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