Farmland rental and sustainability resource launched

With funding from the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative, and in partnership with Ontario Farmland Trust, Farm & Food Care Ontario has launched an online resource hub – www.farmlandagreements.ca – for both landlords and farmer-renters to explore options for sustainable land rental agreements.

When it comes to soil and water quality, how we farm makes all the difference. But the long-term perspective of soil and water conservation can often conflict with short-term farmland rental agreements.

35 percent of Ontario’s farmland, or four million acres, is currently on the rental market, meaning a conversation around environmental health and its relation to rented land is needed.

“A recent study at the University of Guelph by Dr. Brady Deaton revealed that rented land doesn’t receive the same investment in inputs such as manure and cover crops as the land that is owned by farmers,” says Mel Luymes, Environmental Coordinator for Farm & food Care Ontario.

“Dr. Deaton’s research also noticed, however, that after a renter has farmed a property for five years, it is treated with the same level of investment. That means the longer a farmer expects to be renting a property, the better he or she will treat it.”

In addition, Luymes says 60 percent of rental agreements are based on nothing more than a handshake, and many leases are renewed on a yearly basis; this can pose a problem to farmers who want to invest in soil conservation on rented properties, and can be legally problematic should issues arise.

The website is designed to address these and other issues. It includes a sample lease agreement, links to soil health resources and a discussion checklist, along with videos and examples from across the province.

Farm & Food Care Ontario is a coalition of farmers, agriculture and food partners proactively working together to ensure public trust and confidence in food and farming. For more information visit www.farmfoodcareON.org.

Source: FarmsFodCare