Farmland can be expensive, and many farmers lease all or a portion of the land that they farm. Leasing farmland can also be a cost-effective way for beginning farmers to get started and established farmers to expand or relocate. See below for resources that may be helpful to farmers and farm owners when creating tenure agreements.

Creating tenure agreements

Leasing Farmland in New Jersey: A Guide for Landowners and Farmers -
This guidebook is designed to help answer the questions that landowners and farmers may have when considering leasing. How long should the lease term be? What provisions should it include? How much should the rental rate be? What are the motivations and interests of the other party? With information gathered from conversations with New Jersey landowners and farmers, and from research of other states’ leasing guides, "Leasing Farmland in New Jersey" includes sections on getting started, creating and maintaining your lease, sample leases, leasing profiles, and additional resources. To request a printed copy, contact the SADC at sadc@ag.state.nj.us or (609) 984-2504. For a PDF copy, click one of the links below.

Leasing Planning Worksheets - The SADC in collaboration with NOFA-NJ developed two leasing worksheets as companions to the "Leasing Farmland in New Jersey" guidebook. The worksheets are designed to help landowners and farmers clarify their goals and needs, evaluate potential opportunities, and plan for a lease.

To request a printed copy, contact the SADC at sadc@ag.state.nj.us or (609) 984-2504.

Land For Good - Land for Good is a non-profit in the northeast that specializes in access to land, leasing, farm transfer planning, and related services for farmers and landowners. Visit their website for resources related to seeking farmland, making land available, and transferring a farm, including sample leases, leasing guides, and more. 

A Lease Agreement Guide for Landowners and Farmers - A concise guide that presents landowners and farmers with the basic elements to consider when discussing or structuring a lease agreement - available online through the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Farmland Access Legal Toolkit – Build-a-lease tool and leasing, farmland access, and transfer resources.

How to Determine the Right Farm Rental Rate - A guide for farmers and landowners, developed by the UVM Extension New Farmer Project.

Farm Commons - Legal resources by topic, including leasing farmland.

Holding Ground: A Guide to Northeast Farmland Tenure and Stewardship - A publication that addresses farmland access, transfer, affordability, and stewardship issues. Holding Ground examines leases and other tenure arrangements, and it contains sample lease provisions with explanations, sample stewardship standards, worksheets, and case studies. Specific sections include: Principles and challenges of farmland tenure; Short-term leases; Long-term leases and other non-traditional tenure models; Paths to ownership; Farmland stewardship; and Negotiating, monitoring and enforcing agreements. Holding Ground is a publication of the Intervale Foundation (VT) and the New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI) (MA). Its authors include farmers, landowners, attorneys, and land use specialists.

Farmland ConneCTions - A Guide for Connecticut Towns, Institutions, and Land Trusts Using or Leasing Farmland  - Developed by UCONN Cooperative Extension and the American Farmland Trust, this leasing guide focuses on help public entities and land trusts make their land available for farming. The guide contains an in-depth discussion of the important components of a lease as well as some profiles of farms and their lease agreements.

A New Lease on Farmland: Assuring a Future for Farming in the Northeast - An essay published by the E. F. Schumacher Society with a section that discusses leasing considerations.

A guide to calculating rental rates for irrigated farmland - An Oregon State University Extension Service article that discusses approaches for considering and determining a rental rate.

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