Leasing Agricultural Land for Grazing, Hunting or Livestock

Sponsored by the Agricultural and Food Law Consortium

 Topic:

This webinar, funded by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center, will discuss the legal issues and negotiation considerations for parties contemplating grazing, hunting, and livestock leases.  Although historically many of these lease agreements have been done on a handshake, it is important for landowners, producers, and hunters to ensure written leases are in place to protect their interest.  This webinar will focus on numerous issues, including why leasing land can be beneficial to landowners and tenants, why written leases are important, how to calculate lease rates, landowner liability, drafting a liability waiver, and tips and terms to consider when drafting a grazing, hunting, and livestock lease.  Participants will be given a PDF version of the recently-developed Ranchers’ Agricultural Leasing Handbook, which contains discussion of the various legal issues at play, as well as checklists for each of the types of leases covered in this webinar and sample language for lease terms as well.

Participation:

This webinar was recorded on August 17, 2016.  To listen to a recording of the webinar, please click here.

Presenters:

Shannon L. Ferrell, Esq., J.D.
Assistant Professor, Agricultural Law
Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics

Dr. Shannon Ferrell grew up on a small wheat and cattle operation near Leedey, Oklahoma.  He attended Oklahoma State University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Agribusiness and his Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics.  He then attended Oklahoma City University where he obtained his J.D. summa cum laude and received a certificate in Business and Financial Services law and an endorsement in estate planning.

Professor Ferrell has been a practicing attorney for thirteen years, and focuses on agricultural law with a particular emphasis on energy, environmental, and estate planning issues.  Since joining Oklahoma State University, he has provided over 350 seminars and workshops to a cumulative audience over 20,500 and has authored a number of publications and seven handbooks in the area, including serving as lead author for the recently released “Environmental Regulatory Compliance for Farmers and Ranchers.”  He also serves as Governor Fallin’s appointed agriculture industry representative on the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Board, which oversees the operation of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Esq., J.D.
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Agricultural Law
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet is an Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist in Agricultural Law with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension. Lashmet focuses her work on legal issues impacting farmers and ranchers, including water law, oil and gas law, eminent domain, right to farm litigation, leasing, farm protection statutes, and landowner liability. Prior to joining Texas A&M in 2013, Lashmet was in private practice at a civil litigation firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Lashmet grew up on her family’s farm and ranch in northeastern New Mexico. She attended Oklahoma State University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Farm and Ranch Management. She then attended the University of New Mexico School of Law where she graduated summa cum laude and first in her class with her Juris Doctorate. She is licensed to practice in New Mexico and Texas.

Research & Materials:

Rancher’s Agricultural Leasing Handbook: Grazing, Hunting & Livestock Leases