Industry Insights Blogs

In this edition of the Landowner Insights series, Dr. Dave Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets is joined by Liz Krause, CPA and Senior Manager at MHCS; Paul Neiffer, CPA and primary author of the FarmCPAReport.com blog; and Tyler Bruch, CEO, Founder, and Farmer at Boa Safra Ag, LLC. Together, they discuss the tax benefits of farmland ownership.

While farmland value is primarily driven by land quality, water rights, and production potential, agribusiness assets are valued based on operational efficiency and EBITDA performance, with technology, processing capacity, and supply chain management playing key roles.

As solar energy expands across rural America, landowners are increasingly receiving enticing offers to lease their land for solar development.

In the latest edition of the Landowner Insights series, Dr. Dave Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets is joined by Brian Klippenstein, Consultant at Missouri Water Center, Ambassador Gregg Doud, President & CEO of National Milk Producers Federation, and Iowa Senator Michael Bousselot.

The appraisal team at Peoples Company was able to track 69 tracts or 6,511 acres sold at public auction in Iowa during April 2025. The average dollar per acre was $12,136, the average dollar per tillable acre was $15,979, and the average dollar per CSR2 was $185.

When managing an estate, an appraisal plays a vital role in determining the fair market value of assets such as real estate and farmland. This valuation is essential for ensuring accurate tax calculations, fair inheritance distribution, and legal compliance. Understanding the appraisals' purpose can help protect family wealth and simplify the estate planning process.

Peoples Company tracks agricultural auctions across the state of Iowa. From this data, we calculate the average dollar per CSR2 point ($/CSR2) for sales of tracts with greater than 85% tillable land. Additionally, these tracts are largely unimproved or include minimal improvement contribution.

The appraisal team at Peoples Company was able to track 50 tracts or 4,981 acres sold at public auction in Iowa during March 2025. The average dollar per acre was $12,597, the average dollar per tillable acre was $13,722, and the average dollar per CSR2 was $176.

In the March edition of the Landowner Insights series, Dr. Dave Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets is joined by Peoples Company land professionals Hunter Norland, Curtis Buono, and George Baird to discuss current market trends.

The appraisal team at Peoples Company was able to track 65 tracts or 7,510 acres sold at public auction in Iowa during February 2025. The average dollar per acre was $12,178, the average dollar per tillable acre was $13,263, and the average dollar per CSR2 was $171.