Leasing Farm Land and Assets workshop slated Feb. 29

Equitable land and asset leases are a hot topic of discussion with rising farmland prices and fluctuating crop prices.

A workshop dealing with leases, lease contracts, profit margins, land values and rental rates, and a commodity price outlook for 2012 will be offered Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Randy's Restaurant and Funhunters Brewery in Whitewater.

The event will be held from 9:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. and the $20 registration fee will include lunch and resource materials.

Ken Bolton from the UW Center for Dairy Profitability will present the different types of leases available to producers and the pros and cons of each.

Local Extension educators will examine the effects of changes in prices and input costs on crop production balance sheets and give producers an idea of how profitability changes with these variables and the commodity price outlook for 2012 will give some numbers to apply to these budgets. Participants will hear about how land values are changing and how these changes and crop prices are driving rental rates.

Finally, Phil Harris, UW-Extension farm law specialist, will discuss legal issues involved with leasing farm assets including lease terminations. Producer and landowner questions are welcomed.

For more information contact: Peg Reedy (262-742-4961; peg.reedy@ces.uwex.edu; Walworth County UW-Extension), Jim Stute (608-757-5696; jim.stute@ces.uwex.edu ; Rock County UW-Extension), Rose Skora (262-857-195; rose.skora@ces.uwex.edu; Racine/Kenosha County UW-Extension), or the Jefferson County UW-Extension Office (920-674-7295).