Agricultural Business Management News

By David Bau, Extension Educator The National Agricultural Statistic Service with the USDA released the county farmland rental rate estimates for 2017.  After increasing continuously since 2007, statewide average rents went down for the third year in a row. The state average cropland rental rates declined from $185 in 2014 to $180 in 2015 to $170 in 2016 to $166 in 2017, as indicated in Chart 1 below.  This represented a 2.4% decrease from 2016 to 2017 and 5.5% decrease from 2015 to 2016 and 2.7% decrease from 2014 to 2015  Previously rental rates had a 4.5% increase from 2013 to 2014, 18% from 2012 to 2013 and 11.1% from 2011 to 2012. Statewide Irrigated rental rates declined from $210 in 2015 to $185 in 2017 almost a 12% drop. Pasture rent average increased from $26 per acre in 2014 to $28 per acre in 2015 to $30 in 2016 and 2017 or an increase of 7.1%. Table 1 below lists the actual farmland rental rates by county from Adult Farm Management Records.  Since farmers and

By Don Nitchie, Extension Educator Beginning in 2018, there are two new opportunities available which can be very helpful to beginning farmers in Minnesota. These programs are the Beginning Farmer Incentive Credit for existing farm asset owners who rent or sell assets to beginning farmers and the Beginning Farmer Management Credit for the beginning farmer enrolled in an approved farm business management program. These tax credits can reduce an individual’s Minnesota income tax. The programs were created by the Minnesota Legislature during the 2017 Special Session. According to MDA, current legislation funds these programs through 2023. According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue posting of June 6, 2017, the beginning farmer incentive credit is a tax credit for owners of agricultural assets. Such assets may be land, livestock, facilities, or machinery located in Minnesota. The assets must be sold or rented to a beginning farmer who is not a family member of the asset owner, as