By Kevin Brooks
A flexible cash lease is an alternative to a straight cash lease. The flexible cash leash protects the farmer and landowner from economic loss. This type of lease can prevent a farmer from committing to a lease that requires a high guaranteed rent payment, allowing the landowner to have a higher return should profits increase during the production year. Both landowners and farm operators should consult a legal advisor before entering any lease agreement.
A flex-type lease sets a base rent based on known conditions. The farmer and the landowner are aware of the yield history based on records, such as reported yields for crop insurance purposes. They also know the current price for corn to be delivered at the local elevator in the fall of the upcoming growing season when the lease is signed. The USDA also projects anticipated crop prices. If yields and/or prices increase based on actual yields and prices, the rent, in the form of a bonus, also increases. The rent remains at the base level if the revenue doesn't increase or decrease.
Flex cash leases are nearly as popular as straight cash leases. The purpose of the flex rent is to protect the farmer from having to pay for an aggressive straight cash rent while allowing the landowner to have higher returns should the economic situation improve. In 2026, landowners are feeling pressure to lower cash rent levels in anticipation of financial loss to the farmer, and a flexible lease helps to diminish this pressure.