Revenue Recognition

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Note 2—Revenue Recognition

For the majority of its leases, the Company receives at least 50% of the annual lease payment from tenants either during the first quarter of the year or at the time of acquisition of the related farm, with the remainder of the lease payment, generally secured by growing or harvested crops, due in the second half of the year. The rental income received is recorded on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The lease term generally includes periods when a tenant: (1) may not terminate its lease obligation early; (2) may terminate its lease obligation early in exchange for a fee or penalty that the Company considers material enough such that termination would not be probable; (3) possesses renewal rights and the tenant’s failure to exercise such rights imposes a penalty on the tenant material enough such that renewal appears reasonably assured; or (4) possesses bargain renewal options for such periods.

Certain of the Company’s leases provide for a rent payment determined as a percentage of the gross farm proceeds. Revenue under leases providing for a payment equal to a percentage of the gross farm proceeds are recorded at the guaranteed crop insurance minimums and recognized ratably over the lease term during the crop year. Upon notification from the grain or packing facility that a future contract for delivery of the harvest has been finalized or when the tenant has notified the Company of the total amount of gross farm proceeds, revenue is recognized for the excess of the actual gross farm proceeds and the previously recognized minimum guaranteed insurance.

Most of our farming leases range from two to three years for row crops and one to seven years for permanent crops. Leases in place as of September 30, 2017 have terms ranging from one to 25 years. Payments received in advance are included in deferred revenue until they are earned. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had $3.9 million and $1.0 million, respectively, in deferred revenue.

The following sets forth a summary of rental income recognized for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016:


	Rental income recognized
	For the three months ended				For the nine months ended
	September 30,				September 30,
(in thousands)	2017		2016		2017			2016
Leases in effect at the beginning of the year	$	3,187	$	3,098	$	9,348	$	9,760
Leases entered into during the year(1)		7,920		3,066		19,033		6,702
	$	11,107	$	6,164	$	28,381	$	16,462

(1)

Includes all leases resulting from acquisitions completed during the period including those leases acquired as a result of the AFCO mergers.

Future minimum lease payments from tenants under all non-cancelable leases in place as of September 30, 2017, including lease advances, when contractually due, but excluding, crop share and tenant reimbursement of expenses for the remainder of 2017 and each of the next four years and thereafter as of September 30, 2017 are as follows:


(in thousands)	Future rental
Year Ending December 31,	payments
2017 (remaining three months)	$	9,456
2018		26,559
2019		19,704
2020		7,548
2021		3,263
Thereafter		4,122
	$	70,652

Since lease renewal periods are exercisable at the option of the lessee, the preceding table presents future minimum lease payments due during the initial lease term only.

The Company records revenue from the sale of harvested crops when the harvested crop has been delivered to a grain facility and title has transferred. Revenues from the sale of harvested crops totaling $0.6 million and $0.8 million were recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $0.2 million and $0.6 million being recognized during the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Harvested crops delivered under marketing contracts are recorded using the fixed price of the marketing contract at the time of delivery to a grain facility. Harvested crops delivered without a marketing contract are recorded using the market price at the date the harvested crop is delivered to the grain facility and title has transferred.