Two years of declining farm profits and the resulting impact on farmland values is anticipated to influence the upcoming season’s cash rent negotiations. For those entering negotiations in this economic environment, preparation will be key to successful agreements. Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, recently spoke at our annual Side By Side conference and offered a checklist to help tenants and landlords get organized ahead of negotiations.
- Have a game plan. Between harvest and the new year, update your balance sheet and start developing a cash flow and breakeven analysis for the next growing season. This is powerful information for tenants because it allows them ask critical questions even before negotiations begin, including: Can I afford to pay cash rent on this land? Tenants who understand their cost of production also are better positioned to have meaningful discussions with their landlords.
- Pay attention to land practices. Landlords need to approach their farmland as an annuity, one which needs to be well tended for their future security. It might be tempting to go with the producer who agrees to pay the highest rent. But there can be real value in rewarding a tenant who understands the importance of keeping your grandparents’ farm looking nice. More and more tenants are focused on keeping the rented ground in top condition and keeping landlords informed some now even using drones to give their landlords an overview of what is happening on the land.
- Set and share your goals. Separately, tenants and landlords should write their one-, three- and five-year goals. This exercise will allow each side to discuss where goals are similar and where steps might need to be taken to prepare for change. For example, the landlord might be ill and plans to sell the land in the future. This would allow the two sides to discuss whether the tenant could one day buy the land. Or the tenant might plan to take on additional land and bring a daughter or son into the operation. This could lead to a discussion about how additional operators would affect the landlord-tenant relationship.
Today’s agricultural economy requires a keen focus on costs, including land costs. But Dr. Kohl advises not losing sight of something more enduring than the current down cycle – successful working relationships between landlord and tenant.
“Often,” Dr. Kohl said, “it’s the intangibles that are more important than the financials.”
