Example: the completed form

Filled in for Hartley Home Farm, a made-up farm.

Visit details

Landowner: Hartley Family Trust (trustee: Ann Hartley)
Farm and tracts: Home Farm, LaSalle County; FSA farm 1204, tracts 88 and 91
Tenant and lease: Mason Ag LLC (Rick Mason), cash rent, year 3 of 5
Date and inspector: October 9, 8:30 to 11:15, L. Ortega
Present: Rick Mason for the buildings; fields alone

At a glance

Harvest is half done and yields look average. The east waterway is washing out at its head and needs repair before spring. The machine shed roof leaks over the back bay.
Approve the waterway repair (one quote received, second asked for). Decide whether to reroof the machine shed or patch it this year.
Field 1 (160 ac): soybeans, harvested. Field 2 (150 ac): corn, standing, good stalks. Field 3 (140 ac): corn, harvested, good residue cover.
Fall tillage not started. Tenant to send the lime receipts for Field 3.
East waterway washing out at its head, about 40 ft, 2 ft deep. Rills on the Field 3 slope.
Two tile outlets on the creek flowing, one guard missing. One blowout over the main in Field 2, flagged.
Machine shed: roof leaks over the back bay, two sheets loose. Barn: sound.
Send lime receipts by October 31. Remove chemical jugs by November 15. Fix the west gate.
Second quote for the waterway. Tile contractor for the blowout and the outlet guard.

Sign-off

L. Ortega, October 9

Fictional example

Observations

Overall condition

Fair

Summary

Harvest is half done and yields look average. The east waterway is washing out at its head and needs repair before spring. The machine shed roof leaks over the back bay.

Decisions the owner needs to make

Approve the waterway repair (one quote received, second asked for). Decide whether to reroof the machine shed or patch it this year.

Crop and condition by field

Field 1 (160 ac): soybeans, harvested. Field 2 (150 ac): corn, standing, good stalks. Field 3 (140 ac): corn, harvested, good residue cover.

Weeds and stand

Waterhemp patches on the north edge of Field 1

Lease practices checked

Lime and fertility as the lease requires, Residue left as the lease requires, No encroachment on edges

Lease notes

Fall tillage not started. Tenant to send the lime receipts for Field 3.

Erosion

East waterway washing out at its head, about 40 ft, 2 ft deep. Rills on the Field 3 slope.

Waterways, terraces and tile

Two tile outlets on the creek flowing, one guard missing. One blowout over the main in Field 2, flagged.

Program documents reviewed

Current plan identified, Observations recorded

Photo points

Points 1 to 6 retaken; point 4 shows the waterway head

Buildings

Machine shed: roof leaks over the back bay, two sheets loose. Barn: sound.

Grain bins

Two bins, both empty and swept; fan on bin 2 runs

Wells, fences and drives

Old dug well by the barn is capped; west gate hinge broken

Hazards

Empty chemical jugs stacked in the machine shed

Tenant tasks

Send lime receipts by October 31. Remove chemical jugs by November 15. Fix the west gate.

Manager follow-up

Second quote for the waterway. Tile contractor for the blowout and the outlet guard.

Next inspection

Early April, before planting

Follow up on repairs at the next inspection

List the work to check. Bring forward unfinished repairs with their previous status. Add the fields and buildings you plan to inspect.
Record the visit. Date and locate findings. Attribute tenant statements, identify the parts you inspected and explain any access limits.
Leave a clear request. Attach the quote or photo behind an approval request. Name who will follow up, by when, and how completion will be checked.

Farm inspection checklist: read the guide

Repairs waiting on an owner decision

The previous inspection gives you a list of work to revisit. The owner’s questions and the management agreement define the rest of the visit. A useful update describes which repairs you checked and which still need a quote, an answer or another look.

Put each proposed repair beside its location, photos and supporting quote. Record the owner’s approval separately from the tenant’s promise or a contractor’s report that work is complete.

Farm inspection report template for repairs