Farming of City Owned Property

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FARMING OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY
FOR THE
CITY OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS
DUE DATE:
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
4:00 P.M. (CDT)

Part I: Project Overview
Statement of Purpose
The City of Columbia, Illinois (the "City") is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit
proposals from qualified and experienced farmers to lease and farm certain Cityowned
agricultural property. The successful respondent will be responsible for the planting, cultivation,
and harvesting of crops on designated tillable acreage in a manner consistent with generally
accepted agricultural practices and all applicable local, State, and Federal laws.
The purpose of this RFP is to ensure productive use of Cityowned land while protecting the City's
property interests, supporting sound landmanagement practices, and generating lease revenue
for the community.
Property Locations
The Cityowned property subject to this RFP includes the following parcels (collectively, the "Farm
Property"). A map of the Farm Property may be found attached as Exhibit A.
Group Parcel Number(s) General Location Total Acres Approx. Tillable Acres
04-26-400-006-000 West of Illinois State Route 3
A 53.89 36.86
04-26-400-007-000 (South of Columbia City Limits)
04-18-400-006-000
B 2577 Bottom Road 74.72 28.71
04-17-300-006-000
04-10-400-001-000
C 04-10-400-005-000 1363 Bremser Road 63.43 26.7
11-10.0-400-015
The City makes no guarantee as to the exact number of tillable acres. Proposers are encouraged
to inspect the property prior to submitting a proposal and to verify tillable acreage as part of their
due diligence.
Part II: Operation of the Farm Property
Duties of the Selected Proposer
The proposer awarded a lease (the "Farmer") shall be responsible for the following:
1. Farming the City-owned land in a timely, careful, and businesslike manner using generally
accepted agricultural practices.
2. Maintaining the farmed area in a neat, orderly, and safe condition.
3. Preventing unnecessary waste, damage, or loss to City property.
4. Complying with all applicable federal, State of Illinois, and local laws, regulations, and
ordinances.
5. Implementing appropriate soil conservation and erosion-control measures and complying
with all applicable soil-loss standards.
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6. Providing all labor, equipment, seed, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, and other inputs necessary
for the farming operation.
7. Cooperating with the City's seasonal leaf collection program, including the acceptance and
incorporation of mulched leaf debris deposited by the City at the Farm Property (City
currently utilizes its farm ground at 2577 Bottom Road for this purpose; however, alternative
City-owned agricultural property may be utilized).
8. Incorporating mulched leaf debris into the soil at agronomic application rates using
standard agricultural tillage practices, at no cost to the City.
9. [APPLICABLE TO GROUP A] Government Programs Compliance: The Farmer must operate
the land in compliance with all applicable United States Department of Agriculture
programs. Specifically, the Farmer shall assume responsibility for the existing Conservation
Reserve Program contract associated with the property located west of Illinois State Route
3. In exchange for maintaining compliance, the Farmer will be entitled to receive the
$119.00 annual payment from the USDA for the duration of the lease.
10. Refraining from any activity that would interfere with current or future municipal use of the
property.
11. Application of an estimated use rate of fertilizer in year one, followed by a minimum of
removal rates from the previous crop (based on U of IL removal rates) in each additional
crop year of the lease. A soil fertility test may be required to validate the fertilizer
replacement process.
Duties of the City
The City shall:
1. Collect and deliver mulched leaf debris generated through the City's seasonal leaf
collection program to the Farm Property, if determined necessary.
a. Coordinate the timing and general location of leaf mulch deposition with the Farmer.
2. Grant the Farmer access to the Farm Property for the term of the lease, subject to City
needs and reasonable access limitations.
3. Retain ownership of the land and utility/access rights.
4. Maintain responsibility for major infrastructure not directly related to farming operations,
unless otherwise specified in the lease agreement.
5. Obtain a soil fertility test to establish baseline prior to commencement of lease term.
Part III: Lease Terms
1. Lease Term: The anticipated lease term is three (3) years, beginning on or about March 1,
2027, subject to City Council approval.
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2. Rent: Proposals shall state a proposed rental rate expressed as dollars per tillable acre per
year ($/acre/year).
3. Payment Schedule: Rent shall be payable annually in advance, unless otherwise
negotiated.
4. Taxes: The Farmer shall be responsible for any taxes or assessments arising directly from
farming operations, if applicable.
5. Partial Land Reclamation: The City reserves the right to reclaim specific portions of the
Farm Property prior to the expiration of the lease term. This includes, but is not limited to,
land that may be required for municipal utility extensions, infrastructure projects, or other
public purposes. In the event of such partial reclamation, the City will provide the Farmer
with reasonable written notice. The Farmer's annual rent shall then be reduced on a pro-
rata basis corresponding exactly to the tillable acreage removed from agricultural
production.
6. Termination: The lease shall include provisions allowing termination for default,
nonperformance, or municipal necessity.
Part IV: Submission of Proposals
The City of Columbia anticipates the following schedule for this RFP process. The City reserves the
right to modify these dates as necessary.
* RFP Issued / Advertised: Friday, September 11, 2026
* Deadline for Questions: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 (4:00 PM CDT)
* Proposals Due: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (4:00 PM CDT)
* Selection / Anticipated Award: Monday, October 5, 2026
The City reserves the right to modify this schedule.
Proposal Contents
Each proposal shall include, at a minimum:
1. Proposer's name, address, phone number, and email contact.
2. Description of farming experience, including years of operation and type of crops grown.
3. Description of proposed farming practices and crop plan.
4. Proposed rental rate in $/tillable acre/year.
5. Proof of required insurance.
6. Any additional information the proposer believes relevant.
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Proposers may submit a bid for any individual Group (A, B, or C), any combination of Groups, or a
consolidated bid for all City-owned Farm Property.
Submittal Instructions
Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed and clearly marked:
"RFP - Farming of CityOwned Property"
Proposals must be delivered to:
City of Columbia
ATTN: Kelly Mathews, Deputy City Clerk
208 S. Rapp Ave.
Columbia, IL 62236
Late proposals will not be accepted.
Part V: Proposal Evaluation and Selection
Minimum Requirements
1. Demonstrated experience in agricultural operations.
2. Ability to comply with all RFP requirements.
3. Ability to provide required insurance coverage.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on, including but not limited to:
* Proposed rental rate
* Experience and qualifications
* Quality of proposed farming practices
* Overall benefit to the City
Selection
Award shall be made to the responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be most
advantageous to the City and in the City's best interest.
Part VI: Insurance Requirements
The selected Farmer shall, at their own expense, maintain:
* Commercial General Liability Insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per
occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate.
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* Workers' Compensation Insurance as required by Illinois law.
The City shall be named as an additional insured on the general liability policy.
Part VII: Reservation of Rights
The City reserves the right to:
* Reject any or all proposals
* Waive informalities or minor irregularities
* Cancel this RFP at any time
* Negotiate terms with the selected proposer
This RFP is an invitation for proposals only and does not constitute a contract.
Part VIII: Questions
Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing via email by Wednesday, September 23,
2026 (4:00 PM CDT) to:
Kelly Mathews, Deputy City Clerk
City of Columbia
kmathews@columbiail.gov
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Exhibit A - Group A
Parcels
Farm Property
0 500
Feet
Prepared By

Exhibit A - Group B
Parcels
Farm Property
0 1,000
Feet
Prepared By

Exhibit A - Group C
Parcels
Farm Property
0 376
Feet
Prepared By