The City of Great Bend went into another farm lease agreement with a plot of land at the Great Bend Municipal Airport. An agreement with Carmen Schmitt for cash-rent of the 1,000 acres of farm ground was approved by the Great Bend City Council.
Airport Manager Martin Miller says the annual lease will be for $20.50 per acre.
Martin Miller Audio
The deal calls for a six-year lease plus two optional years.
Councilmember Brock McPherson checked with the 2017 Kansas County-Level Cash Rents for Non-Irrigated Cropland from Kansas State University. McPherson says the price stated in the lease is actually above the average of $17.40.
Brock McPherson Audio
Miller added that approximately 200 of the leased acres have not been worked or seeded for quite some time due to the prior tenant.