URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois is updating its farmland leasing policies. Todd Gleason has more on how.
[read Kim Kidwell’s “Honoring Our Farmland Legacy” post](https://aces.illinois.edu/blog/honoring-our-farmland-legacy)U of I farms have been cash rented in an open bid process since the middle of the last decade. The Dean of the College of ACES, Kim Kidwell, says that process has been updated to better reflect the working relationships ILLINOIS has with farmers.
Kidwell: Which is more geared towards a best management approach that looks at fair market value, the history of the tenant in conservation, sustainability, productivity, education level, access to high tech equipment, modern technology. It really does look at a holistic view of the farming operation instead of simply profit.
This change is consistent with how the University of Illinois Foundation leases its farmland. It’s a step the Dean of the ag college hopes will bring greater understanding to the land leasing process and how gifts of land to the university work from tenant lease legacies to whether or not the land can be sold, or should be kept in perpetuity. Kim Kidwell says it is also important to make sure those making gifts of land know how the funding is used.
Kidwell: One of my important initiatives is to utilize some of the new gifts that we hope to receive in farmland to operate our farms on campus. To use some of the funding from those leases to create pools for operations and infrastructure updates on our on farms. This is because we don’t have a lot of resources to do that and we have a lot of need.
Kidwell calls it the farmers for farmers approach. As for implementing the new land lease she says it will be important to monitor the success of each lease.
Kidwell: As long as people are doing a good job, taking care of the land, and following the frame of the lease there is no need to renegotiate it.
The end goal, as long as the tenant and the U of I are happy, is not to renegotiate the lease every year, or even every three years, but rather to form a long-term commitment with the tenant to the farm.
The most qualified applicant will be offered an operating agreement at a predetermined rate based on local market conditions, and as long as farmers are meeting the U of I’s objectives, the farms typically will only be opened up based on retirements or other natural “transitions” in management.
— Kim Kidwell, Dean of the College of ACES – University of Illinois
Todd Gleason, Farm Broadcaster
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