Hay
A hay producer cuts, rakes and bales your grass. Works best on open grassland with a gate wide enough for equipment.
Usual terms: cash rent per acre, a share of the bales, or cut-for-free.
For Texas landowners and producers
Keep your Texas ag valuation. We'll find the hay farmer.
Texas landowners can lower their property taxes by keeping land in qualifying agricultural use. Hay producers, ranchers, beekeepers and farmers are always looking for more ground to work. We put the two together, county by county.
Hay Grazing Beekeeping Crops Wildlife management
How it works
Three steps on each side. No contracts with us, and no middleman on your lease.
If you own land
- Tell us about your land. County, acreage, where it is, what shape the fences, water and gates are in, and which uses you're open to.
- We match you. We look for producers who already work your county, want your size of tract, and can get in to do the work.
- You sign a simple lease directly with the producer. You set the terms together. We just make the introduction.
If you work land
- Tell us about your operation. What you run (hay, cattle, bees, crops or wildlife work), the counties you serve, and the smallest tract worth your time.
- We match you. When a landowner in your area signs up and the use, acreage and access fit, we send you the details.
- You sign a simple lease directly with the landowner. Cash rent, a share, or no rent either way: that's between you two.
Ways to keep land in ag use
Hay is where we started, but it isn't the only way. Which use fits depends on your land, your county, and what the producers near you do.
Livestock grazing
A rancher runs cattle, goats, sheep or horses on your land. Needs sound fence and water, or a rancher willing to build fence and haul water.
Usual terms: rent per acre or per head, with fence and water upkeep spelled out.
Beekeeping
A beekeeper places and tends hives on your land. Texas law lets beekeeping qualify on tracts of 5 to 20 acres. Your appraisal district sets how many hives it expects.
Usual terms: often no rent either way, sometimes a share of honey.
Crops
A farmer plants and harvests small grains, row crops or other crops. Works best on land that has been farmed before or can be worked without much clearing.
Usual terms: cash rent per acre or a share of the crop.
Wildlife management
Land that already has an agricultural or timber valuation can switch to wildlife management. You actively carry out at least three of seven practices, such as habitat control, supplemental water or census counts, under a written plan. We connect you with people who write plans and help with the work.
Good to know: land without a current ag valuation generally can't start here.
Why it matters for landowners
Texas lets qualifying agricultural land be taxed on what it can produce instead of what it would sell for. This is often called the "ag exemption," though it is really a special appraisal known as 1-d-1 open-space valuation. Here is the general picture, based on the Texas Comptroller's published guidance:
- Productivity value, not market value. Qualifying land is appraised on its capacity to produce agricultural products. That productivity value is usually lower than market value.
- The land has to be in real agricultural use. Hay, grazing livestock, beekeeping and growing crops are all agricultural uses. The land generally must be devoted principally to that use at the degree of intensity generally accepted in your area. Your county appraisal district sets those intensity standards for each kind of use.
- History counts. The land typically must have been in agricultural use for at least five of the preceding seven years. Land inside city limits has additional requirements.
- Wildlife management is a conversion, not a starting point. It is open to land already under an agricultural or timber valuation, and it requires a written plan. Texas Parks and Wildlife publishes the plan forms and guidelines.
- You apply locally. The application (Comptroller Form 50-129) is filed with your county appraisal district, not with the state.
- Changing the use has a cost. If land with this valuation changes to a non-agricultural use, the owner can owe rollback taxes for prior years: the difference between what was paid and what would have been owed at market value.
Whether a particular arrangement meets the standard on your land, and whether switching from one ag use to another affects your valuation, is up to your appraisal district. Ask them before you count on it.
Sources and further reading: Texas Comptroller: Agricultural, Timberland and Wildlife Management Use Special Appraisal, Form 50-129 (PDF), and Texas Parks and Wildlife: wildlife management and agricultural land. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Example What the difference can look like
Every number in this table is made up to show how the math works. None of it describes any real county, tax rate or property, and productivity values differ by type of use.
| Example tract | 40 acres of pasture |
|---|---|
| Example market value of the land | $400,000 |
| Example productivity value | $8,000 |
| Example combined tax rate | 2.00% |
| Example tax on market value | $8,000 a year |
| Example tax on productivity value | $160 a year |
Example only. Your actual savings depend on your county and appraisal.
Why it matters for producers
Hay producers, ranchers, beekeepers, farmers and wildlife plan writers all need the same thing: more good ground, close to home, with an owner who wants it worked.
- More ground close to home. Find tracts in the counties you already run, so you're not hauling equipment or stock across three counties.
- Landowners who want it worked. Everyone we send you has told us which uses they're open to and understands why the land needs to stay in production.
- Your terms. Cash rent, a share, no rent either way, or a fee for your services. You and the landowner decide.
- Free to list. Listing and introductions are free, whatever you run. An optional Premium membership is coming for producers who want a head start.
Pricing
The same for every type of use, from hay to wildlife management.
Landowners
$149 and up, one time
A one-time placement fee based on the acreage in the lease, the same for every use. It's due only after you sign a lease or agreement with a producer we introduced. No match, no lease, no fee.
- Up to 20 acres $149
- 21 to 100 acres $249
- Over 100 acres $499
Producers
Free
Hay, livestock, bees, crops or wildlife work: list your operation and the counties you serve at no cost. Free listings get matched and introduced, and always will.
Landowners: tell us about your land
Takes about three minutes. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
Producers: tell us about your operation
Free to list. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
What an ag lease usually covers
A good lease is short and specific. Most cover:
- Term: start date, end date, and whether it renews.
- Acreage: which fields or acres are included, ideally with a simple map.
- The work: cuttings per year, head of livestock, number of hives, or what gets planted.
- Fertilizer, weed and brush control: who does it, who pays, and what products are allowed.
- Payment or share: cash rent, a share of the hay, crop, honey or calves, or no rent, and when it's paid.
- Liability and insurance: who carries what coverage for people, animals and equipment on the property.
- Gate and access rules: which gates, keeping them closed, hours, and notice before entering.
- Termination: how either side can end the lease and with how much notice.
A few extras by use
- Grazing: stocking rate, who maintains fence and water, supplemental feed, and moving stock in drought.
- Beekeeping: hive count and placement, notice before any spraying, and honey arrangements.
- Crops: crops allowed, chemical use, crop insurance, and what happens to residue.
- Wildlife management: usually a service agreement rather than a lease: who writes the plan, which practices each side does, and who files the annual report if the appraisal district asks for one.
This is not legal advice. Have an attorney review any lease.
Common questions
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. We introduce landowners and producers. We are not a law firm, tax advisor, or appraisal district. For questions about your valuation, talk to your county appraisal district or a qualified professional.
Do you guarantee I'll get or keep the ag valuation?
No. Your county appraisal district decides whether your land qualifies, based on its own standards and your land's history. A lease with a producer can help show agricultural use, but it does not guarantee the valuation.
Which use is right for my land?
It depends on the land and your county. Open grass suits hay or grazing, cropland suits crops, and small tracts may suit beekeeping. Wildlife management is generally only an option if the land already has an agricultural or timber valuation. Your appraisal district can tell you which uses and intensity it expects; we'll match you with producers for the uses you're open to.
My land's ag use lapsed. Can you still help?
Yes, we can still look for a producer to get the land back in production. Whether and when it qualifies again depends on its use history and your appraisal district's rules, so check with them about your specific parcel.
How fast can you match me?
It depends on your county, your acreage, the uses you're open to, and the time of year. We review every submission by hand and reach out when we have a likely fit. Being open to more than one use usually helps.
What counties do you cover?
All of Texas, with our best coverage in Central and North Texas.
Who signs the lease?
You and the producer sign it directly with each other. We are not a party to the lease and don't collect rent, hay, crops or honey. If the producer stops, tell us and we'll look for another, since keeping the land in qualifying use is the landowner's responsibility.
What does it cost producers?
Nothing, whatever you run. Listing and introductions are free for producers. An optional Premium membership is coming for producers who want a head start on new land; it's an interest list for now, with nothing to pay. Landowners pay a one-time placement fee only after a lease is signed: $149 up to 20 acres, $249 for 21 to 100 acres, $499 over 100 acres.