Agricultural Leases
Overview
The agriculture sector relies heavily on leases to fulfill different needs. With absentee ownership of farmland growing in the United States, farmers and ranchers lease many of the acres they farm and graze today. Private parties can grant these leases of land, or in some cases state governments or the federal government may grant a “grazing permit,” allowing a rancher to use public lands for grazing. Farmers or ranchers may also lease the equipment needed in their operations. Read the full overview.
Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.
Major Statutes
Grazing Permits and Leases, 43 U.S.C. § 4130.2
Alaska Livestock Grazing Act, 43 U.S.C. §§ 316-316o
Leasing, Sale, or Surrender of Allotted or Unallotted Lands, 25 U.S.C. §§ 391-416j
Taylor Grazing Act, 43 U.S.C. §§ 315 – 315m, – 315n – 315r
Pierce Act, 43 U.S.C. §§ 315m-1 – 315m-4
Grazing Leasing and Permits, 43 U.S.C § 1752
Livestock Grazing, 16 U.S.C. § 272b.
Regulations
Leases and Permits; General Provisions, 25 C.F.R. §§ 162.001 – 162.029
Leases and Permits; Agricultural Leases, 25 C.F.R. §§ 162.101 – 162.256
Grazing Permits, 25 C.F.R. §§ 166.1 – 166.1001
Agricultural and Grazing Permits and Leases, 25 CFR § 173.17
Leases, Permits, and Easements, 43 C.F.R. Subpart 2920
Grazing Administration-Exclusive of Alaska, 43 C.F.R. §§ 4100.0-1 – 4190.1
Grazing Administration; Alaska; Livestock, 43 C.F.R. § 4200.1
Grazing Administration; Leases, 43 C.F.R. §§ 4600.0-2 – 4610.5
Homestead Protection Leases 7 C.F.R. § 766.154
Lease of Security, 7 C.F.R. § 765.252
Federal Regulations Open for Comment
Case Law
Case Law Index for Agricultural Leases
Center Research Publications
Force Majeure and Other Contractual Defenses during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Snowden et al, 2020)
Ranchers’ Agricultural Leasing Handbook: Grazing, Hunting, & Livestock Leases (Lashmet et al, 2016, updated 2023)
States’ “Fence Law” Statutes (R. Rumley)
Wind Energy Leasing Handbook — Workbook (Ferrell and R. Rumley)
Agricultural Contracting (R. Rumley)
Using Alternative Enterprises and Recreational Development to Bolster Farm Income — Workbook (R. Rumley & Tullos)
Bull Leasing Contracts (R. Rumley)
Written Sugarcane Leases: Protecting the Interests of the Farmer and Landowner (R. Rumley & Thomas)
Agricultural Contracts and the Leasing of Land – PowerPoint Presentation (R. Rumley)
Administrative Law Decisions
EPA Office of Administrative Law Judges – Decisions, Orders, & Filings
USDA Office of Administrative Law Judges Decisions
Congressional Research Service Reports
Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017
Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:
Agricultural Law Bibliography
Introduction | Keyword Search | Browse Categories
Legal publications on Agricultural Leases:
Leases, Landlord-Tenant
Public Lands
Reference Resources
History of Livestock Grazing on Public Lands
Services Overview
Livestock Grazing
BLM Handbooks
Federal Land Records
BLM Electronic Forms
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
Grazing Fee Statistics
Agricultural Prices
Land Values and Cash Rents
National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS)
U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Final Permitted Livestock Grazing Report (February 2017)
Forest Service Publications
Publications
Improving Your Farm Lease Contract (IA St. U., 2024)
Leasing Land for Solar Energy Development (U. of MO Ext., 2024)
Basics of Farm Lease Agreements (U. of MO Ext., 2023)
The Do’s and Don’ts of Cell Tower Leasing: A Landowner’s Perspective (Baird Holm LLP, 2022)
Crop-Share Leases in Missouri (U. of MO Ext., 2022)
Terminating a Verbal Farmland Lease (U. of NE, 2020)
Hunting Leases: Factsheet (U. of AR Ext., 2019)
Tax Implications of a Farmland Lease (Iowa State Center for Ag & Tax, 2017)
State Specific Leasing Issues (Center for Ag & Food)
Legal Aspects of Ohio Farm Lease (Ohio State)
Kansas Agricultural Lease Law (Washburn Ag & Tax Report, 2017)
Landowners Leasing and Royalties (Penn St. Ext., 2017)
Small Farm Leases and Rents (UC Davis Ext.)
Iowa Farm Leases – Legal, Economic, and Tax Considerations (IA St. U., 2015)
A Landowner’s Guide to Hydraulic Fracturing (Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic, 2014)
Arkansas’ Agricultural Land Leasing Laws: An Overview (Goeringer & Goodwin, U. of AR Ext., 2013)
Leasing Farmland in New Jersey: A Guide for Landowners and Farmers (N.J. State Agriculture Development Committee, 2013)
South Dakota’s Rental Agreements: What is a Legal Lease? (SD St. U. Ext., 2010)
Landowners Guide to Sustainable Farm Leasing (Iowa State, 2010)
The Law of Wind: A Guide to Business and Legal Issues (Stoel Rives LLP, 2009)
Lease Alternatives for CRP Land (IA St. U., 2009)
Farm Lease Termination (U. of NE, 2008)
Farmers’ Guide to Wind Energy: Legal Issues in Farming the Wind (FLAG, Inc., 2007)
Negotiating Wind Energy Property Agreements (FLAG, Inc., 2007)
Cattle Lease Checklist (U. of NE, 2006)
The Hunters’ Guide to a Successful Hunt Lease (U. of Tenn., 2002)
Factsheets on Agricultural Leasing (OK St. U. Ext.)
Farm & Ranch Financing: Leasing & Rental Rates (OK St. U. Ext.)
Crop Share, Cash & Flexible Lease Software (MT St. U.)
Figuring Rent for Existing Farm Building (Purdue U., 1989)
Oil and Gas Lease Negotiations (Michigan Farm Bureau, 1982)
Regulation of Farm Landlord-Tenant Leases (Duke Law School, 1937)
Additional Resources
Indiana Farmland Values and Cash Rental Rates (Purdue U. Ext., 2024)
Land & Leasing: Land Rental Rates (KS St. U., updated through 2023)
Online Ranchers Leasing Workshop (Texas A&M AgriLife Ext., 2021)
AgManager: Land & Leasing (Kan. St. U., 2018)
Kansas County-Level Cash Rents for Non-Irrigated Cropland (Kan. St. U., 2018)
“Who’s That in my Pasture?” (Doggett, 2018)
Lessons Learned in Eminent Domain (Ross, 2018)
Farm and Ranch Leases (Lashmet & Ferrell, 2018)
Easements 101 (Conoly, 2018)
A Place in the Sun: Solar Leases in Texas (Wetsel, Allen, & Lederle, 2018)
Farm Leases – Frequently Asked Questions (Tidgren, IA St. Center for Ag & Tax, 2017)
Ag Lease 101 (North Central Farm Management Extension Committee)
Grazing Leasing and Liability (Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association)
Agricultural Leases Posts (Ag & Food Law Blog)
The Texas Deer Lease (Texas A&M, 2016)
Owning and Leasing Agriculture Real Estate (Penn. St. Ext.)
A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land for Farming (Land for Good, 2012)
Farm Lease Agreement (U. of MO Ext.)
Farm Land Rental Agreements and Arrangements (LaPorte, MacKellar, & Pennington, MI St. U. Ext., 2020)
Grazing Leases (Fuller & Mosley, MT St. U. Ext., 2016)
New Mexico State Land Office
Public Lands Foundation
Whole Farm Decisions – Leasing (IA St. U.)