What to know in Spokane County
Spokane County farms reported 99,359 acres of pastureland and 391,751 acres of cropland in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, with 20,021 cattle and calves on hand at the end of 2022. Hay was the county’s second-largest crop at about 62,000 acres, so pasture and hay ground sit alongside the wheat.
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 Spokane 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.