Frequently Asked Questions

What types of farms are listed through Hortenstine Ranch Company in Texas and Oklahoma?

Hortenstine Ranch Company farm listings in Texas and Oklahoma span a wide range from small hobby farms with residences on cultivated acreage to large commercial dryland wheat operations on the Oklahoma Panhandle and Texas Rolling Plains.

  • In Oklahoma, active farm listings include winter wheat ground in the Panhandle and western counties, pecan bottom farms along the Canadian and Cimarron rivers, and native grass hay operations in the central part of the state.
  • In Texas, farm listings include dryland cotton and sorghum ground in West and North Texas, irrigated vegetable and hay operations in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle, and row crop bottomland in East Texas.

Mixed operations with both cultivated ground and grazing or hunting potential are common in both states and often represent the best value for buyers who want farm income with recreational benefit. Hortenstine Ranch Company agents can help buyers understand commodity lease rates, current crop programs, and FSA farm base history on any listed farm property.

What are typical cash rent rates for farmland in Oklahoma and Texas?

Cash rent rates for farmland in Oklahoma and Texas reflect soil productivity, commodity prices, and local supply of competing farmland.

  • Oklahoma winter wheat ground in the central and western counties rents for 20 to 50 dollars per acre annually depending on rainfall reliability and yield history, with the most productive Grant and Garfield county ground pushing above that range in active years.
  • Oklahoma bottomland pecan and row crop ground rents for 60 to 120 dollars per acre in productive river valleys.
  • Texas dryland crop ground in the Rolling Plains rents for 15 to 40 dollars per acre.
  • Irrigated ground in the Texas Panhandle with Ogallala aquifer access rents for 80 to 150 dollars per acre for row crops.

Buyers purchasing farm land with existing tenant leases should understand that Oklahoma and Texas have no minimum statutory notice periods for year-to-year farm leases and that existing tenants may have informal expectations about continued access that should be addressed at closing.

How do I evaluate the soil quality on a farm property in Oklahoma or Texas?

Evaluating soil quality on an Oklahoma or Texas farm starts with USDA Web Soil Survey data, which is publicly available and provides capability class ratings, productivity indexes, and typical yield histories for mapped soil units on any parcel in both states.

Class I and Class II soils are considered prime farmland capable of producing consistent row crop yields with standard management, while Class III and IV soils require more inputs or are limited to specific crops or grazing.

The USDA Farm Service Agency maintains farm records, including base acres, yield history, and Conservation Reserve Program enrollment for every tract with a farm number, and requesting this data through the local FSA office is standard due diligence before making an offer.

In Oklahoma’s Canadian and Washita river valleys, deep sandy loam soils with good drainage command a premium because they warm early and drain quickly after rain, allowing earlier planting and fewer field loss days than heavier clay soils in the same county.