![]() And until recently, all their rental agreements were handshake deals backed up by the Scott family’s reputation for integrity. ![]() Some of their relationships with landowners go back generations to the 1930s. They rent half their cropland, working with about a dozen landowners, including local families, retired farmers, investors and heirs who live out of the area. He and his father, John, raise 5,600 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and edible beans. Jack Scott, 54, is the fourth generation of his family to farm in the fertile Red River Valley, where his great-grandfather settled in 1880. He and Johnson agree about the key elements of ethical leasing: honest, candid communication mutual respect good farming practices and fair, up-to-date, written agreements. “And the extremely volatile prices are exacerbating this trend,” says Kansas State University Ag Economist Kevin Dhuyvetter. Still, he’s seeing more cases of questionable ethics in leasing. In today’s competitive land-rental markets, Botsford says, “What’s most important is good landlord-tenant relationships.”Īmerican agriculture’s leasing culture usually works well, says Bruce Johnson, a University of Nebraska agricultural economist. ![]() But the Scotts and their landlord are a good example of how integrity and fair dealing lead to win-win arrangements. ![]() Such an open-ended lease isn’t right for everyone, of course, Botsford says. Yet, he leases his 160-acre farm west of Gilby to the Scotts at what Jack says is “a very reasonable rate” because he trusts his tenants to treat him fairly “when we have a good year.” “I didn’t expect a bonus,” says Botsford, who owns a farm-management and real estate company. In January, following an excellent year for crop yields and prices, the Gilby, ND, farmers sent a voluntary cash bonus to their landlord, John Botsford, Grand Forks, ND. Would you pay more cash rent than you had to? John and Jack Scott did. ![]()
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