300 FW Kankakee FWA LaPorte Units Farm LeaseBid Documents

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, is soliciting cash bids under RFQ 0030088952 for farm lease services at the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area LaPorte Units, with responses due December 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The solicitation identifies no set-aside. Bids are not eligible for electronic submission through the Supplier Portal and must be emailed to Jen Reeves at JReeves@dnr.in.gov or faxed to 317-972-3275.

The lease covers approximately 125 acres at 4320 West Toto Road, North Judson, Indiana, and the listed jurisdiction is Johnson County. The tenant must plant and maintain an average of 125 acres of neonicotinoid-free crops, with annual rotations specified by field, and 32 acres of sunflowers each year with prescribed cultivation and herbicide application requirements, as detailed in Exhibits B and C. The attached lease form adds further operating conditions: the tenant leaves a designated percentage of crops unharvested for wildlife, gives three days' written notice before harvest, reports crop yields to the State's Property Manager, and bears all property taxes. The tenant must also carry comprehensive general public liability insurance with minimum limits of $700,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence, naming the State as an additional insured. Improvements become State property at expiration without compensation.

The term begins January 1, 2027, or on the State's last signature date if later, and ends December 31, 2030, or four years after the last signature if later. Renewal by mutual consent cannot exceed four years total. The cash bid equals 25 percent of the four-year rent, and the accepted highest bid covers first-year rent. The State may terminate for convenience on 90 days' written notice, with reimbursement limited to actual expenses incurred before the notice.

Evaluation rests on the highest cash bid and the bidder's performance and compliance history on past Indiana Department of Natural Resources leases. Past tenants who failed to comply with lease terms may be rejected. Bidders must comply with drug-free workplace, nondiscrimination, E-Verify, and non-collusion certification requirements. Bidders recommended for award must register with the State of Indiana within five days or face cancellation.