What is a custom farming services agreement?
Custom farming usually runs on a handshake and a rate sheet, until a wet autumn pushes a farmer down the operator's list, the acres on the invoice don't match the farmer's, or a sprayer drifts onto a neighbour's crop. A custom farming services agreement keeps the handshake but writes down what both sides are relying on.
This template covers harvesting, planting, spraying, baling, tillage or several operations. It records the fields, crops and acres, the equipment, the season and how the farmer's work is scheduled among the operator's customers. It deals with weather and unsafe field or spraying conditions, operating standards including machine cleaning and approved products for spraying, rates per acre, hour, bale or bushel and how acres are measured, minimum charges, fuel, inputs and hauling. It sets who is responsible for crop loss and damage, hidden hazards, insurance and crop insurance appraisals, invoicing and payment, and keeps any lien the law gives the operator.
- Best for
- Custom combiners, sprayers, balers and farm contractors
- Signed by
- The custom operator and the farmer
- Rates
- Per acre, hour, bale or bushel, with acres from GPS, stated or official records
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled on every page, signatures on the last page
When to use a custom farming services agreement
- Custom combining corn and soybeans for a neighbour
- Spraying herbicide on a farmer's wheat under a licensed applicator
- Planting or drilling for a farmer without their own planter
- Baling hay or straw by the bale
- Harvesting and hauling grain to the farmer's bins
What you fill in
21 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: custom operator, farmer.
1 The parties
- Agreement date*
- Custom operator (your business)*
- Your phone*
- Applicator licence or certification (spraying)
- Farmer or farm business*
- Farmer phone*
2 The work
- Services* harvesting · planting or drilling · spraying · baling · tillage · harvesting and hauling · several operations (listed below)
- Fields, crops and acres*
- Equipment (optional)
3 Timing
- Season or target window*
- Scheduling* in a reasonable order among the Operator's customers, with the Farmer told of the expected date · on dates agreed in advance with the Farmer · within the window above, at the Operator's discretion
4 Rates
- Currency*
- Rates*
- Acres are measured by* the Operator's GPS or yield monitor records, shared with the Farmer · the acres stated for each field above · official or programme acreage records for the fields
- Minimum charge or travel fee (optional)
5 Inputs and hauling
- Fuel* supplied by the Operator and included in the rates · supplied by the Farmer · supplied by the Operator, with any fuel surcharge shown in the rates
- Seed, fertiliser and chemicals* supplied by the Farmer · supplied by the Operator and charged at cost plus handling · not applicable
- Hauling and delivery
6 Payment
- Payment due within (days of invoice)*
- Late payment charge (optional)
- Governing law*
7 Who signs
- Custom operator signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The custom operator or farm contracting business.
- Farmer signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The farmer or farm business whose fields are worked.
What the custom farming services agreement covers
- Fields and work
- Timing and weather
- Operating standards
- Rates
- Fuel, inputs and hauling
- Crop loss, damage and insurance
- Payment
- Ending the Agreement and general
Using the custom farming services agreement, step by step
1 Choose the service
Choose harvesting, planting, spraying, baling, tillage or several operations, and enter your applicator licence if you are spraying.
2 List the fields
Enter each field, crop and approximate acres, the equipment, the season or target window and how the work will be scheduled.
3 Set the rates
List the rate for each operation, choose how acres are measured, and add any minimum charge or travel fee.
4 Inputs, payment and send
Choose who supplies fuel, seed and chemicals, describe hauling, set payment terms and an optional late charge, and send it to the farmer.
Tips before you send it
- Agree how acres are measured before the season. Share GPS or yield monitor records with the invoice.
- Get product names and rates for spraying in writing. The agreement says the operator applies only what the farmer approved.
- Ask the farmer to walk or map hazards like rocks, tile inlets and wet holes. Undisclosed hazards are not the operator's responsibility.
- Check with the farmer whether a crop insurance appraisal is needed before harvest starts on any field.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Custom farming services agreement: frequently asked questions
Who pays if the crop is lost because harvest was delayed by rain?
Losses from weather or crop condition are the farmer's, unless the delay was caused by the operator failing to do what it agreed.
What if a machine causes damage?
The operator is responsible for crop loss and property damage caused by its carelessness, but not for damage from hidden hazards the farmer didn't disclose. Both sides report damage promptly and allow inspection.
Does the agreement cover spraying?
Yes. The operator applies only products and rates the farmer approved, avoids drift, follows labels and the law, and shares application records.
Can changes be agreed by text?
Yes. The agreement allows changes by a text or email that both sides acknowledge.
Can it be signed electronically?
Yes. E-signatures are generally valid for agricultural service contracts in the US, UK, EU and Canada. FileIt keeps an audit trail with the signed PDF.