Agriculture Law Guidance For Farms And Other Businesses
Weld County is Colorado's leading agricultural county, and farms and ranches here face legal questions that touch land, water, minerals, contracts and the family all at once. We have a long record of good results for farm and ranch clients.
From our Greeley office we help farm families and agricultural businesses along the Front Range and across Colorado, and we know the courts and judges in Weld, Logan and Morgan counties.
Farm and ranch matters we handle
- Buying, selling and leasing farm and ranch land
- Boundary, fence and easement disputes
- Water rights in land deals
- Mineral rights and oil and gas leases on farm ground (see oil and gas law)
- Forming and structuring the farm business
- Passing the farm to the next generation (see estate planning)
- Farm insurance problems, and farm and ranch injuries
Before you buy, sell or lease farm ground
- Know what comes with the land: which water rights, ditch shares and wells, and whether the minerals are included.
- Check the boundaries and access: a survey, recorded easements, and the roads and lanes you actually use.
- Read the existing leases: farm, grazing, oil and gas, and wind or solar leases can all bind a new owner.
- Put it in writing: handshake leases and family arrangements cause most farm disputes.
- Plan for the next generation before a death or a sale forces the question (see estate planning).
Agriculture law questions
How do we pass the farm to the next generation?
Usually with a combination of a business entity for the operation, an estate plan, and a written agreement about who works the land and who inherits it. Planning early avoids a forced sale or a family fight later. We build the plan with your accountant.
Do water rights come with the land?
Not automatically. Colorado water rights are property of their own and can be sold separately from the land, so a farm purchase or sale needs to say exactly which water rights go with it.
Who owns the minerals under my farm?
Often someone other than the surface owner. In Colorado the minerals can be owned separately from the land above them. We can trace the title and tell you what you own before you sign a lease.
Call An Experienced Attorney
Our lawyers will review your case details and give you a clear plan for how we can help. Based in Northern Colorado, we represent clients along the entire Front Range and across Colorado. Call our law firm or send an email to talk to a professional and understanding attorney.