5 Tips for Landowners to Improve Communication with Farmer Tenants

As a landowner, it's crucial to cultivate a strong and positive relationship with your farmer tenants. Misunderstandings early in the season can result in serious problems down the road, including:

• Weed resistance due to overuse or limited rotation of chemicals

• Crop yield challenges due to misapplication or limited use of crop inputs

• Financial problems due to misallocation of resources

• Reputation issues due to mistreatment of neighbors

Many times, if these issues are addressed early in the season, they won’t explode into bigger problems.

That’s why your relationship with your tenant shouldn't be a "set it and forget it" relationship. You should trust your farmer’s expertise, but also set clear expectations and transparency about how you expect your land to be farmed. 

Here are some tips to help ease your farmer into those conversations and have a positive outcome for both parties.  

Why it’s important for landowners to regularly communicate with farmer tenants

Clear communication is the key foundation for any long-term partnership. But it is especially critical to build transparency and accountability when establishing a relationship with your tenant farmers.

Establishing a successful relationship with your tenant farmer requires more than just a "set it and forget it" mentality. But neither does it require you to be overly involved, micromanaging every decision they make.

By setting clear standards for communication and maintaining an appropriate level of involvement with the operation, you can set yourself and your tenant up for success in your partnership additionally helping you avert future issues.

5 tips to improve landowner-farmer communications

Here are some practical, actionable steps you can take to improve communications with your farmers. 

1. Acknowledge tenants’ risk and hard work

Farming is a risky business, and it requires a lot of hard work to be successful. As a landowner, it’s important to acknowledge this and treat it like a partnership. 

You can't (and shouldn't) get involved in each and every minute decision. After all, they’re taking on a lot of risk and doing the hard work to operate the land. 

It’s important to acknowledge your farmers’ expertise and trust them to do their job well.

But on the other hand, it’s your land. There has to be some accountability. Plus, if you’re working with a new farmer, odds are you know the land better than they do. It’s important to guide them in the right direction so they avoid easy mistakes. 

2. Put your communication expectations into writing

Honesty and transparency can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts down the road. If you withhold information about the land, this could impact the farmer’s ability to farm it well. 

One way to help avoid problems on this end is to lay out your communication expectations in writing, from the get-go. This can be particularly important when it comes to dealing with any unexpected or difficult situations that may arise. 

This requires outlining expectations and creating a roadmap for communication and milestones. Doing so ensures that both parties are aware of their responsibilities and can be held accountable for meeting them. 

By establishing these guidelines early on, you can avoid costly misunderstandings or problems down the line. 

But keep in mind, effective communication is a two-way street, and both you and your farmer should feel comfortable discussing any concerns or issues that may arise. Ultimately, when everyone knows what's expected of them, it leads to better productivity and profitability for all involved.

3. Make a good connection beforehand

It's important to build a strong connection with your tenant farmer from the start. This is especially important if you're working with a farmer on referral or from an online marketplace. 

Trust your sources, but always verify.

Before leasing your land, have a thorough interview process with the potential tenant farmer. Get to know their farmer's personality, work ethic, farming practices, experience, and goals for the land.

This will help you gauge if they’re a good fit for your property and if you share similar values and goals. helping foster a more collaborative and communicative relationship.

4. Don’t micromanage your farmer

Balancing involvement and interference is crucially important when it comes to the landlord-tenant relationship. While it's essential to maintain a certain level of involvement to ensure that the land is being used appropriately, it's important not to micromanage them.

You’re not leasing to a farmer to be an “order-taker.” You’re hiring them because of their expertise and experience. So instead of micromanaging, set clear expectations for communication and involvement from the beginning. 

Trust your farmer to make the right decisions for the land and their business, and be available for support when needed.

5. Communicate issues early and often

Inevitably, problems will arise during the season. Some of these are avoidable, and others are quite literally “acts of God”—storms, drought, marketing conditions, and the like. 

Regardless of the type of issue you’re facing, the earlier you communicate on it, the more time you and your farmer have to work the problem. 

If you notice any issues with the land or operation, don’t hesitate to communicate them as soon as possible. This can help prevent small issues from turning into larger problems down the road. 

On the other hand, be open to feedback from your farmer. They have expertise that you don’t have, and may be able to find a better solution for the good of the whole operation. 

Final thoughts on landowner communication with tenants

Maintaining clear communication with your tenants is crucial to ensure a successful and fruitful relationship. This can help you prevent misunderstandings, build trust, and lay the foundation for a long-term partnership.

If you’re a landowner looking to establish a strong and positive relationship with your tenant farmer, consider implementing these six tips. It may take some extra effort, but it’s worth it in the long run. 

To find out whether you’re getting the most out of your current cash rental agreement, get a free CashRentstimate and discover the true value of your land.