I'm at the early stages of putting together an exit plan, which might include buying land in Nebraska. I've got some ranching experience, but not arable farming. Is there a resource I can use for anyone wanting to lease grassland? Or maybe better put, someone wanting to lease land for grass production and and cattle growers for grazing.
- Thread starter uffduh
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I'm no farmer/rancher, but after living for eight years in Nebraska, land is expensive.
I would guess that leasing anything, you're going to be paying a hefty premium.
I would guess that leasing anything, you're going to be paying a hefty premium.
No idea.
Enjoy it though.
I would move to Nebraska in short order if not for shared custody. Love those small towns and good salt of the earth folks.
I only need a couple acres. And a nice neighbor to let me hang steel out a ways.....?
Enjoy it though.
I would move to Nebraska in short order if not for shared custody. Love those small towns and good salt of the earth folks.
I only need a couple acres. And a nice neighbor to let me hang steel out a ways.....?
I was in the town of Scotland, South Dakota a few years ago. Looked to me like farmland was booming as ethanol plants had every square inch of the area under corn cultivation.
But the town itself (like several places we were in) looked like you could buy an entire block for pennies. So many places out there that appear to have 'dead' towns that are beautiful, friendly and have a ton of potential.
Can't speak for Nebraska, because I've really only 'passed through.' But having spent several days hunting up in the Jim River area and seeing a lot of the towns and area... it struck me as just the kind of place the OP might be looking to consider!
Cheers,
Sirhr
But the town itself (like several places we were in) looked like you could buy an entire block for pennies. So many places out there that appear to have 'dead' towns that are beautiful, friendly and have a ton of potential.
Can't speak for Nebraska, because I've really only 'passed through.' But having spent several days hunting up in the Jim River area and seeing a lot of the towns and area... it struck me as just the kind of place the OP might be looking to consider!
Cheers,
Sirhr
If you come, definitely look at land out west. Grassland out there is $600-$800 / acre compared to the $6000-$8000 on the Eastern side.
If you have an area or areas in mind, call the USDA Service Office for that area. They are in the know about things in their area.
There are some Govt. programs to help "new" Ag people get started you may qualify for.
There are also Govt. programs for things such as tree lines, pollonator areas[for bees to get nectar from flowers] and a number of other programs to help you on your way. Conservation is their thing and Uncle Sugar pays you to do it.
Best advise I can give and I am a Farmer.
In other words, see if Uncle Sugar can't help you out. He does it for millions of others.
There are some Govt. programs to help "new" Ag people get started you may qualify for.
There are also Govt. programs for things such as tree lines, pollonator areas[for bees to get nectar from flowers] and a number of other programs to help you on your way. Conservation is their thing and Uncle Sugar pays you to do it.
Best advise I can give and I am a Farmer.
In other words, see if Uncle Sugar can't help you out. He does it for millions of others.
Nebraska property taxes can be brutal. Asking prices for good pasture land is pretty high, even higher for “hunting” properties that Generally have piss poor grass. That said pasture rentals rates are highest in Nebraska, insanely high. But unless you have a big parcel and good facilities, you may not even break even in terms of net income leasing ground.
Hard grass area out by Chadron is cheaper, but it can be a cold windy place to live. Sandhills area is like going back in time, one lane roads, no power or cell service in many places.
I wouldn’t want to live there and I already live in the absolute middle of nowhere, and I don’t have tornadoes, blizzards or hailstorms.
But I bet you could buy the whole town of Sydney for pennies on the dollar right now. If any of the liberal owned tech companies had a bit of moral or ethical commitment to the country as a whole they could start a Silicon Prairie there.
Hard grass area out by Chadron is cheaper, but it can be a cold windy place to live. Sandhills area is like going back in time, one lane roads, no power or cell service in many places.
I wouldn’t want to live there and I already live in the absolute middle of nowhere, and I don’t have tornadoes, blizzards or hailstorms.
But I bet you could buy the whole town of Sydney for pennies on the dollar right now. If any of the liberal owned tech companies had a bit of moral or ethical commitment to the country as a whole they could start a Silicon Prairie there.
Visited a friend in Chadron/Sandhills area early 90s. Gering to be exact. Scottsbluff area.
He was a cattle guy. A "real" cowboy for me from Boston. In fact his USMC handle was of course "Cowboy".
His family told me the local legend of the idea that it was poor cattle area.
An early rancher was trying to make a go of it. Big storm came up and dispersed his herd. Thought he was never going to see the animals again but sometime later he found all his animals in the "Sandhills" all fat and healthy. Apparently the aquifer underneath is huge and its close to the surface was the reckoning.
Beautiful area but I can guess it would be brutal in the winter, matter of fact some of the craziest summer weather Ive ever been in was in Nebraska - only place I saw a cloud that looked like the top of a nuke explosion - you could almost hear the air being updrafted.
Stopped there in 2014 going back east from the Dakotas, Took the kids to Scottsbluff NP for some American history. Ate a great steak in the one steakhouse in town that everyone kept recommending we eat at.
OP I wish you, with envy in my heart, great luck in your endeavor.
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grassland for lease is very high, u can thank the assholes from colorado and some other surrounding states for that. They came in and paid exhorbantly high prices for grass several years ago when cattle were high and they had no grass. It's never came back down for the most part. Not going to find any pasture ground for less than around $$1100 per acre and the land taxes are extremely high. IN fact, Nebraska is ranked as one of the highest taxed states in the US. Personal property tax's just continue to rise, and several years ago they passed a law where u can be taxed up to 100% of the value of ur property. And guess who sets that value. Lived here almost my entire life, and would like to die here, but don't know if i can afford to stay after i retire. Happens with a lot of folks. We live over probably the largest aquifer in the country that a one time stretched all the way to parts of Texas, but it's slowly drying up. We actually have wells here pumping water out of it into a stream feeding Kansas as part of an agreement signed a long long time ago. The stupidity governing out water system is enough to make ur stomach turn, and it's all part of the Agenda 21 that most folks don't even know about. Their plan of sustainable development , forcing folks into cities. Original sandhill folks are some of the best people you'll ever know. Many have owned their ranch's for several generations spanning a century of more. Problem is the Ted Turners that use government money to buy them out. He owns a bunch of Cherry County now, But i'm glad to say, not as much as he would like. Because of our natural resources like grass and farm ground, over the last 20 years several large dairies from as far away as California have moved in here, and feedlots continue to expand at a rapid pace. Within a 100 miles of my place, there's over a half million to a million head on feed. Hell , within 15 miles, there's over 200 thousand head on feed. Nebraska is now the #1 state with cattle on feed in the US and #2 cow calf production. Still with all this, don't know anywhere else i really want to live. Go Huskers !!
Living in Kansas this is my take on it.
If you move to a rural area and live and work in a small town you will be very welcomed. The minute you try to purchase or lease land you will be MF'ed to death. Like night and day. Everyone will hate you. Every single tract on the face of the earth has adjacent landowners wanting to purchase, lease inherit or steal it. Family members who have never owned a thing are sitting around getting drunk and waiting for old aunt Alice to die. If you buy, lease or otherwise utilize the property you will have "stolen it from them." I have bought many farms and learned from bitter experience.
The local priest will lie and cheat you. The local businesses will welcome your money but MF you along with the rest of the locals. Once you get into an area you will be called to find out "if you are interested in buying my land." If you fall for that you will be ask to make an offer and then it will be sold to someone else. Also, if you purchase land you will have people demand you lease it to them. When you refuse you will be called a bad person and worse.
Leasing grazing land is the hardest of all. The problem is every dumbass in the world thinks he is a cattle baron. They think you only need to sign a loan and turn the stock lose, collect it in the spring and sell at a huge profit. Beats working. I have seen a few non locals try it here and every one was driven out of the community in ruin. Stock stolen, property vandalized, threatened with violence etc. If you report anyone the local SD will ignore it and harass you if you pursue it.
If you move to a rural area and live and work in a small town you will be very welcomed. The minute you try to purchase or lease land you will be MF'ed to death. Like night and day. Everyone will hate you. Every single tract on the face of the earth has adjacent landowners wanting to purchase, lease inherit or steal it. Family members who have never owned a thing are sitting around getting drunk and waiting for old aunt Alice to die. If you buy, lease or otherwise utilize the property you will have "stolen it from them." I have bought many farms and learned from bitter experience.
The local priest will lie and cheat you. The local businesses will welcome your money but MF you along with the rest of the locals. Once you get into an area you will be called to find out "if you are interested in buying my land." If you fall for that you will be ask to make an offer and then it will be sold to someone else. Also, if you purchase land you will have people demand you lease it to them. When you refuse you will be called a bad person and worse.
Leasing grazing land is the hardest of all. The problem is every dumbass in the world thinks he is a cattle baron. They think you only need to sign a loan and turn the stock lose, collect it in the spring and sell at a huge profit. Beats working. I have seen a few non locals try it here and every one was driven out of the community in ruin. Stock stolen, property vandalized, threatened with violence etc. If you report anyone the local SD will ignore it and harass you if you pursue it.
Taxes are without a doubt HIGH, we have farm land on the border of Neb and Colo.
Much nicer paying the Colo tax than Neb.tax.
As to the OP, I think my advise was good in a post above.
jinks4ever, PM me and I will help you out as to sentence structure and making paragraphs. Someone on this site taught me. FM
I understand your frustration probably better than most on here but there are easy ways to make it better. FM
Much nicer paying the Colo tax than Neb.tax.
As to the OP, I think my advise was good in a post above.
jinks4ever, PM me and I will help you out as to sentence structure and making paragraphs. Someone on this site taught me. FM
I understand your frustration probably better than most on here but there are easy ways to make it better. FM
Cut some slack---We are not all computer Gurus. We all had to learn sometime or another. I still cannot post pictures and I have tried. FM
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