The conservation practices, leasing considerations and sample lease provisions below are not exhaustive but rather provide an overview of how farmers and landowners can use a lease to encourage these practices. Lease terms should be simple and document the parties’ points of agreement on issues such as how a practice will be installed, utilized, and maintained. Farmers and landowners should change the lease provision to fit each individual situation. For more information, view our full Agricultural Conservation Leasing Guide.

Conservation Practices

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Well Protection

Maintaining proper use of farm input products to improve the quality of water sources. Such maintenance includes mixing farm chemicals and rinsing containers a minimum of 100 feet from a well, even if it is abandoned, and making sure all well casings or grass filter strips are properly maintained

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Manure Storage Structures Agrichemical Handling Facilities

Manure storage structures prevent nutrient loss through runoff and protect waterways. Storage of manure for field application can also reduce synthetic fertilizer costs.

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Woodchip Bioreactor

Reduces nitrogen in runoff and groundwater by catching field runoff in a subsurface trench filled with wood chips. Carbon from the wood chips interacts with nitrogen in the water to cause denitrification, which reduces nitrogen pollution into adjacent waterways.