Farm tenants and landowners are invited to attend the August 13 meeting in Atlantic

Atlantic, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Cass County is hosting a farmland leasing meeting on Wednesday, August 13 at 2 PM. The meeting will be presented by Tim Christensen, Farm Management Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach at the Cass County Community Center, 805 West 10^th Street in Atlantic. The annual meeting is offered to address questions that landowners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland. The 2025 annual survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9% in 2025 to $271 per acre. This is the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre the previous two years of the survey.

Topics will include land values, market outlook, and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair rental rate, legal updates regarding leases and communicating with tenants or landowners. Farm Management Field Specialists will also address common questions when a lease is impacted by a farm estate or succession plan.

“More than half of Iowa’s farmland is rented, and strong landlord/tenant relationships are important for the long-term viability of Iowa’s valuable farmland,” said Ann Johanns, program specialist at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “While the trend in rental rates is fairly steady, individual agreements vary and attending a workshop is a great way to learn more or ask questions on specific aspects of farm lease arrangements.”

Tim Christensen, ISU Farm Management Specialist, speaks with an attendee at a previous meeting in Atlantic. (Photo credit: Lisa Scarbrough)

The two-and-a-half-hour workshop is designed to assist landowners, farm tenants and other agri-business professionals with current issues related to farmland ownership, management and leasing arrangements. Attendees will gain a better understanding of current cash rental rate surveys and factors driving next year’s rents such as market trends and input costs.

Each registrant will receive a 100-page workbook with resources regarding land leasing agreements such as surveys, sample written lease agreements and termination forms, along with many other publications. The workbook may be included in the registration fee in some county meetings and available for purchase in others.

Attend a local meeting

Registration is $25 per individual and includes materials. Pre-registration is encouraged as an additional $5 fee may be added if registering less than two calendar days before the meeting date. To register contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu.

The leasing meetings being held across Iowa are facilitated by farm management specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach, for other locations, visit the Ag Decision Maker events page at https://go.iastate.edu/AGDMEVENTS.

The Ag Decision Maker website provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.