Hay and grazing leases in Wharton County, Texas
Hay and grazing leases in Wharton County for landowners who want to keep ag valuation. List your land free. Pay a flat $49 only when we have a producer ready to meet you.
Wharton County is upper Gulf Coast prairie between the Colorado River and the San Bernard River. Rice, cattle, hay and row crops are long-standing uses around Wharton, El Campo and East Bernard. The county seat is Wharton.
What 1-d-1 ag valuation is
Texas lets qualifying agricultural land be appraised on what it can produce (its productivity value) instead of its market value. People often call it an "ag exemption," but it is a special appraisal, usually called 1-d-1 or open-space valuation. The productivity value is usually much lower than market value, so the tax bill is too.
To qualify, the land generally must be devoted principally to agricultural use to the degree of intensity generally accepted in the area, and it must have been in agricultural use for at least five of the past seven years. Land inside a city has extra requirements. Your appraisal district sets the specific requirements for your county, including how many animals, cuttings or hives it expects for a given acreage.
Ways to keep Wharton County land in ag use
- Hay. A producer cuts and bales your grass. Works best on open grassland with a gate wide enough for equipment. Terms are usually cash rent per acre or a share of the bales.
- Grazing. A rancher runs cattle, goats, sheep or horses. Needs sound fence and water, or a rancher willing to provide them.
- Beekeeping. Texas law allows beekeeping to qualify on 5 to 20 acres. The appraisal district sets how many hives it expects. For beekeeping, landowners typically pay a beekeeper a fee to place and manage colonies. Arrangements vary. Bale My Land connects them. See our beekeeping guide.
- Crops. A farmer plants and harvests small grains, row crops or other crops, usually for cash rent or a crop share.
- Wildlife management. Only for land that already has an ag or timber valuation. You carry out at least three of seven wildlife practices under a written plan. Texas Parks and Wildlife publishes the plan forms.
Not sure which fits? Our guide on hay leases versus grazing leases walks through the trade-offs.
Your appraisal district
Wharton County Central Appraisal District
Website: www.whartoncad.net
Wharton County Central Appraisal District decides whether your land qualifies, sets the local degree-of-intensity standards, and accepts the application (Comptroller Form 50-129). Check its current ag guidelines and deadlines before you count on a valuation. Contact details are also in the Texas Comptroller's county directory.
Local numbers
Minimum acreage: we did not find a published minimum for this county. Check with your appraisal district.
More: minimum acres by county · leasing to a hay farmer · finding someone to bale hay.
If the land leaves ag use
If land with 1-d-1 valuation changes to a non-agricultural use, the owner can owe a rollback tax for the previous three years. Read what happens if you lose 1-d-1 valuation, and how to keep it without farming yourself.
List your land in Wharton County
Tell us about your land or your operation. We review every submission by hand and introduce landowners to producers who work their county.
List my land free I'm a producer
List your land free. Pay a flat $49 only when we have a producer ready to meet you. Producers list free.
Wharton County questions
Can I keep my Wharton County ag valuation by leasing to a hay producer?
Often, yes. Leasing to a producer is a common way to keep land in qualifying use, as long as the land is actually used at the degree of intensity Wharton County Central Appraisal District expects. A written lease and records of the work help if the district asks.
How many acres do I need?
State law doesn't set one minimum for hay or grazing. Your appraisal district sets the specific requirements. Beekeeping is the exception with a state range: 5 to 20 acres. For beekeeping, landowners typically pay a beekeeper a fee to place and manage colonies. Arrangements vary. Bale My Land connects them.
Can I switch my land to wildlife management?
Only if it already has an agricultural or timber valuation. You then need a written wildlife management plan and must carry out at least three of seven practices each year. Ask Wharton County Central Appraisal District about its filing requirements.
Do you cover all of Wharton County?
We take submissions from anywhere in Wharton County and the rest of Texas. Matches depend on which producers work near your land and what uses you're open to.
Nearby counties
Austin County, Colorado County, Fort Bend County, Matagorda County, Jackson County. See all counties we serve.
Sources: Texas Comptroller: Agricultural, Timberland and Wildlife Management Use Special Appraisal; Texas Comptroller county directory. General information, not tax or legal advice.