June 2025 Wallace’s Farmer MarketPlace Extra

It is hard to believe we are nearly to the halfway mark on what just seems like a new year! And similar to the fast start to the calendar year, planting season is also now almost in the bag. We enjoyed a warm and dry weather window in mid-April, which allowed planters to roll earlier than normal in the southern two-thirds of Iowa. Cool rains then slowed activity, before resuming widespread fieldwork the first full week in May. And now, planting is virtually complete, and the countryside is quickly greening.  

As I reported last month, the land market firmed this spring and appears to be trading in a sideways pattern. There is currently little inventory of land for sale across the State, which has supported land prices. I attribute the sales volume slowdown to a combination of the typical annual “breather” around planting season, along with some additional general economic uncertainty this year from tariffs and geo-political tensions. In the past, I’ve observed that when people lack a firm handle on what they believe will happen in the economy, they often tap the breaks from making major decisions. For some land Sellers still considering a sale, they are trying to play out all the possible scenarios and make the best decision. And for those Sellers who moved forward with a sale the past 90 days, they were largely rewarded, as you will see below.

NORTHWEST

Osceola County:

Located east of Sibley, 318 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $17,400 per acre. The farm consisted of 309 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 (Corn Suitability Rating index) of 90.0, and equaled $199 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: This land was leased for the 2025 crop year, with the buyer receiving $300/tillable acre cash rental income.

NORTH CENTRAL

Wright County:

Located Northeast of Belmond, 160 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $14,000 per acre. The farm consisted of 155 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 76.4, and equaled $189 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

NORTHEAST

Fayette County:

Located southeast of Hawkeye, 73 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $9,600 per acre. The farm consisted of 73 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 74.8, and equaled $128 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

WEST CENTRAL

Crawford County:

Located south of Westside, 193 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $13,250 per acre. The farm consisted of 190 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 73.1, and equaled $184 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

CENTRAL

Grundy County:

Located northeast of Wellsburg, 70 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $18,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 69 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 93.2, and equaled $201 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

EAST CENTRAL

Linn County:

Located east of Springville, 51 +/- acres recently sold for $15,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 47 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 87.4, and equaled $192 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

SOUTHWEST

Mills County:

Located southeast of Glenwood, 238 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $11,550 per acre. The farm consisted of 230 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 75.8, and equaled $158 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: This land was leased for the 2025 crop year, with the buyer receiving $355/tillable acre cash rental income.

SOUTH CENTRAL

Ringgold County:

Located southeast of Mt. Ayr, 235 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $4,500 per acre. This farm consisted of 183 +/- tillable acres and a CSR2 of 40.0. The property has been utilized exclusively as a grazing pasture with 4 ponds, areas of timbered draws, and waterways.

SOUTHEAST

Keokuk County:

Located northwest of Keota, 80 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $16,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 79 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 84.1, and equaled $199 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

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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