Trends in farmland leasing affect communication between landowners and producers across the country. According to the USDA 80% of rented land is owned by non-operator landlords, who in many cases lack farming experience. Additionally, 20% of the land is owned by absentee landlords. In this context, effective communication between landowners and farmers forms the backbone of a fruitful and long-lasting relationship.

Communication strategies can be classified into formal and informal. Formal communication includes 1) Lease agreements 2) Annual reports 3) Payment and invoice letters 4) Notices. Informal communication includes 1) Social media outreach 2) Newsletters 3) Regular conversations 4) Events outreach. Each of these is outlined below in more detail.

Formal communication

Formal modes of communication help establish the basics of what each party agrees to. Formal modes define what happens when things go sideways and help provide guardrails and protections in the relationship. Many argue that formal modes like lease agreements are unnecessary and undermine a relationship, however, as Iowa State’s Ann Lonner puts it “You enter an agreement even in a marriage”. At Oaken we strongly endorse this opinion and encourage all farmers to adopt the following best practices:

Written lease agreements There is room for improvement in communication between parties leasing land. Even those with written agreements could benefit from more discussion. For best practices in lease agreements, click here.

Annual Report: Farmland leases often require tenants to submit an annual report to the landowner. Oaken’s website provides a framework that can be adjusted according to parties' needs. This tool can improve communication.

Informal communication

Think of informal communication channels as muscles built on the bones of a strong skeleton of the formal channels. Formal channels are more rigid and more defined in their approach, whereas informal channels are more adaptable and have to respond to the specifics of a relationship. Together these channels form the body of a given interaction with the landowner. Without either one, the relationships can either fall apart or be restricted to a strict set of guidelines that does not make it pleasant for either party. 

Informal modes of communication include social media outreach, regular conversations, newsletters, and events. These are described below:

Social media: Social media has become an essential tool for farmers to connect with their customers, promote their farm activities, and establish a customer base 1. According to a recent study, 42% of farmers who use Facebook and Twitter are using it every day 2. Social media is useful to help the market and brand the farm. Using it effectively can greatly help you establish a customer base 1.

Click here to learn more about the best practices that Oaken would recommend for social media.

Farm Newsletters: 

• Hobby Farms provides a comprehensive guide on how to create a farm newsletter. They suggest that newsletters are an effective way to promote your farm and keep repeat customers informed of what’s happening. Newsletters can be created easily with a host of programs available that make designing a newsletter as easy as a click of the mouse. You can choose from various formats such as print versions, website pages, text emails, HTML emails, and downloadable PDFs1.

• Growing For Market has an article on how to write newsletters that people want to read. They suggest that newsletters are not just for CSA farms and have natural advantages for communicating with existing customers. A newsletter can be more direct and intimate, allowing you to tailor your message specifically to your customers. The form allows you to go in-depth, not being constrained by app word limits2.

• StockLayouts provides customizable graphic designs for agriculture and farming newsletters. You can download layouts for InDesign, Illustrator, Word, Publisher, Pages3.

• Oaken also provides standard templates for customers to help them design their newsletters. Our AI powered newsletter generation tool helps customers minimize the effort in creating one. Click here to learn more.

Regular Conversation: Landowners and tenants should have regular meetings, at least semi-annually or quarterly, to discuss plans for the following crop year leasing agreement. The meetings can be held in-person, by phone, or via video calling or other online platforms.