about location, here a 10 acre field is above average size and would likely lease form $0-$50 per acre depending on how it lays and its proximity to other fields.


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## thendrix (May 14, 2015)

A lot of people here agree to percentages. If they don't have a use for the hay they sell it to get their pay


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

thendrix said:


> A lot of people here agree to percentages. If they don't have a use for the hay they sell it to get their pay


There are several folks here that work on shares. The majority of them lose money forgetting about labor for transportation, costs associated with marketing, selling, and loading as well. The smart ones either skip shares altogether or take 60 in the 60/40 split.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

As others have said, location and need will determine the value.

I free lease a total of 140 acres, ranging in size from 15 to 57 acres. All of the leased acres needed a lot of work. I could get more free hay ground but am tired of rebuilding other peoples neglect.

Our NRCS says $10 - $ 20 per acres for grass hay is common for our area.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

0-$300 acre here.0 for a road ditch full of fast food wrappers and beer cans.
If you can fence it and put some cows on it will bring 50-85 acre.
If it has a creek through it the guberment will pay 85-275 acre to not bale it or graze it.CRP
Or the state will buy it for 100 yrs?for the current value of it 4000-7000 acre?for poor ground.And leave it for wildlife.RIM program
if you can get a corn planter in it more than likely it will be corn and 200-300 ace rent.And here that's what you have to pay if you want to make hay.Our biggest competitor is the Guberment.
And if you want to buy a farm that is rougher with some grass land that could be hayed or pastured Pheasants Forever will out bid you.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Wcbr1025 said:


> It's all about location, here a 10 acre field is above average size and would likely lease form $0-$50 per acre depending on how it lays and its proximity to other fields.


Um, not a typo when you say a ten acre is above average size in your area?

Not to ruffle any feathers, but here if ain't at least ten acres I ain't messing with it, not worth my time. I can get a lot more done in one of ours thats three fields, all interconnected and totals fifty acres than I can driving to a 10, another 10, a 15, a 7 then a 8.


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## Wcbr1025 (May 1, 2015)

mlappin said:


> Um, not a typo when you say a ten acre is above average size in your area?
> 
> Not to ruffle any feathers, but here if ain't at least ten acres I ain't messing with it, not worth my time. I can get a lot more done in one of ours thats three fields, all interconnected and totals fifty acres than I can driving to a 10, another 10, a 15, a 7 then a 8.


No.....haha that's not a typo. Lots of old tobacco farms here, they're mostly 2-8 acre patches. The farm itself might be 100+ acres and the biggest field might be 12 acres at the most. When you get in a field that's over 15 acres here it's a BIG field. We've set tobacco in patches that might only be 16 rows wide and 200 feet long. There's a lot of guys here farming 500 acres made up of 5-10 acre patches.


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

I just picked up another 40 acres today of Bermuda and mixed grass in north east Texas. Free of charge, keep them from having to mow it and keeps it in ag.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Hear 10 acres is a good size field if taken care of that is about 60 rolls of Hay first cutting


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Ditto what Lewis Ranch stated. I've been cutting/baling hay on my neighbor's 30 acre Coastal field for yrs free of cost to me except for fert/herb & baling.


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## MtnHerd (Jul 6, 2011)

Wcbr1025 said:


> No.....haha that's not a typo. Lots of old tobacco farms here, they're mostly 2-8 acre patches. The farm itself might be 100+ acres and the biggest field might be 12 acres at the most. When you get in a field that's over 15 acres here it's a BIG field. We've set tobacco in patches that might only be 16 rows wide and 200 feet long. There's a lot of guys here farming 500 acres made up of 5-10 acre patches.


Here it is hard to find 10 acre fields that you can drive a tractor on, as there is not a lot of what we call flat ground (anything that Is tractorable we usually consider flat). Most of our fields are in the 3-8 acre range, but I do have a few others larger, but they have some pucker factor to them...


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## Wcbr1025 (May 1, 2015)

csdeyton said:


> Here it is hard to find 10 acre fields that you can drive a tractor on, as there is not a lot of what we call flat ground (anything that Is tractorable we usually consider flat). Most of our fields are in the 3-8 acre range, but I do have a few others larger, but they have some pucker factor to them...


I've seen some of the fields you mountain folk make hay on and let's just say I'm not man enough to get on some of the hills y'all farm...I can just drive by them and get nervous. As steep as some of those hills are I don't see how many farmers up there live past 40.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Just pray and hold on.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Wcbr1025 said:


> As steep as some of those hills are I don't see how many farmers up there live past 40.


We just take it real slow....speed kills on hills. But we do use up a lot of seat covers.....usually develop a hole in the center of the seat. 

Regards, Mike


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## hcriddle (Jul 5, 2014)

30 acres of my 50 is leased from my buddy for free. He saves about $6000 a year in taxes by keeping it in ag so he gets a huge benefit and I have more to spend money on.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

When I was on the other end of the stick, I never paid rent! Most folks around here in srn NH are glad to have you use the fields for maintaining them. I always fertilized the fields, and took care of them, as that kept me on good terms with the owners, and I got more than fertilizer costs in added production. The one thing I didn't do was till and replant, just went with what was growing, and called it mixed grass hay! Now that I'm old and decrepit, I no longer have the get up and go to take on added acreage, so I just do the home place any more!


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> Now that I'm old and decrepit, I no longer have the get up and go to take on added acreage, so I just do the home place any more!


Now I don't think you should call yourself decrepit....you still hay and cut wood and stay very active. You just built a new home....you have a lot going for you Dave. And I know your tough as a pine knot in order to withstand your long winters.

Regards, Mike


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

Around here, most all fields are "leased" on the principle of "if you cut the grass you can keep it." There are a *few* hay fields that are actually rented on a cash basis, but not normal. If you want me to pay more than $15-20 an acre, there needs to be premium grass and a lot of it. I found one I was willing to pay for and that's only because it was within a few miles of my farm, good grass, and 50 acres continuous. My neighbor asked me to take his so he wouldn't have to bush hog it and it's around 15 acres. Saw a guy post on an Ag sell group on Facebook for 9 acres of Bermuda @ $30 an acre. His post has been unanswered for quite some time, and only had offers for beans and peanuts.


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