Legal Definitions - agister

An agister is an individual or business that provides pasture land and care for grazing animals belonging to another person, typically in exchange for payment. Essentially, an agister boards animals on their land for a fee, offering grazing opportunities and basic oversight.

• Example 1: Sarah owns several horses but her personal property's pasture is undergoing extensive renovation and reseeding. For six months, she needs a safe and suitable place for her horses to graze. She contracts with a local farm, "Green Meadows Ranch," which specializes in boarding horses on its vast pastures for a monthly fee. Green Meadows Ranch, by providing the grazing land and basic care for Sarah's horses in exchange for payment, is acting as an agister.

• Example 2: A large cattle ranch, "Bar M Ranch," experiences an unusually dry summer, causing their usual grazing lands to become insufficient for their herd. To prevent overgrazing and ensure their cattle remain well-fed, the Bar M Ranch arranges with a neighboring landowner, Mr. Henderson, who has surplus irrigated pasture. Mr. Henderson agrees to graze a portion of the Bar M Ranch's cattle for a set fee per head per month. In this scenario, Mr. Henderson is serving as an agister.

• Example 3: A small-scale sheep breeder, David, needs to rotate his flock to fresh pastures during the lambing season to ensure optimal health for the ewes and lambs. His own land is limited. He finds a specialized farm, "Shepherd's Haven," that offers seasonal grazing services for sheep, providing secure fencing and access to water, for a flat rate per flock. Shepherd's Haven, by offering its pastures and care for David's sheep for a fee, functions as an agister.