July 2025 Wallace’s Farmer MarketPlace Extra

The 2025 growing season is rolling. Throughout Iowa, we enjoyed one of the smoothest spring planting seasons in recent memory. An early calendar start was paused with a 10-day break because of widespread rains, before comfortably concluding in mid-late May. This should allow for clear comparisons between the early planted and normal planted crop. And now, the crop is growing fast and changing daily.

The Iowa land market continues to adjust and change, as well. Grain prices have marginally improved in early 2025 compared to most of 2024, and the springtime government payment support helped inject some cash-flow and confidence in the countryside. However, I believe the biggest difference in the current land market is related to simple supply and demand. That is, demand for additional land continues to outpace supply. So, when a decent farm comes to the market, there’s still enough demand to compete and drive a strong price. It’s an interesting dynamic, because I also believe demand for land is overall lower today than it was 12 months ago – but the supply of available farms is even comparatively lower today than 12 months ago – thereby, a market that still has some price vigor. The 2nd quarter Chicago Fed report effectively said the same – Iowa land prices were reported level year-over-year, after factoring in a 4% Q1–2025 bump, which they attributed to a supply shortage. The sales noted below are a testament to these ongoing market dynamics.

NORTHWEST

Sioux County:

Located south of Rock Valley, 80 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $20,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 75 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 (Corn Suitability Rating index) of 86.0, and equaled $254 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

NORTH CENTRAL

Cerro Gordo County:

Located west of Dougherty, 80 +/- acres recently sold via sealed bid for $15,513 per acre. The farm consisted of 71 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 85.2, and equaled $205 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

NORTHEAST

Black Hawk County:

Located on the south edge of LaPorte City, 39 +/- acres recently sold via sealed bid for $12,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 38 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 84.3, and equaled $152 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

WEST CENTRAL

Greene County:

Located west of Churdan, 80 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $12,700 per acre. The farm consisted of 75 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 87.5, and equaled $155 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

CENTRAL

Hardin County:

Located southeast of Iowa Falls, 153 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $14,400 per acre. The farm consisted of 149 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 87.5, and equaled $169 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

EAST CENTRAL

Benton County:

Located north of Belle Plaine, 151 +/- acres recently sold for $13,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 149 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 82.7, and equaled $165 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

SOUTHWEST

Adair County:

Located south of Stuart, 88 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $13,200 per acre. The farm consisted of 70 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 78.8, and equaled $210 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: The non-tillable land included a timber-lined creek that divided this farm.

SOUTH CENTRAL

Decatur County:

Located southeast of Leon, 184 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $4,600 per acre. This farm consisted of 81 +/- tillable acres and a CSR2 of 33.5. The property has been utilized as a grazing pasture with 2 ponds, areas of heavy timber and timbered draws, along with a 40’ x 60’ enclosed machine shed and a 12,000-bushel grain bin. 

SOUTHEAST

Des Moines County:

Located west of Mediapolis, 156 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $10,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 134 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 78.5, and equaled $156 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. The balance of the farm consists of timber and a pond.

Hensley is president of Hertz Real Estate Services, which compiled this list, but did not handle all sales. Call Hertz at  800-593-5263  or visit hertz.ag.

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