October 2025 Wallace’s Farmer MarketPlace Extra

I’m sure many of you have heard the phrase, “Steady as she goes” to describe a variety of things in life. As summer turns to fall, the Iowa market has seen a slow building of land sales activity including a small flush of pre-harvest sales, with generally steady results. Even more sales are scheduled to follow harvest, which will certainly test the depth of today’s market. 

Many prospective land sellers are watching two key factors closely: crop yields and the potential for a timely cut in short-term interest rates. Both could support stronger sale results, but time will tell. What we do know is that the State of Iowa enjoyed more widespread rainfall throughout the 2025 growing season, compared to recent years. But whether that wet weather leads to the potential big yields that everyone is hoping for is a question that won’t fully be answered until combines begin to roll over the next 30 days. Some anticipate a little top-end yield loss because of plant disease pressures that flourished through the wet second-half-of-summer weather patterns. Having been out in some fields, I will agree. However, I’ve always also said I’d rather fight having disease come into a crop, versus watching it shrivel from a drought. 

As for farmland sales between now and year-end, I’ve mentioned before that this market setup reminds me of 2015 to 2019, when we last experienced prolonged profitability pressures. During that time, producers did all they could to “bushel-through” the commodity price weakness, and they continued to participate in acquiring nearby farms when it made operational sense. Based on the early land sales this fall, I anticipate much of the Iowa land market will approach the land market in a similar way. Long-game thinking. At times, the market may feel like walking a tightrope—but for now, steady as she goes.

NORTHWEST

Palo Alto County:

Located northeast of Mallard, 160 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $15,600 per acre. The farm consisted of 154 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 (Corn Suitability Rating index) of 86.6, and equaled $187 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

NORTH CENTRAL

Carro Gordo County:

Located west of Mason City, 77 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $8,400 per acre. The farm consisted of 73 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 69.1, and equaled $128 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

NORTHEAST

Clayton County:

Located west of Edgewood, 164 +/- acres recently sold for $14,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 155 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 84.0, and equaled $183 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

WEST CENTRAL

Sac County:

Located east of Schaller, 132 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $15,700 per acre. The farm consisted of 130 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 95.9, and equaled $166 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: 10 +/- acres of the tillable land are enrolled in a CRP contract that expires in 2035 and pays $300/acre annually.

CENTRAL

Tama County:

Located northeast of Garwin, 156 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $12,700 per acre. The farm consisted of 151 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 89.8, and equaled $146 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

EAST CENTRAL

Iowa County:

Located north of Williamsburg, 147 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $11,600 per acre. The farm consisted of 142 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 71.4, and equaled $168 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

SOUTHWEST

Cass County:

Located southwest of Massena, 80 +/- acres recently sold at public auction for $6,000 per acre. The farm consisted of 54 +/- tillable acres with an average CSR2 of 55.0, and equaled $162 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: The balance of this land was comprised of pasture.

SOUTH CENTRAL

Marion County:

Located north of Pleasantville, 43 +/- acres recently sold for $12,488 per acre. This farm consisted of 40 +/- tillable acres with an average CSR2 of 85.3, and equaled $159 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.  Note: The access to this land was provided only through an easement.

SOUTHEAST

Louisa County:

Located west of Columbus Junction, 60 +/- acres recently sold for $12,398 per acre. The farm consisted of 59 +/- tillable acres with a CSR2 of 81.3, and equaled $155 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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