Multi-state Land Management, Leasing Workshop Planned for Midwestern Women in Ag

Multi-state Land Management, Leasing Workshop Planned for Midwestern Women in Ag
Two women walking in harvested field.

Erin Ehnle Brown/realagstock.

The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program, in conjunction with women in agriculture programs at Purdue University and Kansas State University, will host a four-part extension workshop on the basics of land management, leasing and conservation for landlords and tenants.  

“The Power of Negotiation and Communication: Land Leasing Strategies for Midwestern Ag Women” will begin Jan. 18 at numerous sites in Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska. The series will focus on writing agricultural lease agreements, landlord-tenant relationships, negotiations and conservation practices.   

Workshops will be held on Jan. 18, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, and Feb. 8.  

According to Department of Agriculture census data from 2017, there are over 90,000 women producers and over 51,000 female landlords in the three states.  

“Women represent an important and growing demographic in agricultural land management and this workshop series will teach essential management information while providing women the chance to ask questions, connect with each other and share their experiences,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program.  

Each state will host multiple satellite workshop sites with local extension personnel. Keynote speakers will be simulcast to each location and each site will provide additional speakers and hands-on activities. Dinner will be included.  

Groskopf said the program’s structure is intended to strengthen networks of women in rural areas, which can provide opportunities for building trust and sharing information. “Connections are so important to women farmers,” she said. “We have seen the benefits that come from knowing your peers, having a place to share difficulties and mitigate the isolation that so many of us in agriculture often feel.” 

These workshops seek to help participants increase their awareness of local land values and cash rental rates and the factors that influence them. They will also cover the importance of having a written lease and the items that should be included in it to ensure an equitable agreement for all parties. Participants will learn negotiation strategies as well as best practices to improve relationships between landlords and tenants.  

Conservation programs will also be covered, so that participants will have a greater understanding of compliance requirements and increase their awareness of voluntary conservation programs that are available to them.  

The workshop costs $50 per person and participants should plan to attend each session. A virtual option is available for those unable to attend a workshop site, for $75 per person. In-person attendance is highly encouraged to better network with other attendees and interact with speakers. A list of locations in Nebraska is available on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website, https://wia.unl.edu. Register there by Jan. 16.  

This material is based upon work supported by USDA NIFA under Award Number 2021-70027-34694. 

Nebraska Locations:

City Location Address
Ainsworth  ESU 17 Training Center (Highway 20 Location)  1292 E. 4th St. 
Central City  Merrick County Youth and Agriculture Education Center  1784 Fairgrounds Road 
Concord  Haskell Ag Lab  57905 866 Road 
Geneva  Fillmore County Extension  1340 G St. 
Lexington  Dawson County Extension Office  1002 Plum Creek Parkway 
Lincoln  Lancaster County Extension Office  444 Cherrycreek Road Suite A 
North Platte  Lincoln Logan McPherson Extension Center  348 W. State Farm Road 
O‘Neill  Holt County Courthouse Annex  128 N. 6th St. 
Omaha  Nebraska Extension in Douglas- Sarpy County  8015 W. Center Road 
Sidney*  Security First Bank  1205 Jackson St. 
Syracuse  Syracuse Library  480 5th St. 
Thedford  Upper Loup NRD  39252 NE-2 
*5:15 p.m. local time start.