Cropland Production on Melvern Wildlife Area

The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, through the Kansas Department of Administration's Office of Procurement and Contracts, seeks competitive bids for cropland production services on the Melvern Wildlife Area located approximately 2 miles north and 12 miles east of Reading, Kansas in Leavenworth County. The procurement involves agricultural production on approximately 105 acres across two parcels: Tract 508 (20.1 acres) and Tract 513 (84.9 acres), with bidders required to submit proposals for both tracts on a dollars-per-acre basis. The contract term extends from the date of award through December 31, 2026, with options to renew for two additional five-year periods, creating a maximum contract length of eleven years. Key agricultural requirements include mandatory annual milo plantings, a three-species minimum cover crop mix on at least twenty-five percent of planted acres, prohibited fall tillage, standing crop requirements on field borders, use of only approved herbicides, and all crops must be harvested by November 15th. Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of three years' continuous active participation in comparable agricultural production and provide three references from the past three years. The bid closing date is March 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time, with written questions due by March 5, 2026. Award will be determined by the highest annual cash rent per acre bid for both tracts combined, with payment terms requiring fifty percent of annual rent due by April 1st and fifty percent due by December 1st of each year, plus an additional fifty percent payment for double-cropped acres.

Bidders may claim applicable bidder preference categories including Disabled Veteran Owned Business, State Use Purchases, or Certified Business designations with supporting documentation. All bidders must submit a current Tax Clearance Certificate from the Kansas Department of Revenue, completed Immigration Reform and Control certification, a Boycott of Israel form, and a Sexual Harassment form. Electronic bid submission is the preferred method and must be sent to procurement@ks.gov, though mailed or hand-delivered bids will be accepted if they arrive by 2:00 PM CST on the closing date. Vendors or bidders not initially invited to participate must notify the Procurement Officer of their intent to bid at least 24 hours prior to the event's closing date and time. Political subdivisions are permitted to utilize this contract under the same conditions as the State, with direct payment arrangements between the vendor and political subdivision. The State of Kansas accepts payment via Procurement Card (P-Card) with no additional charges permitted and requires acceptance of electronic funds transfer (EFT) upon contract award. The State reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bid responses and waive informalities, with no specific budget range or award values disclosed in the procurement documents.