Source: Chuck Abbott, SUCCESSFUL FARMING, 3/22/21


In agricultural lore, the absentee landlord is often a resented figure, an outsider who reaps an income from the labor of the farmer and takes away the profits rather than investing in the local community. The modern-day situation is more nuanced, says a USDA study which finds that, for the most part, “non-operating landlords” (NOLS) live fairly close to their property. Roughly three of every 10 acres of U.S. farmland in the 48 contiguous states, around 268 million acres, is rented to tenants by an owner who is not actively involved in farming.

For more of this story, click here.