Sharecropping

Sharecropping Today

My family has sharecropped for years. The major difference today is the sharecropper provides his own equipment. There are various methods for determining how much the owner and farmer receives, but most follow a third and two-thirds division. The farmer provides equipment and labor and gets two-thirds of the crop, while the landowner receives a one-third portion of the harvest.

Seed, fertilizer and crop insurance costs may also be shared at the third and two-thirds ratio. In our instance, the production is taken to a local elevator, and the landowner is paid directly at the end of harvest by the business. We usually store our portion in our bins to fill contracts previously made or to keep until prices for the grain go higher. Terraces and other conservation practices are completed jointly when possible.

A few landlords want to farm strictly on a cash-rent basis. An amount is charged by the landowner, and that fee per acre is what he receives. During years of drought or flood, it is profitable to rent in this manner because the owner is guaranteed the rent money regardless of how well the land produces. If the growing season is good, he doesn’t make as much money as he could have by using this cautious method. It is not such a gamble when you utilize this method because you don’t have to worry about the weather.

The advantage of sharecropping today is it affords a young man or new farmer the opportunity to get started in the agri-business. With agriculture such a big enterprise, it is nearly impossible for a young person to buy a farm. Nowadays the farmer has to inherit the land or marry it because of how costly the occupation has become.