Conferences
Ladies on the Land: Continuing to Equip Women Landowners with Farmland Leasing Knowledge and Skills Now and In the Future
Beth Scheckelhoff, Peggy Hall, Emily Marrison, Tony Nye, and Chris Bruynis
Summary
The USDA estimates that individuals not actively involved in farming own 80% of rented farmland in the US. In many cases, female landowners with limited knowledge of farming or farm leases have inherited or assumed responsibility for farmland through various life circumstances. To better equip women landowners with knowledge and skills to address risk in leasing land, a pilot workshop “Ladies on the Land” was conducted in each of three Ohio counties. Each workshop introduced topics on the legal aspects of farm leases in Ohio, communication and negotiation skills when working with tenants, factors affecting cash rental rates, and managing risk in agriculture. The primary goal of the workshop was to increase participant knowledge of leasing land in Ohio and improve participant comfort level in communicating with tenants. A secondary workshop goal was to identify additional educational needs to incorporate in future programming efforts. Thirty-two women attended the workshops and provided feedback on what additional skills and topics would benefit them in their role as a landowner. Identified needs included: components of an enforceable farm lease; factors that most affect land rental rates; how landowner and tenant expectations affect land stewardship, fertility management and water quality; lease arrangements and tax ramifications; succession planning and how to transition to a new tenant. Attendees agreed or strongly agreed that workshop content would help them make decisions in the future (93%), provided resources to improve their knowledge (97%), and increased their confidence in dealing with farm lease issues (93%). Participants also indicated a a greater need for more discussion and for delving deeper into farm leasing topics.
Presentation Materials
Details
| Conference | 2019 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |