Preparation is one of the keys to successful land rent negotiations, according to David Kohl, Virginia Tech professor emeritus, who recently spoke at Farm Credit Services of America’s Side By Side Conference. To get the deal you seek, Kohl says to:

• Update your balance sheet and start developing a cash flow and breakeven analysis for the next growing season. This is powerful information for tenants because it allows them ask critical questions even before negotiations begin, including: Can I afford to pay cash rent on this land? Tenants who understand their cost of production also are better positioned to have meaningful discussions with their landlords.

LAND RENTS: Farmers and landowners will be involved in some intense negotiations about land rents for 2017. Being prepared and emphasizing the intangibles are two of the keys to a successful outcome.

• Pay attention to land practices. Landlords need to approach their farmland as an annuity, one which needs to be well tended for their future security. It might be tempting to go with the producer who agrees to pay the highest rent. But there can be real value in rewarding a tenant who understands the importance of keeping your grandparents’ farm looking nice. More and more tenants are focused on keeping the rented ground in top condition and keeping landlords informed. Some now are even using drones to give their landlords an overview of what is happening on the land.

• Set and share your goals. Separately, tenants and landlords should write their one-, three- and five-year goals. This exercise will allow each side to discuss where goals are similar and where steps might need to be taken to prepare for change. For example, the landlord might be ill and plans to sell the land in the future. This would allow the two sides to discuss whether the tenant could one day buy the land. Or the tenant might plan to take on additional land and bring a daughter or son into the operation. This could lead to a discussion about how additional operators would affect the landlord-tenant relationship.

Today’s agricultural economy requires a keen focus on costs, including land costs. But Kohl advises not losing sight of something more enduring than the current down cycle — successful working relationships between landlord and tenant.

“Often,” Kohl said, “it’s the intangibles that are more important than the financials.”

Source: Farm Credit Services of America

Supplier financing cautions
If you are going to use supplier financing to secure inputs and machinery in 2017, be careful, advises Frayne Olson, North Dakota State University Extension agriculture economist.

If you don’t have the cash to pay back a supplier loan next fall, you may not be able to extend or restructure it like your operating loan at a bank. And, good luck borrowing money from a bank to pay back a supplier loan. Many banks consider supplier financing programs to be competition. Plus, suppliers can put a lien on your farm and get paid before a bank if you declare bankruptcy.

Supplier financing is a nice tool to have in your toolbox, if you use it correctly, Olson says.

“It’s like a credit card. You can use it, but you have to be able to pay it back,” he says. — Lon Tonneson