Rochelle Approves Farm Lease Agreements For City Owned Land

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle City Council on Monday night approved a resolution authorizing farm lease agreements with Kevin Herrmann and Petry Farms for more than 55 acres of city owned land purchased for future City of Rochelle Railroad expansion projects. The land is intended for long term use related to the Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center expansion, a future rail bridge and a 200 foot wide strip of land extending about 1.3 miles south of the Lee Ogle County line. While planning for future rail development continues, the city will lease the property for farming. The leases are managed under an existing farm management agreement with Martin Goodrich Waddell Inc., approved in early 2025 and renewed automatically on a one year basis unless terminated with at least 30 days written notice. Under the arrangement, the city pays the farm manager 6 percent of gross revenues with a minimum annual fee of $1,500.