Question about Farming in Central Texas

[matt_aggie04]

I recently closed on a tract of land that is wooded and pasture but has about 85 acres that is in corn production.  I am considering leasing this land for continued corn or cotton or wheat farming.  This is good black land country SE of Rosebud (east of Temple).  Can someone that is around farming a lot tell me some various ways that farm land can be leased other than a price per acre and can anyone confirm or deny that $50/acre for leasing farm land in fair amount to ask if done strictly on a price per acre.  Thanks for any insight that can be given.
-Matt

[craig]

the best profit on that corn would be with a fire some copper tube and some glass bottles. 

[matt_aggie04]

I heard that Craig!  We just dont have the hills and caves to hide it in around here like yall do  

My long term goal is to turn these plowed fields into grass pasture but I am going to have to save up some money to do that.  In the mean time I need to make a little money off the land to help it pull its own weight so sod farmer I am for a few years 

[charles]

I will talk a guy close to me that farms and see what he says. He does not post but is a member on here. If you dont mind pm me your number and i will give it to him and hopefully get some answers to your questions. We live in temple so the land and soil should be very similar.

[jdt]

the best profit on that corn would be with a fire some copper tube and some glass bottles. 

hahaha i been thinking the same thing! 8$ bushell of corn = 2 gallons @ 75-100$ a gallon .

craig i don't care what you say , your still a tennesean at heart .

[Shotgun wg]

There is 3 ways to rent land for farming. Cash rent, crop share, or cash minimum with share boot over $x per acre.

As far as rent price where u are I don't know. Talk to the local county extension office to get an idea of what cash and crop share prices are common.

With it being 85ac u probly need to either rent it to guy that farmed last year at a fair price or talk to someone real close. Most aren't gonna go far out of their way for 80ac

[matt_aggie04]

Ive got a few phone numbers for people that farm around there and have called one that is supposed to go by and look at it today. 

The previous man that farmed here for a long time rented the property and did everything short of use it for a dump.  I cant count all the old tires and buckets and hyd hoses and just general crap there is for me to clean up over there.  He is an older man and I guess has taken his frustration out on me because I now own it. 

This is a whole nother topic for discussion but this is the second place we have bought around here where the people that rent or "take care" of the place truly believe they own it and are entitled to access to the land.  I can feel bad for them but dang, YOU DONT OWN IT!

[Shotgun wg]

Absentee landowners and non involved land owners tend to end up with these type farmers. With most landowners now tho this stuff don't fly.

[matt_aggie04]

That was the case in both properties, the actual owner never really did much.  As a renter though you always have to be willing to accept that it can disappear at any time though.  A since of entitlement tends start things off on the wrong foot with me.

[3-Bdogs]

Matt crop land around here is done per ac an 50 is the goin rate around these parts

[matt_aggie04]

Brett, I appreciate that info.  Thats what I am going to ask for it, hope the farmer is ok with it. 

[pigrig]

i lease a 150 acre block down the road from my farm and pay 400$ an acre plus fertalizer and council land tax i run some of my yearling heiffers on it

[pltx ken]

We farm in Burlington although all the land is family owned and we quite leasing many years back. I will ask some people round here that would no more than that and let ya no.

[3-Bdogs]

Matt you can also call the fsa office an see what the grain base pays cause say the grain base pays 70 dollars an ac then you could ask that because the farmer will get that from the government

[matt_aggie04]

Anyone have any real world numbers on crop share leasing?  I guess mainly what does it cost an acre to get a crop up and harvest it and then what does that pay on a year with adequate moisture?  Trying to figure on if it would be worth the risk to put a third in to get a third out.

Brett that is a good idea.

[Shotgun wg]

Contact ur local county extension office. They can give u a production cost print out for ur area. They have economist that keep up with these numbers on a yearly basis. This info is free to u. Ur tax dollars have paid for this info.

[Shotgun wg]

U need to also know that in the crop share situation u are responsible for marketing ur portion of the crop. Also I would do my math on possible profit with bad year yields. In farming there are far more years with less than bumper yields than with. U can get ur county average yield from the ascs office for ur county. County average is a good place to start on figuring return. This in combination with the production cost report will give you a good idea. Talk with ur renter to determine what planting method and production methods he wants to use in order to get ur numbers right.

[pigrig]

Matt you can also call the fsa office an see what the grain base pays cause say the grain base pays 70 dollars an ac then you could ask that because the farmer will get that from the government
  and the people wonder why there is afinancial crisis subsidising farmers to be profitable is a disgrace