$/acre Pasture Cash Rental Rates One of the most common questions fielded by Extension pertains to rental rates. In Illinois, pasture land can be variable not just county to county, but also farm to farm. Because of this variation, a producer needs to use tools and resources as a guide in renting pasture, but ultimately the value or rental rate is a figure that can be agreed upon by the two parties involved in the rental agreement. Websites, such as USDA s National Agriculture Statistics Service, can be extremely beneficial when obtaining a base price. They allow a producer to reference survey data for renting pasture within their county. Understanding the information provided is the most important part. For instance, Pike county s average pasture rental rate was $55/acre in 2010. In 2016, it had dropped to $42/acre. However, between these years the price had fluctuated even more so. Many factors, such as acreage, terrain, forest, water access, quality of fence, ease of loading/unloading, and others, play an integral part in determining the rental rate per pasture. The number listed on the NASS site is an average of survey responses for that county. Even in one county, the pasture rent can vary. One producer that has been renting land from the same owner for generations could be paying less than a renter that has just started. For instance, if an average for one county reads to be $33/acre one producer could be paying $10/acre while another pays $56/acre. Some producers will pay pasture rent based on the land value. A rule of thumb for charging rented land is to take the overall value of the land and multiply it by 3%. For example, if a land owner paid $3,400/acre for pasture than the expected rent for that land would be $102/acre. This is a popular method in row crop, cash rent formulas and is just one way to calculate your own pasture rent value. Knowing there are several factors that dictate rent value, it truly only matters if a renter and land owner can agree on a price. Be willing to negotiate and come into the discussion open minded. This will ensure the best results for both involved individuals. 55 45 40 35 30 25 20 PASTURE CASH RENT $/ACRE IN ILLINOIS Year Prepared by: Kendi Sayre, Ashley Cooney This graph shows average pasture rental rates over the entire state of Illinois for the last 12 years. University of Illinois, Beef Extension Interns For more information on this topic and others, see: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/oardc/
There are many factors that play a role in determining pasture rent. While looking at tables, graphs, and maps can be helpful, it may be beneficial to calculate rent based off of hay price, land value, or stocking rate. Every situation is unique and for that there are This table gives many different calculations that can be made examples of to determine the rent for any pasture. Options for calculating pasture rent: Based off of hay price (forage value) Percentage of land value Using AUM value Forage Value is based on the amount of forage that the land will produce and what hay is worth. To use this equation for calculating pasture rent, start with the value of the hay and subtract the costs to harvest the forage, to transport the livestock, and the time needed to travel and check livestock. The end number will give a maximum that would be paid for the forage. [Value of hay/ton expenses = max. value of pasture rent] Also, suggested by Iowa State Extension Economists, producers can take the value of their hay and multiply it by 25% or 35% depending upon type of forage. 25% for grass hay during grazing season for pasture, and 35% for an established hay stand. [Price of hay/ton x 25% or 35% depending on forage = rent/acre] Another option for determining pasture rent is using the Return of Investment method. This is usually based upon interest rates at a bank. Right now, that rate is considerably lower around 3-4%. This means that if you can buy an acre of land for $3,400 and your bank is charging you an interest rate of 4% on your loan you can break even on payments if you are charging $136/acre of pasture. [$3400/acre x 4% = $136/acre]. This method is especially popular for tillable, row crop land, but can still be useful for setting a base price for pasture rent. This table shows forage production (tons per acre) and animal unit months per acre for various grasses. Taken from Onpasture.com Calculating Your Own Pasture Rent factors that go into figuring pasture quality and how to use them for AUM. Source: Onpasture.com AUM (Animal Unit Months) Value can be useful when stocking rate is fluctuated on an average. This method is a formula that uses forage quality and price of hay and makes it easy to plug in numbers to get quick results. One AUM is the amount of forage that a 1,000 lb. cow will need to sustain herself and her calf for 30 days, roughly 26.1 pounds per day. [Number of Animal Units x Average Hay Price Out of the Field Per Ton x Pasture Quality Factor = Rate Per Head Per Month] Using a 1200 lb. cow with her calf at side at a time when hay is $100/ton and the pasture you are renting is of high quality grass and legumes the equation would be as follows: 1.20 AU x $100/ton x.20 Quality Factor = $24/AUM Remember that there are always other determining factors in price of pasture such as quality of fence, water and shade availability, proximity, quality of forage, etc., and that you as the producer have to do what works for your operation. Sources: http://fyi.uwex.edu/ - University of Wisconsin Extension, https://www.nass.usda.gov/ - USDA s National Agriculture Statistics Services, and Onpasture.com.
Regional County Averages per year Tables Table 1. Northwest Region Bureau 34 29 N/A N/A 26.5 N/A N/A 27.5 Carroll 58.5 51 44 57 42.5 42.5 68 64.5 Henry 58.5 54 N/A N/A N/A 43 40 38 Jo Daviess N/A 36.5 48.5 35.5 N/A 36.5 39.5 39.5 Lee 47 46 N/A N/A N/A N/A 42 42 Mercer 41.5 34 36.5 N/A 36.5 N/A 53.5 Ogle 64 48.5 43.5 53.5 36 37 54 46 Putnam N/A N/A N/A N/A 47 N/A 45 N/A Rock Island 54 55.5 51 35 48.5 45 43 44.5 Stephenson 60.5 41.5 53 44 49 39.5 49 40 Whiteside 56 56.5 N/A 56.5 N/A 48 56.5 N/A Winnebago 53.5 54 N/A N/A N/A 31.5 N/A N/A Other Counties 37.5 N/A 47 48.5 34.5 33.5 51.5 52 Northwest Region Avg.5 46.7 45.9 57 26.5 42.5 68 27.5 Table 2. Northeast Region De Kalb 35 35.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Grundy 57 61.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Kane N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 90 La Salle 38.5 40 N/A N/A N/A 38 55 38.5 Lake 66.5 99.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 75 McHenry 65.5 N/A N/A 36.5 36 55 N/A Other Counties 63.5 51 46.5 38 43.5 44.5 59.5 47.5 Northeast Region Avg 59 46.5 38 40 39.5 56.5 62.8 Table 3. West Region Adams 40 43 40 34.5 35 37 37 30.5 Brown 38.5 20 29.5 40 45 40.5 32 23.5 Fulton 28 30.5 34.5 33 26.5 26.5 38 14.5 Hancock 32.5 25.5 39 25.5 33 22.5 28 25.5 Henderson 39 33.5 33 32 32 35.5 35 48 Knox 26.5 29 28.5 35 29.5 26 45 30.5 McDonough N/A 41 25 N/A 36 30 39 28.5 Schuyler N/A 36 30.5 N/A 38.5 24 N/A 23 Warren 37 39 57.5 53.5 37.5 39 32 30 Other Counties 39 N/A N/A 28.5 N/A N/A 32.5 N/A West Region Avg 32.5 33.1 35.3 35.3 34.8 31.2 34.2 29.8
Regional County Averages per year Tables cont. Table 4. Central Region De Witt N/A 44.5 43.5 N/A 24 37 N/A Logan 33.5 30 28 24.5 N/A 35 55 N/A Macon N/A 42 28.5 41 N/A N/A N/A N/A Marshall 33.5 37 25 25.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A Mason N/A 42 39.5 N/A 42.5 62 N/A McLean 37 40 54 N/A 40.5 60 N/A Menard 34 25.5 28.5 34.5 N/A N/A N/A 26.5 Peoria 31 30 35 26 N/A 30 44.5 38.5 Stark 44 N/A 33.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Tazewell 47 32 35.5 N/A N/A 32.5 45 57 Woodford N/A 33 32 39 N/A 25.5 37 N/Z Other Counties 48.5 45 N/A 29.5 N/A 32 33 32.5 Central Region Avg 40 36.2 33.9 35.2 N/A 32.8 40.7 32.6 Table 5. East Region Champaign 55.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 24 26 Iroquois 55 55 N/A N/A N/A N/A 35.5 25 Livingston 38 41 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Vermillion 51.5 48.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Other Counties 63 52.5 40.5 N/A N/A N/A 30 55 East Region Avg 47 49.3 40.5 N/A N/A N/A 32.3 35.5 Table 6. West Southwest Region Bond 44 N/A 41.5 N/A 38 34.5 34 N/A Calhoun N/A N/A N/A N/A 48.5 44.5 55 81.5 Cass 26.5 27 30 N/A 24 N/A 23 25.5 Christian 40 36.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A 40 N/A Greene 32 29.5 27 N/A 24.5 22.5 27 26.5 Jersey N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 26 N/A Macoupin 33.5 33 33 N/A 27.5 22.5 N/A 25 Madison 32 37.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A 38 29 Montgomery 35.5 34 31 N/A 45 41.5 N/A N/A Morgan 30 24 22.5 N/A N/A 16.5 22 26.5 Pike 41 42 32 N/A 57.5 N/A 55 77 Sangamon 37.5 41 40.5 N/A N/A 34.5 N/A N/A Scott 31.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A 54.5 52 N/A Other Counties 32.5 33 35 N/A 25 34.5 36.5 33.5 West Southwest Region Avg 34.5 33.8 32.5 N/A 36.3 33.9 37.1 40.6
Regional County Averages per year Tables cont. Table 7. East Southeast Region Clark 36.5 34.5 40 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Clay 34.5 N/A 48 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Coles 71 N/A 84.5 68 93.5 N/A 83.5 71.5 Crawford N/A N/A N/A N/A 35 N/A N/A N/A Cumberland N/A N/A N/A N/A 47.5 N/A N/A N/A Douglas 43.5 43 41 45 N/A N/A N/A Edgar 44 40 46 46 42.5 40.5 N/A 20 Effingham 42.5 40 54.5 67.5 N/A N/A N/A 53.5 Fayette 34.5 21.5 28.5 31 N/A 30 39.5 24 Jasper 36 37.5 34.5 36 N/A N/A N/A N/A Marion 31 29.5 34.5 52.5 33.5 32.5 33.5 20 Moultrie 55 N/A N/A N/A 36 38.5 N/A 60 Richland N/A N/A N/A 41.5 N/A 52 N/A Shelby 37.5 38.5 27 32 37 39 31.5 41.5 Other Counties 35 41.5 55.5 36.5 38.5 40.5 33.5 28 East Southeast Region Avg 38 36.2 44.9 46.1 45 36.8 45.6 40.9 Table 8. Southwest Region Alexander N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 27 14 Clinton 31.5 31 38 45 33 29 N/A 25 Jackson 28.5 23 27 25.5 26 N/A 26 26 Monroe N/A 29 37 41 N/A 30 51 66.5 Perry 26.5 26 24 27.5 N/A 20.5 26.5 26.5 Pulaski 34 33.5 N/A N/A 28 23.5 20 20 Randolph 37 33 26 N/A N/A 33 44 44.5 St. Clair 27.5 22.5 45 43 N/A 49 57 N/A Union N/A 28.5 33.5 47 29.5 N/A N/A 24 Washington 29.5 38.5 40 N/A 32.5 37 N/A N/A Williamson 24 31 20 17 N/A N/A N/A 20 Other Counties 26 24 29.5 31 28.5 17.5 28 37.5 Southwest Region Avg 28.5 29.1 32 32.5 29.6 29.9 34.9 29.1 Table 9. Southeast Region Edwards N/A 29 38 N/A N/A N/A 45 75.5 Franklin N/A N/A N/A N/A 39 N/A N/A 38 Gallatin N/A 28.5 37 N/A N/A N/A N/A 15 Jefferson 33.5 34 35.5 30 25.5 N/A 27.5 26.5 Massac 35 38 37.5 33.5 N/A N/A 26 25 Pope 24 25 37.5 N/A N/A N/A 17 N/A Saline 39.5 31 40.5 N/A N/A N/A 32 55 Wayne 53.5 45.5 N/A N/A 47.5 N/A 44 75 White N/A N/A 34.5 30 N/A N/A 28 51.5 Other Counties 44 34.5 46 39.5 33.5 N/A 19 11 Southeast Region Avg 38.5 33.1 38.1 33.3 36.4 N/A 29.8 41.4
34 58.5 58.5 47 64 54 60.5 56 53.5 35 57 38.5 66.5 40 38.5 28 32.5 39 26.5 37 33.5 34 31 44 47 55.5 55 38 51.5 44 26.5 40 32 33.5 32 35.5 30 41 37.5 31.5 36.5 34.5 71 43.5 44 42.5 34.5 36 31 55 37.5 31.5 28.5 26.5 34 37 27.5 29.5 24 33.5 35 24 39.5 53.5 *Other Counties Regional: www.nass.usda.gov 2017 Pasture Cash Rent $/ Acre