Green Lands Blue Waters Banner
lush pasture Laura Paine photo Jersey Heifers Laura Paine photo Lowery Creek Dick Cates photo Sheep on Cascade Mountain Laura Paine photo Autumn on the Cates Farm cut hay and grazing cattle on the Dick Cates farm

Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group
Sample Contracts & Leases

The Working Group Site





Green Lands
Blue Waters
Lead Staff:

Jane Grimsbo Jewett
jewet006@umn.edu
218-845-2832
218-670-0066 (cell)


Examples of actual grazing contracts

(Names changed)

Contract for grazing on 320 acres, livestock managed by livestock owner
Word document, 35 kb.

Contract for custom grazing of dairy heifers, livestock managed by landowner
Word document, 60 kb.

Sample Contracts & Leases

Pasture Rental Arrangements for Your Farm. 2011. North Central Farm Management Extension Committee. Publication ID: NCFMEC-03.
PDF, 736 kb
19-page document that discusses details of formulating a fair rental rate; especially when some infrastructure such as corrals or pens, or services such as livestock management, are provided by the landowner. Includes a worksheet for creating a written lease that includes sections for identification of people and property; general lease terms; checklists of landowner and livestock owner responsibilities; and calculations to determine rental rates.


Pasture Rental Arrangements for Your Farm. Revised 1997 by Larry N. Langemeier. North Central Regional Extension publication #149.
PDF, 104 kb
An older version of the same title listed above, 17 pages, with more emphasis on determining pasture quality, stocking rate, and likely animal gains from the pasture.


Pasture Lease. 1997. MidWest Plan Service, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Publication number: NCR-109.
PDF, 2.35 Mb
This 4-page worksheet can form the basis of a written lease between a landowner and a livestock grazier. It includes fill-in sections for names and addresses of all parties; property description; terms of the lease; sample lists of responsibilities of the landowner and the grazier; and calculations for determining animal units to be grazed and rental rates.


Options for pasturing animals: leasing pasture or buying standing forage. 1996. Philip E. Harris and Daniel J. Undersander. University of Wisconsin Extension, publication number A3638.
PDF, 197 kb
This 16-page document explains the difference between a pasture lease and a contract to purchase standing forage. It walks through the various parts of a lease or contract, explaining provisions and providing examples for setting terms and rental rates. A sample lease is included.


Pasture Lease – Contract Grazing Agreement. Lee Milligan, formerly University of Wisconsin Extension Agent, St. Croix County, WI.
PDF, 18 kb
A simple 2-page worksheet that can form the basis of a formal written contract between landowner and livestock owner.


Sample Pasture Lease Agreement. Excerpt from: Establishing a Fair Pasture Rental Rate.2006. Jeff Fisher and David Mangione. The Ohio State University Extension, Columbus, OH. Publication number FR-8-06.
PDF, 203 kb
A 4-page worksheet that can form the basis of a formal written contract between landowner and livestock owner. Includes detailed information about potential terms of the lease and responsibilities of landowner and livestock owner.
Complete document