As the average age of Iowa’s farmland owners continues to rise, other trends in landownership have begun to emerge. According to an Iowa State University study, 58 percent of Iowa’s farmland is now leased out, a significant increase from the last time the same study was conducted in 2017. An Iowa State researcher says, ?This represents a relative increase of roughly one million acres over five years, which is quite significant.? Conducted by Iowa State since the 1940s, the Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey–completed every five years–focuses on forms of ownership, tenancy and transfer of farmland in Iowa, and characteristics of landowners. Farmland leases also increasingly favor cash rent over crop sharing and owner-operating arrangements. In 2017, 82 percent of leased farmland was cash rented, but cash rent, predominantly fixed-cash rental contracts, now account for 87 percent of leased land. The survey found that the average age of Iowa’s farmland owners is still increasing.
Survey details farmland ownership in Iowa
