How to start a custom farm - Ask Extension
I currently own 9.25 acres of crop land that has been custom farmed for several years in barley and corn now has an alfalfa cover crop, awaiting the 2...
Knowledgebase
How to start a custom farm #739341
Asked March 16, 2021, 4:33 PM EDT
I currently own 9.25 acres of crop land that has been custom farmed for several years in barley and corn now has an alfalfa cover crop, awaiting the 2021 Planting Season. The farmer has given verbal notice last week that he’s getting out of the farming business and will not be farming my land this spring. I would like to have an idea of profitability (ie., yield per acre, profitability per acre/9.25 acres and any out lying costs for me, etc etc should I become the farmer? Also what are the dates for the spring 2021 planning session? Also I would like to know the parameters around which a tenant farmer must give notice to the land owner.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi Sandra,
You might find the crop budgets University of Maryland has put together useful https://extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing/crop-budgets. The parameters of tenant agreements should be within your written agreement. We also have some sample lease agreements you may use https://extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing/lease-agreements.
I currently own 9.25 acres of crop land that has been custom farmed for several years in barley and corn now has an alfalfa cover crop, awaiting the 2021 Planting Season. The farmer has given verbal notice last week that he’s getting out of the farming business and will not be farming my land this spring. I would like to have an idea of profitability (ie., yield per acre, profitability per acre/9.25 acres and any out lying costs for me, etc etc should I become the farmer? Also what are the dates for the spring 2021 planning session? Also I would like to know the parameters around which a tenant farmer must give notice to the land owner.
Thank you for your response! This is an addendum to my initial March 22nd query-- I have had an oral year-to-year periodic tenancy with this farmer. I contacted the farmer via certified mail on 2/23/2021 to inquire about the renewal of the tenancy. The farmer contacted me on 3/8/2021 to inform me that he was no longer going to farm my farmland. On March 10, 2021 the farmer signed a notarized letter stating his intent to discontinue our farming agreement. I have recently discovered that this farmer had hired a Third Party Contractor to farm my land.
What if any, obligations do I have to the Third Party Contractor, as a result of the Farmer terminating his tenancy??
Your PROMPT RESPONSE is greatly appreciated! I would appreciate a direct telephone call regarding this matter. Thank you in advance!!
Sandra Smith
<personal data hidden>
-----Original Message-----
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
To: Sandra Smith <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Mon, Mar 22, 2021 8:51 am
Subject: Re: How to start a custom farm (#0009273)
From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
To: Sandra Smith <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Mon, Mar 22, 2021 8:51 am
Subject: Re: How to start a custom farm (#0009273)
Hi Sandra,
I am afraid legal matters are out of my wheelhouse. I would suggest contacting Paul Goegringer (<personal data hidden>) with our Ag Law Department.
