NIGP 94493: Wheat Farming

NIGP 94493 Wheat Farming, an Item code, covers agricultural land leasing and farming operations on publicly owned open space and park property managed by county, city, and regional park departments. State and local governments use this code to solicit qualified agricultural operators to manage designated acreage under multi-year leases, with operators responsible for crop production, livestock management, soil health enhancement, water stewardship, and compliance with sustainability and carbon-reduction goals set by the issuing jurisdiction. Recent solicitations reflect a shift toward regenerative and organic agriculture practices, with evaluation heavily weighted toward environmental performance alongside operational experience and financial viability.

The overwhelming majority of recent activity comes from county park and open space departments and city parks and recreation agencies in the Mountain West and Southwest, principally Boulder County Parks & Open Space in Colorado (three separate agricultural leases posted between March and April 2026 ranging from 31 to 756 acres) and the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department in New Mexico (RFP-2025-755-PRK-MP for 10 acres at Alamo Field, due April 16, 2026). Boulder County's James Construction Agricultural Lease (RFP27426, due May 8, 2026) seeks operators for 31 acres of organic fruit and vegetable production with hay-production buffer, while its AHI Agricultural Lease (RFP27026, due April 21, 2026) encompasses 756 acres available for hay, forage, commodity crops, and livestock grazing with fixed annual rent of $28,375 starting 2027 plus maintenance fees. The City of Albuquerque procurement requires a minimum 3 years of farming experience on at least 10 acres, mandates 25 percent of total acreage devoted to wildlife cropping and habitat production, and demands familiarity with flood irrigation and coordination with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. All opportunities carry mandatory pre-proposal meetings and site visits, comprehensive insurance requirements (typically $1 million to $2 million general liability), and evaluation frameworks emphasizing sustainability alignment, operational plan suitability, and agricultural experience equally or above financial factors.