Farm Manager Software for Landowners: What You Should Be Able to See

If a farm manager looks after your land, their software decides how much you can see. Good tools answer the questions owners ask most without a phone call: what does my lease say, was my rent paid, what happened on the farm this year, and is my rent fair for the county.

This guide lists what you should expect, the questions to ask your manager, and what it looks like when a manager has the right tools.

Seven things you should be able to see

1. Your lease terms. Rent, term, who is responsible for what, and the dates that matter, including the last day a notice can be given.
2. Rent paid and rent scheduled. Dates and amounts, including any flex or crop-share settlement and how it was figured.
3. Field visit reports. A dated note after each visit, with photos, crop condition and any issues such as erosion or drainage.
4. A year-end report. Yields, payments, practices and what is planned next. See what belongs in a yearly landowner report.
5. How your rent compares. Your contract rent next to the county average from USDA. Read how to set cash rent per acre.
6. Your documents. Signed leases, amendments and filings in one place.
7. A secure way to share them. Family members, an accountant or an attorney should be able to see what they need without email attachments.

Questions to ask your farm manager

• Where is my lease stored, and who can see it?
• How do I find out when a notice deadline is coming?
• How will I know my rent was paid, and how is a flex payment calculated?
• When will I get a report after each visit and at year end?
• Can my spouse, heirs or advisor see this without calling you?
• What happens to my records if you stop managing my land?

Warning signs

• Reports arrive only when you ask.
• The lease is a photo on someone's phone.
• Nobody can show how a flex payment was calculated.
• Records live in one person's spreadsheet.

What it looks like with the right tools

A manager using farm manager software like Oaken records a visit by voice from the field, and Field Reports turn it into a landowner-ready report with the lease terms, rent payments and the county cash-rent benchmark attached, delivered to a secure owner portal. Visits roll up into the year-end report, and owners can invite family members and advisors.

If you are a farm manager, the same tools help you keep landowners. Oaken's free ebook The Preferred Operator shows nine ways to improve landowner relationships with technology.

Renting your land to a farmer instead?

The same list works for a tenant relationship. Ask your tenant for a yearly report, and read the farmland rent negotiation guide before the next rent talk.

Compare tools used by farm managers in 8 farm manager software options compared.

Educational content only — not legal or tax advice. Talk to your own attorney, accountant or farm manager about your lease. Free guide: Field Time, Not File Time (Oaken).