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How farmers can visualize their ideal retirement
Retirement for farmers can be equal parts freeing, bittersweet and daunting. There are many emotions that go into farming when you are active that can weigh heavily on your mind when retirement age...
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Are you ready to buy farmland? Here's what you should consider.
Buying farmland is a major opportunity. Not only does more land mean the potential for larger business operations – and hopefully higher farm revenue – but it also could be one of the...
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5 reasons why farmland might be investors' best bet
Investors looking for a financially sound long-term investment that is highly likely to generate returns should look no further than farmland. Plus, what’s better about farmland than many other...
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Here's how to find a good tenant farmer for your land
When you own farmland, the land’s success directly translates to your success. If you are like many landowners, though, that also means ensuring the success of a tenant farmer who is...
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5 crop insurance myths that farmers should know about
Crop insurance is always changing. There’s a lot to keep track of year to year and, with all those changes, plenty of misinformation and misconceptions cloud farmers’ and...
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How to manage the stress that comes with farming
Farming is not for the faint of heart. Though that’s likely not news to anyone involved in agriculture in any way, it’s certainly a fact that needs to be acknowledged. With all the hard...
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There’s a lot to consider when selling farmland
There’s a lot to consider when weighing a decision on selling farmland. It’s a decision that should never be rushed or reached without careful research, proper partnerships and sound...
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What you need to know about getting started in farming
Farming isn’t for everyone, but this basic truth that just about everyone in the industry acknowledges has not been keeping some people away from trying to get their start as beginning...
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How crop insurance helps farmers manage risk
Crop insurance is a farmer’s best friend when managing risk. These programs have been around since the Great Depression, when Congress first implemented the federal crop insurance program....
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Why soil stewardship matters for your farm
Soil quality matters for every farm operation. There’s no getting around this fact. For a farm to be successful, the people who operate it must realize the vital role soil stewardship and...
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Every farm lease needs to include these critical elements
Leasing farmland is a common practice. In Iowa, more than half of farmland is rented to tenant farmers, per Iowa State University. That increases to as much as two-thirds of farmland in areas of...
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What you should know about finding a farmland tenant
This is often not an easy decision and it's one that should never be reached lightly. However, the process of finding a tenant can result in an ideal partnership that can lead to better returns on...
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Your guide to crop insurance basics
Crop insurance is a necessity for many farmers. In fact, according to the USDA, the majority of farmland acreage in the U.S. is insured under the Federal Crop Insurance Program - more than 300...
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Here's what farmers need to know about wetlands
Wetlands, known as natural water filters, are vital to protecting water sources and supplies that our population uses for drinking water and our farmers use for production. However, many of the...
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Don't overlook these benefits of buying farmland
Buying farmland can be a great business move for both farmers and investors. Owning agricultural land can open the doors to many excellent tax advantages, business growth strategies and investment...
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What farmers and farmland owners should know about succession
Succession is not everyone’s favorite topic. In farming, succession normally means passing on land or farm operations to a family member, heir or employee. This process takes a lot of time and...
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What you should know about farmland appraisals
Farmland is an undeniably valuable asset. Farm real estate, which includes land and structure, accounts for 80 percent of the total value of all farm assets in the United States in recent years,...
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Answer these questions before buying farmland
Buying farmland is always a major decision that requires having the right information. Without knowing how to get that information, though, you could be left stuck on whether or not to go through...
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Why you should plant cover crops when taking prevented planting
After a very wet spring flooded many Midwest farmers, the region’s summer weather so far has not done much to decrease the drenching of fields. Many fields are simply too wet to...
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Why landowners should discuss conservation with farmer tenants
More than half of Iowa farmland is owned by someone other than the farmer. Across the United States, more than half of farmland is farmed by tenant farmers, so this is not unique to Iowa. Likewise,...
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What you should know about leasing farmland
Leasing farmland is very common. In Iowa, more than half of farmland is rented to tenants who actually farm on the land. This varies by region, according to Iowa State University Extension and...
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Here's what you should know about buying and selling farmland
It's no secret that buying or selling farmland is a major step for farmers. Many farmers look to take the step or make investments for the future at some point in their careers. In fact, according...
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What is extended crop rotation and could it help your farm?
Crop rotation is one of the oldest land conservation practices used by farmers. In recent years, though, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has taken an interest in promoting crop...
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What you need to know about the 2018 Farm Bill
Toward the end of 2018, it wasn't clear whether the new Farm Bill version would be approved. Its predecessor, the 2014 Farm Bill, expired on Sept. 30. Thankfully, last month both the House and the...
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Everything You Need to Know About Crop Insurance
Agriculture is one of the driving forces of our economy, contributing well over $992 billion each year. Though it's a huge industry, farming is not without its risk. Crops can be damaged quickly,...
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8 Tips for Purchasing Farm Property in Iowa: What You Should Know Before You Buy
There are 35.7 million acres of land in Iowa and 30 of them are farmland. That means 90% of the entire state is farming property. Iowa farmers are proud of their number one ranking in the United...
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