Yes, the number of tillable acres on an Iowa farm can change over time. Acres may be added or removed from crop production because of drainage improvements, conservation programs, waterways, terraces, field boundaries, development, erosion, tree removal, or changes in how the land is farmed. That is why the advertised total acres and tillable acres of a farm are not always the same.
For Iowa farmland owners and buyers, understanding how many acres are actually tillable is important. Tillable acreage can affect farm income, rental potential, management, and how buyers evaluate a property.
It is also important to understand where the tillable-acre figure came from and whether it reflects current farming practices.
What Are Tillable Acres?
Tillable acres are generally the portion of a farm that can be used for crop production.
On an Iowa row-crop farm, those acres may be planted to corn, soybeans, or other crops. However, not every acre within a property’s boundary is necessarily tillable.
A 160-acre farm, for example, may contain 150 tillable acres. The remaining land could include:
- Roads and ditches
- Waterways
- Trees
- Creeks
- Building sites
- Ponds
- Pasture
- Conservation areas
- Other non-crop acres
This is why total acres and tillable acres should be treated as two different measurements when evaluating farmland.
Can a Farm Gain Tillable Acres?
Yes. A farm can sometimes gain tillable acres when previously unfarmed areas are brought into crop production.
For example, a landowner might remove an old building site or clear certain areas where legally and practically appropriate. Improvements to drainage may also make some areas more practical to farm.
Field configurations can change as well. An operator may farm closer to an existing boundary or incorporate small areas that were previously left out of production.
However, just because land could physically be planted does not necessarily mean it should be.
Wetlands, highly erodible land, conservation restrictions, drainage requirements, and other rules may affect whether an area can or should be converted to crop production.
Can a Farm Lose Tillable Acres?
Yes. Tillable acreage can decrease too.
A landowner may take acres out of crop production for several reasons. For example, land could be converted to a grass waterway or enrolled in a conservation program.
Other reasons may include:
- New terraces
- Wider waterways
- Erosion control
- Wet areas
- Flooding
- Tree growth
- New buildings
- Road improvements
- Utility projects
- Development
- Changes to field access
- Conservation practices
Even small changes can add up across a farm.
That is why an older tillable-acre figure may not always represent how the farm is being operated today.
Do Conservation Programs Change Tillable Acres?
They can change the number of acres currently being cropped.
For example, acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) may have previously been used for crop production but are now maintained under the requirements of the conservation contract.
A farm could therefore have productive agricultural land that is not currently planted to row crops.
When buying or selling Iowa farmland, it is helpful to distinguish between currently cropped acres, conservation acres, and other land uses.
Buyers should also understand any existing conservation contracts and their terms.
Can Drainage and Tile Affect Tillable Acres?
Drainage improvements can affect how efficiently some Iowa farmland can be used.
Poorly drained areas may be difficult to plant consistently. Depending on the property and applicable regulations, drainage or tile improvements may improve the usability of certain areas.
However, drainage projects require careful planning.
Before altering drainage or bringing additional acres into production, landowners should determine whether wetlands, conservation requirements, drainage laws, easements, or other restrictions apply.
The fact that an area is wet does not automatically mean it can simply be tiled and farmed.
Can Trees Be Removed to Create More Tillable Acres?
Sometimes, but this needs to be evaluated carefully.
A farm may contain fence lines, overgrown areas, small groves, or other areas that appear capable of being converted to crop production.
However, removing trees does not automatically make the resulting acres productive farmland.
Consider the soil, slope, drainage, field efficiency, erosion potential, conservation requirements, and cost of clearing the land.
In some cases, keeping a tree line or other non-tillable area may make more sense than trying to gain a small amount of cropland.
Why Do FSA Acres and Actual Farmed Acres Sometimes Differ?
Different records can serve different purposes and may not always produce the same acreage figure.
Farm Service Agency records can be an important source of information about a farm’s cropland, programs, and historical production. However, buyers and sellers may also encounter figures from surveys, leases, precision-agriculture systems, assessor records, or current operators.
Those numbers may not always match exactly.
For example, the acres being planted by the current tenant may differ from another acreage figure associated with the property.
Instead of assuming one number is wrong, determine what each number represents.
Are Tillable Acres the Same as Cropland Acres?
Not necessarily.
Terms such as tillable acres, cropland acres, planted acres, FSA cropland, and taxable acres can refer to different measurements.
That distinction matters when evaluating Iowa farmland.
If a farm is advertised as having a certain number of tillable acres, a buyer should understand the source of that figure.
Likewise, sellers should avoid assuming that the farm’s total acreage is also its tillable acreage.
Clear acreage descriptions help buyers understand exactly what is being offered.
Does Changing Tillable Acreage Affect Farmland Value?
It can.
Tillable acreage is one factor buyers may consider when evaluating an Iowa farm. More productive acres can potentially mean more acres generating crop or rental income.
But the number of tillable acres alone does not determine value.
Buyers may also consider:
- CSR2
- Soil types
- Drainage
- Tile
- Field configuration
- Access
- Location
- Farm lease terms
- Conservation programs
- Improvements
- Recent comparable sales
- Local buyer demand
An additional five acres may be valuable if they are productive and fit efficiently into the field.
Five difficult-to-farm acres with drainage or access problems may be viewed differently.
Quality and usability matter along with quantity.
Can Tillable Acres Change After I Buy a Farm?
Yes.
The way a farm is operated can change after a purchase, provided those changes comply with applicable laws, contracts, conservation requirements, and other restrictions.
A new owner might change field boundaries, add conservation practices, improve drainage where permitted, or take certain areas out of production.
However, buyers should not purchase a property based solely on an assumption that additional acres can be converted to cropland.
Investigate first.
If potential additional tillable acreage is important to the purchase decision, verify what can legally and practically be done before closing.
Should I Verify Tillable Acres Before Selling My Iowa Farm?
Yes. Sellers should review the farm’s current acreage information before putting Iowa farmland on the market.
Start by gathering available records, which may include:
- FSA information
- Current farm leases
- Surveys
- Aerial maps
- Conservation information
- Crop records
- Precision-agriculture maps
- Information from the current operator
Then compare those records with how the farm is actually being used.
If different sources show different acreage figures, identify the reason for the difference rather than simply selecting the largest number.
Accurate information can help buyers evaluate the farm and reduce confusion during the sale.
Should Buyers Verify Tillable Acres?
Yes.
A buyer should understand the difference between total acres and the acres currently used for crop production.
If a property contains 160 total acres but 145 acres are represented as tillable, buyers should understand what makes up the remaining 15 acres.
They should also determine how the tillable-acre figure was calculated.
This becomes especially important when estimating cash rent, crop income, return on investment, or the effective purchase price per tillable acre.
Can Tillable Acres Change on an Iowa Farm?
Yes. Tillable acres can increase or decrease as land use, drainage, conservation practices, field boundaries, improvements, and farming practices change.
The important point is that tillable acreage is not always a permanent number.
For sellers, verify the current information before marketing the farm.
For buyers, understand where the acreage figure came from and what portions of the property are actually in crop production.
And if you are considering converting additional land to cropland, investigate the soils, drainage, conservation requirements, wetlands, and other restrictions before assuming those acres can be farmed.
Have Questions About the Acres on Your Iowa Farm?
At Whitaker Marketing Group, we work with Iowa farmland owners to understand the property they are selling before it reaches the market.
That includes reviewing total acreage, tillable acres, soils, CSR2, FSA information, access, drainage, improvements, conservation acres, and other characteristics buyers may consider.
Acreage numbers are important, but the story behind those numbers matters too.
Understanding what is actually being farmed is an important step toward understanding the property you own.
Land is our Brand.
