AG Decision Maker

Sales comparison approach to appraisal: why market evidence matters This article is the third in a three-part series examining the primary methods used to appraise farmland in Iowa and across the Midwest. The first article explored the income approach and how earning power, capitalization rates, and discounting future cash flows help explain farmland values.

Cattle Marketing Decisions Reduced availability of feed and forage has some livestock producers making decisions now they hadn’t originally planned on for their livestock. Two Decision Tool calculators have been developed to aid in decisions regarding the sale and repurchase of cattle. The first Decision Tool, Cow Sell Calculator compares opportunities for marketing cows now or incurring additional costs to target other (later) markets.

When crops and land part ways The farmland market continues to demonstrate resilience, even as farm financial conditions weaken. Recently released surveys from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Ag Credit Survey) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (AgLetter) both highlight the pressure that elevated input costs, weaker commodity prices, and higher interest rates are placing on farm incomes.

Foreign-held farmland in the United States and Iowa: scale, use, and ownership trends Foreign interest in US farmland has received growing public and political attention in recent years, with discussions often centered on national security, food systems, and access to rural land. While the issue has gained visibility in headlines and policy debates, federal data show that the overall scale of foreign-held agricultural land remains relatively limited.

2025 farmland leasing arrangements workshops: better leases for better relationships Farm tenants and landowners are encouraged to attend a local meeting or virtual webinar option. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting a series of farmland leasing arrangements meetings across the state throughout July and August, as well as a statewide virtual webinar on Aug. 26.

Tracking farm consolidation with the Share Weighted Size Index (SWSI) Understanding how farm size shapes agricultural production is critical for interpreting structural changes in the farm economy. Traditionally, average or median farm size has been used to track these trends. But these simple statistics can be misleading.

EPA’s surprise announcement for soybeans Positive policy news on the biofuels front has been in short supply for a while now. The industry was highly concerned about the future settings for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the driving policy for the industry over the past couple of decades. Given the administration’s desire to reduce policy involvement in many industries, it was thought we might see similar adjustments for bioenergy.

A good start for big crops In May, USDA provides the first in-season outlook for the upcoming crop year. By this time, nearly three months have past since the Ag Outlook Forum at the end of February. Planting is often rolling along, and USDA will update its acreage estimates to the March Prospective Plantings numbers. But USDA will also revise their usage forecasts based on the usage shifts over the past few months.

Exports still leading the charge The end of March and beginning of April brings a slew of data from USDA. In March, the Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings reports revealed that crop usage remains strong, keeping stocks manageable, farmers expect to shift many acres from soybeans to corn. In April, USDA updates the WASDE report to shift their crop usage estimates to line up with those stock estimates.

Gains outside the traditional numbers The February USDA update showed no changes for the US corn and soybean supply and use tables, with the exception of prices. But there were a few numbers moving within the report that will feedback to impact those tables. For the prices, USDA moved their 2024-25 season-average price estimates up 10 cents for corn and down 10 cents for soybeans.