Some farmers own large amounts of land. Others own none. Some are determined to keep land in the family, while for others the land is simply part of a business operation. Some steer combines across huge fields while others bend down to hand pick crops from an acre or two. There is no perfect arrangement.
Recent surveys show land ownership hasn t changed dramatically in the past few years.
More than two-thirds of the farmland in Iowa is still owned by individuals or partnerships. Most of it is owned by farmers, although the average age of ag land owners is climbing. Non-farm corporations do not appear to be big ag land owners. Much of the land is also free of debt. Iowa s ag land owners are diverse, ranging from some farmers who own as much as 5,000 or 10,000 acres, to others who raise a few cows or some vegetables on 5 or 10 acres.