Abstract

Historically, land tenure theory tends to present the relationships between agricultural landowners and their renter as either a dominant renter-subordinate landlord relationship where the renter holds the power in decision-making on the land, or a dominant landlord-subordinate renter relationship where the landlord maintains the power over decisions on the land. However, these relationships are much more complex and nuanced, as more recent studies have begun to emphasize. In our study, we contribute to this evolving re-orientation in land tenure theory by showing the varying ways women landowners manage their renter relationship. Using qualitative interview data from 56 women agricultural landowners in the Midwestern U.S., we add detail to the nuances that exist in the landowner-renter relationship, helping to re-orient land tenure theory by increasing the understanding of the power dynamics at play within the patriarchal structure of U.S. agriculture.