I am located in Maryland, and I rent my ground on a little different basis. I pay my landlords a percentage of what I can sell the hay for. I provide all the equipment, labor, and materials to grow, harvest, and market the hay, and then pay the land lord 15% of what I sell it for. Seems to work out relatively fairly, figure 45 cents on every 3.00 bale. From a producer's point of view, this lets the landlord partake in good markets, but isolates me from high fixed rents in bad markets. Also we never argue over how many acres. I simply pay on how many I sell, and the higher the price the more the landlord gets. This idea does not force the producer to sell at the cheapest time of year just to pay the rent, but to get the higher rents the landlord has to wait for his money until the hay sells at the higher price times of the year. If a landlord wants a fixed rent either per acre or per bale I have to give much lower rates than if the landlord is willing to share some risk for the higher rents. In good years the percentage has gone as high as 120 an acre, a number I would never pay on a fixed basis. The highest I will pay around here for fixed rent is 60 an acre. Just one farmer's way of doing this that works well for me and my landlords.
