Adapting Crop Share Agreements for Sustainable and Organic Agriculture

When the farming system deviates from a conventional corn-soybean rotation, the usual division of costs and returns in a 50-50 crop share lease may no longer fairly reflect the inputs of each party. This sheet demonstrates how crop share agreements can be adapted for sustainable and organic agriculture.

There are a number of ways the agreement can be adapted, depending on thepreferences and situation of the parties involved. For example:

• The landowner may contribute a greater share of the costs, perhaps by paying the full seed costs and all certification fees or by paying for custom combining (even if the tenant does the combining).
• The tenant may keep a greater proportion of the crop—perhaps 55 or 60 percent, depending on the proportion of inputs he or she provides.
• The landowner and tenant may choose to store and market the crop together to minimize hauling and storage costs for organic crops.
• The landowner may help with management by handling the paperwork for organic certification and marketing.

Want more information? See the related SARE grant(s) LNC00-180, Professional Development for the Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture on Rented Land .