June 2013 update: The new leasing guidebook, "Leasing Farmland in New Jersey: A Guide for Landowners and Farmers," has been printed and is available. See below to request a copy and learn more about the new guidebook.

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When it comes to leasing, landowners and farmers often have the same questions:

• What do I need to consider (when making my land available/seeking access to land)?
• 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?

The SADC has published a new guidebook to help answer these questions and to assist landowners and farmers in creating leasing agreements and relationships that work for them. With information gathered from our conversations with New Jersey landowners and farmers, and from research of other states’ leasing guides, the guidebook includes sections on getting started, creating and maintaining your lease, sample leases, leasing profiles, and additional resources.

To request a copy of the guidebook:

• Please contact the SADC at david.kimmel@ag.state.nj.us or (609) 984-2504, and we'll send you copy.
• An electronic version is also available:  "Leasing Farmland in New Jersey: A Guide for Landowners and Farmers" (PDF - 4.7 MB)

The guidebook’s target audiences per the grant are beginning farmers and landowners (who are looking to either access farmland or make it available), but the published guide will be useful to all farmers.

June 2013 update: Each year during the three-year project, SADC and NOFA-NJ will be holding three regional informational/networking meetings for landowners and farmers. See below for more information on the 2012, 2013, and 2014 meetings.

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2014 meetings - The meetings are currently being planned and will likely be held this winter (late 2013 or early 2014). For more information on the 2014 meetings, please contact the SADC at (609) 984-2504 or email hillary.barile@ag.state.nj.us and david.kimmel@ag.state.nj.us.

2013 meetings - The meetings focused on discussing leasing resources, experiences, and opportunities. They were designed to help introduce landowners to the basics about leasing and making their land available for farming, and to provide farmers with an opportunity to meet potential lease partners. The goals were for landowners and farmers to:

• Learn about leasing strategies, considerations, and opportunities
• Hear from farmer speakers on their leasing experiences and recommendations
• Network with and hear from other landowners

For more information on the 2013 meetings, see the outreach flier for the 2013 meetings.

2012 meetings - For more information on the 2012 meetings, see the general announcement for the 2012 meetings.

June 2013 update: As a part of the project, the SADC is developing and offering leasing-related educational courses for landowners. In 2013, a "Leasing 101 Workshop" was offered. In 2014, a course on another topic will be offered. See below for more information.

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2014 Educational Course - The 2014 course topic is to be determined, but it may focus on maintaining good landowner-farmer relationships, conflict-management skills, and legal questions. The course will be offered twice in 2014. For more information on the 2014 course, please contact the SADC at (609) 984-2504 or email hillary.barile@ag.state.nj.us and david.kimmel@ag.state.nj.us.

2013 Educational Course - A Leasing 101 Workshop for landowners was offered twice in 2013. For more information on the course, "Making Your Land Available for Farming: Leasing 101," see the outreach flier about the Leasing 101 workshop. 

The SADC will be working to enhance online landowner-farmer linking capabilities, such as considering improvements to the New Jersey Farm Link Program.

This SADC project is part of a USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program project with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ). The project applies to all types of farms, organic and traditional. The project is supported by funds from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (NIFA #2011-49400-30739).