What to know in Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County farms reported 7,371 acres of pastureland and 16,020 acres of cropland in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, with 3,385 cattle and calves on hand at the end of 2022. Hay is the county’s top crop by acreage (about 14,100 acres), and with most of the county in national forest, private pasture is limited.
Grazing deals are usually priced per AUM (animal unit month), per head per month or per acre. USDA NASS publishes county pasture cash-rent averages from its Cash Rents Survey, and each parcel card in the Inquire Lands app shows the latest figures for its county, where USDA publishes them, as a starting point. WSU Extension and the Ag Lease 101 project publish sample pasture leases you can adapt.
Water matters as much as grass. In Washington, groundwater used for stock watering is exempt from needing a water-right permit under RCW 90.44.050, though other groundwater rules can still apply, so ask what wells, springs or troughs exist. Owners: leased land can still qualify for Washington’s farm and agricultural current-use classification (Chapter 84.34 RCW), which the Pend Oreille County Assessor administers.
What to put in your inquiry
- Turn-out and gather dates
- Head count and class of livestock
- Acreage you need
- Proposed rate (per AUM, head or acre) and term
- Who handles fence and water
In the app, the Grazing lease template fills these in as [bracketed] prompts. Replace them with your details and send.