Iowa Farmland Ownership & Tenure 1982-1997:
A Fifteen-Year Perspective

Charles A. Pieper and Neil E. Harl

Farmland Ownership and Tenure in Iowa 1982-1997: A Fifteen-year Perspective" carries out the mandate of the Iowa Legislature. This study focuses on forms of ownership and tenancy of farmland ownership in Iowa in 1997. The purpose of the study is to identify new trends and compare old trends using the 1982 and 1992 data. Identification of trends and comparisons of farmland ownership and tenure are analyzed for the following areas:
  • agricultural landholdings by type of ownership;
  • demographics of owners;
  • how land is acquired, held, transferred, and managed;
  • tenancy of land and identifiable trends in the tenancy relationship;
  • demographics of landlords and lengths of tenancy; and
  • the impact of conservation programs and other practices which sometimes assign limited interests in land to governmental or private organizations with an objective of influencing land use patterns.

    Farmland ownership and tenure are analyzed for all types of farmland owners in a general sample. Also, a sample was drawn and analyzed for limited liability companies. A single questionnaire was used for the study with different sampling and weighting techniques for the two samples. Major conclusions from this study on ownership and tenure in Iowa are:

  • ownership structure has shifted from sole, corporate, and co-ownership to partnerships, trusts, and limited liability companies between 1982 and 1997;
  • in 1997, only 38.8 percent of Iowa farmland was owner-operated and between 1982 and 1997, a 15-year period, there was a 30 percent decrease in owner-operated farmland;
  • more than 66 percent of Iowa farmland was owned by persons 55 years and older in 1997 with a large increase in the group 55-64 years of age, compared with 62 percent in that 55 years and older age group in 1992 and 50 percent in 1982;
  • in 1997, roughly 60 percent of Iowa farmland was free of debt, which is less than 1992 or 1982; and
  • anticipated methods of farmland transfer are moving away from willing to family members toward giving or selling to family members.

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