ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BRADLEY GOERING
The best teacher is history and the experiences one has throughout life. People hear that over and over again.
The one thing about experiences today is that we have a revolving door of change. I used to hear that we doubled our technology every 18 to 20 months. That was when I graduated from college in the late 1980s.
I haven’t heard the latest statistics lately, but it would be interesting trivia to know.
Some of this change drastically affects farm leases and rental arrangements. Production costs, market prices and land values have increased in the past few years. It has been stir crazy for some to try to figure out something fair and equitable.
Landlords and tenants should review their situations on an annual basis.
Today more than 50 percent of the farmland in Kansas is rented, and the percentage continues to increase. Most of the oral agreements have been in effect for years, according to statistics. This oral agreement is a legal contract and terminating the lease must be in accordance with the Kansas Farm Lease Law.
According to that law, for all oral and written leases-except written leases signed by parties which provide otherwise-notice to terminate a farm tenancy must be given in three ways without exception.
First, termination must be in writing. Second, the termination letter must be done at least 30 days prior to March 1.
Finally, the landlord must fix the termination date of the tenancy to take place March 1.
Other laws exist affecting the termination of a farm tenant must be followed, too. These guidelines are outlined in several bulletins which are available at any county extension office or the K-State Extension Web site under publications.
Bradley Goering can be reached by telephone at 620-327-4941, or by e-mail at bgoering@thecsb.com.
