How Do We Preserve Our Family’s Legacy When Selling the Farm?
You can sell an Iowa family farm without losing your family’s legacy. Although the land may change owners, your family’s history can still live on. For example, you can save photos, record family stories, preserve old records, and keep meaningful items. You may also be able to keep the farmhouse or a small piece of […]
775+ Decisions Behind a Single Corn Crop
A farmer can make more than 775 decisions that affect a single corn crop. From soil fertility and hybrid selection to planting speed, crop insurance, grain marketing, equipment purchases, and succession planning, modern farming requires hundreds of interconnected decisions every year. You see a cornfield. A farmer sees hundreds of decisions. To someone driving past […]
How Do Families Make Farm Decisions?
How do families make farm decisions? The most successful farm families make decisions through open communication, shared goals, careful planning, and a clear understanding of both financial and family priorities. Whether the decision involves buying land, selling farmland, leasing acres, or passing the farm to the next generation, collaboration is often the key to long-term […]
Farmland Owner? Here’s What to Do If Your Kids Live Out of State
Farmland owners whose children live out of state should prioritize estate planning, clear legal documentation, and defined management strategies. Proactive planning—including trusts, leasing arrangements, and professional farm managers—protects the land’s value and reduces conflict among heirs across different states. More American families face this reality every year: the family farm stays rooted in the Midwest […]
Fair vs. Equal: Why Farm Succession Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
Equal division of farm assets—splitting everything 50/50—often creates more conflict than it resolves. True fairness in farm succession means accounting for each heir’s contribution, involvement, and future role, then building a plan that reflects those realities rather than a simple formula. Few conversations are harder to have on a family farm than succession planning. Who […]
How to Make Your Farm More Attractive to the Next Buyer
To make your farm more attractive to buyers, prioritize enhancing visual appeal, modernizing farm infrastructure, and organizing your financial documents. Updating equipment and proving sustainable practices will maximize your land’s value, ensuring a smoother transaction and a higher final sale price. Selling Midwestern farmland is a major financial milestone, especially when planning for retirement or […]