Farm Lease

USDA NASS Survey – County Cash Rent Averages for 2025

Barry Ward, Ohio State’s leader in production business management and director of the income tax schools at Ohio State University, recently sent out an update to Extension offices about the county cash rent estimates for 2025. This data was released by USDA NASS this past Friday.

For Lorain County Farmers, the 2025 estimate average came out to $141 per acre. This is a 6.8% increase on the estimate from 2024. The 5-year average is $131 per acre.

While this information can provide a good starting point for conversations between landowners and their tenants, there are other considerations that can help you settle on an agreed rate for your ground.

Some of the other things to consider would be the cost of property taxes on the rented land, soil type, production history, land improvements (like tile vs no tile), expected crop prices, input costs, and anything else that the landowner might prioritize.

Ultimately, a fair cash rent will usually balance the local going rates with what the land can realistically produce; while ensuring the tenant can earn a margin and the owner gets competitive compensation.

There is also good information regarding farm leases on the OSU Law Library which can be located on the OSU Farm Office webpage, here: https://farmoffice.osu.edu/home

September 1 lease termination deadline is approaching for some farm leases

By:Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program

September 1 is fast approaching, and it’s an especially important date for landowners who lease cropland under an existing lease that does not address when or how the lease terminates. In those situations, September 1 is the deadline established by Ohio law for a landowner to notify a tenant that the landowner wants to terminate the lease. If the landowner does not provide notice by September 1, the tenant operator has a legal argument that the lease continues for another lease term because it was not terminated by the deadline.

Here are a few important provisions about the statutory termination law that are important to understand: Continue reading September 1 lease termination deadline is approaching for some farm leases →

Farmland Leasing Webinar is August 15, 2025

By:Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney and Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program

As we await the 2025 harvest and think ahead to 2026 farm leases, now is a good time for our annual Ohio Farmland Leasing Update.  We’ve scheduled the webinar for Friday, August 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. as a special edition of our Farm Office Live webinar series.

Our team will address economic and legal information that affects Ohio farmland leasing, including the latest information on these topics:

  • Cash Rent Outlook – Survey Data and Key Issues Impacting Change
  • Legal Issues and Requirements for Terminating a Farmland Lease
  • Drafting Farm Leases for Drainage Tile Improvements
  • Leasing the Pore Space Beneath Your Farmland
  • Farmland Leasing Resources

Our speakers for the webinar include:

  • Barry Ward, Leader, OSU Production Business Management
  • Peggy Kirk Hall, Attorney, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program
  • Robert Moore, Attorney, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program

There is no cost to attend the Ohio Farmland Leasing Update, but registration is necessary unless you’re already registered for theFarm Office Live webinars.  To register, visit go.osu.edu/register4fol.