Illinois BidBuy #27-422DNR-REALT-B-54115

Illinois farm lease for conservation-focused agriculture at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking an agricultural operator for a conservation-focused farm lease at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area. - Government buyer: Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Clinton Lake State Recreation Area; the initial notice also identifies IDNR’s Office of Realty and Capital Planning and Real Estate Services and Consultation Division. - Opportunity: Farm Lease 27AL2101, BidBuy #27-422DNR-REALT-B-54115, in DeWitt County, Illinois. This is a farm lease, not a purchase of specified equipment or products. - Acreage and listed annual values: The available schedule lists 167.07 acres for crop years 2027, 2029, and 2031, at an estimated $21,050.82 per year; and 183.27 acres for crop years 2028 and 2030, at an estimated $23,092.02 per year. The contract materials cover crop years 2027–2032 and indicate annual acreage ranges from 33.70 to 183.27 acres, but do not map all acreage to individual years. A sixth schedule item is referenced but its details are unavailable. - Lease responsibilities: The lessee conducts farming under IDNR’s cropping plan and provides labor, machinery, tools, seed, fertilizer, equipment, and insurance. Field locations and the detailed cropping plan are referenced in Attachments A and B but are not available in the supplied material. - Notable conservation requirements: Support wildlife habitat and recreation, protect soil health and water quality, and reduce erosion and chemical impacts. Requirements include conservation practices, soil testing, and annual application and yield records; restrictions apply to neonicotinoid-treated soybean seed, Dicamba, and biosolids. - Award and term: The award is intended for the responsive and responsible bidder offering the highest overall price. The lease covers the 2027–2032 crop years, lasts approximately five years and five months, and may not be renewed. It begins on the later of the lease start or the IDNR Director’s signature and ends during 2032. - Named organizations: IDNR is the buyer. The initial notice identifies Excelon Corporation as the landowner in an attached tax statement, while the posting describes the property as State-owned and IDNR-managed. No agricultural operator or product manufacturer is named as a vendor or OEM. - Equipment: Attachment G is identified as an Equipment List, but no equipment products, part numbers, or quantities are provided in the supplied summaries.

Description

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids for agricultural farming services through a farm lease on state-owned property at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area. The lease covers specified fields and acreage, with detailed locations and acreage information referenced in the attached IFB documents. The agricultural lease program is intended to support wildlife and recreation and promote practices that improve soil health and water quality while minimizing erosion and chemical impacts. Bids are due November 18, 2026, at 2:00 PM; a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for October 22, 2026.

View original listing