Farming News
Guide: What to know about farm land appraisals
Farm land is an investment. The value of farm land has increased over recent years and continues to be a worthwhile method of investing money. But how do you know where you stand with your...
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How to keep farm equipment at peak performance during harvest
Harvest is in full swing here in northwest Iowa and the many farmers and farm workers are spending long hours working hard to provide for not only their families, but also the rest of the country and...
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Tips for Buying Farmland at An Auction
If you are looking to purchase farmland, you may want to consider an auction. The key benefit of purchasing land is a lower price and buying for a true market price. Buying property at an auction is...
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Managing Risk in Large Scale Farming
For farmers to get a good return on their investment, a risk management plan is essential. Learn about large-scale farming risks, their impact, and management. As you plan to manage your Iowa farm...
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Effective Ways to Increase Corn Yields on Your Farm
The global climatic change has also hurt corn yields. Air pollution has also been found to cause problems to food security. As many factors continue to affect crop yields, corn farmers share a...
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Ways Drone Technology is Used to Enhance Farm Management
The demand for drone technology in agriculture is increasing, as farmers are turning to it for innovative and rewarding agricultural practices. Learn how drones are being used to improve farm...
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4 Ways to Reduce Large Farm Management Costs
Large farm management can be rewarding but exhausting and expensive at the same time. Bigger farms have a higher risk of crop failure, require more investments, increased needs for farm inputs, and...
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Benefits of Cover Crops for Farmers: How They Can Improve Your Farm
Farmers have long known the benefits of cover crops and their importance in protecting and improving the soil. Cover crops are a vital part of sustainable farming and can offer many advantages to...
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Crop Rotation: How to Achieve Maximum Yields with Minimal Environmental Impact
Did you know that crop rotation is one of the oldest and most effective ways to improve soil health? Farmers practiced crop rotation from as early as 6000 BC in the Middle East. It's also a great...
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Save Money; Grow Feed for Your Livestock on Your Farm
Providing a nutritious diet for your animals is one of the most important decisions you will make as a livestock producer. Most farmers rely on commercial feeds to meet their animals' nutritional...
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Starting a Farm with No Money: How to Keep the Costs Low
Starting a farm with no money is something that few people dare to do. We all know that it takes money to make money and starting a farm from scratch without any capital might seem impossible. But...
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Connecting with the Earth: The Simple Guide to Living Off-Grid
Learn how to live off-grid by using fewer resources and meeting your basic needs while living in harmony with nature. Do you want to live a life that is less dependent on the modern world? Do you...
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Turn Your Farm into A Money Machine: Smart Farming Tips
Many people think that farming is a dying profession, but there are many profitable opportunities for those who know what they're doing. Find out some innovative strategies to use to make your farm...
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Farm Water: Potential Contaminants Every Landowner Should Know
If you are a landowner with an agricultural operation, your water system is especially vulnerable to potential contaminants. When it comes to protecting the quality of your groundwater, there are...
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11 Steps to a Fool-Proof Farm Business Plan: How to Stay True to Your Vision
A farm business plan helps you stay true to your vision and the mission of the operation. Learn why planning is so important in today's agricultural landscape. A farm business plan is a...
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5 things to agree on with a renter before renting out your farm
If you have decided to rent out your farm, you want to ensure that you are getting the best value for your farm. In most cases, it’s not just about the state of the land as it is now but also...
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High Tech Applications for the Modern Farm
Farmers are no doubt among the most diligent workers today. Through their efforts, everyone can have a meal on their table. However, farming is demanding, and physical labor significantly slows down...
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On-Farm Safety: Preventive Measures for Every Farm Owner
Farms can get quite busy, especially during planting and harvesting. Livestock farmers also have their share of heavy work during periods such as weaning off livestock offspring. It is during these...
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Plantation Management: Why is Plantation Software Necessary for Large Farm Enterprises?
Find out how you can maximize your productivity using a plantation management solution and what features it should have to improve your overall operations. Many large farms are using plantation...
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How do you know what your farm is worth?
Every farmland owner should know what their farm is worth – even if they are neither selling now nor plan to sell in the near future. It’s simply valuable information that is very useful...
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This is what farmers and landowners must know about soil quality
Every farmer and landowner wants to get the most production out of their farm operations. But to accomplish this, land quality and soil quality must be preserved. Without a high level of soil...
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Swart added to Cotton-Grave team
New faces to help lead established farm management agency into the future. In 1960, Ben Abben, the namesake of Abben Cancer Center, started Ben Abben Farm Management, creating a farm management,...
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Here's what to look for when searching for a successful tenant farmer
There are too many factors to count that can work for or against a farm in any given year. So many, in fact, that it is nice to know what can actually be counted on to be consistent – or at...
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You've inherited farmland. What's next?
Meta description: There are many factors to consider after you have inherited farmland, including land value, income location, taxes and what to do next. Inheriting a farm can be a welcome...
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What farmers and investors need to know about soil productivity
Soil. When you get down to it, it’s the basic essential of every farming operation. Without healthy soil, your farm is going to struggle to produce at a level you need to reach your business...
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How did Iowa farmland values fared in 2020?
The price of land is something every farmer and landowner keeps an eye on. It makes up a large majority of assets in the farm sector in this country, and it is often seen as a key indicator of the...
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These are the characteristics of a good tenant farmer
A landowner who leases farmland needs good tenants. Some might claim that goes without saying, but it’s an important point that is worth driving home. In these relationships, the...
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7 tips for keeping up with farming technology
Farmers have more tools than ever to work with to ensure their land produces and their farming operations achieve success. New technology seems to be released every day that is specifically geared...
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110-plus years of serving farmers
Combined, John Cotton and Gary Grave have nearly 110 years of combined experience in the farm management industry and since 1982, the two men have worked side-by-side at Cotton-Grave serving regional...
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How farmers can plan for financial challenges
Farm income in the U.S. has been under a lot of pressure as of late. From the global pandemic, to ongoing trade issues, to natural disasters, farmers have had to weather plenty of challenges to their...
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What are prairie strips and how are they beneficial for farmers?
There’s a new soil and water quality strategy that’s steadily getting more and more attention recently: prairie strips. Prairies are nothing new to Iowa, but planting prairie strips has...
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Why conservation matters to farmers
The best farmers are conservationists. Think about it: To succeed in farming requires a commitment to protecting assets and investments. As far as farm operations are concerned, there is no asset...
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Are you prepared to buy farmland?
Buying farmland is a significant step for any producer or investor to take. It doesn’t matter whether you are a farmer or a land owner with tenant farmers, increasing the amount of land under...
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Your guide to fixed vs. flexible cash leases for farmland
Farmland lease agreements vary widely. To cover every single type and dive into all the details would take a good chunk of time. So, for this blog post, we will cover cash leases, both the fixed cash...
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How to set yourself up for success when searching for a tenant farmer
Finding a good tenant for your farmland should be a landowner’s highest priority if they are not going to farm the land themselves and still want the land to stay active and generate...
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Selling farmland: What you need to know
Farmers and farmland owners can opt to sell farmland for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are retirement, seeking to cash in on land that was purchased as an investment and the...
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How much is your farm worth?
Even if you are not trying to sell your farm, knowing what it's worth is still valuable information every property owner should have. It's a needed number that can help with securing credit, estate...
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What you should know about farmland auctions
Land auctions are a very popular method of selling farmland. But for those who may not know much about the details of farming or owning land - such as heirs, new investors and new farmers - trying to...
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Why finding the farm management partner is key to handling risk
Farming is a risky business. There's no way around it. However, farmers and farmland owners don't have to manage the risk alone. There are many resources available that can provide strategies for...
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Here's when to consider buying farmland
Buying farmland is an investment that can pay off, but it is by no means a simple investment strategy. If done right, investing in farmland can lead to income through production, a potential offset...
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How to find a good tenant farmer
Farmland owners who don’t farm the land themselves need to know how to find a good tenant farmer if they want to see any sort of return on their investment. Nobody in the landlord-tenant...
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How tenant farmers and landlords can communicate better
As more farmland owners turn to lease agreements with tenants who will actually farm the land, certain sound investment practices are becoming even more imperative. Proper communication is one of...
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Here is what you need to know about buying farmland
Buying farmland is not a decision any farmer or investor should take lightly. It is a process that requires deep understanding of the factors that give farmland its value and determine whether it can...
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What you should know about risk management and farming
The farm business is a risky business. There is no way to escape this fact. However, there are ways to better manage those risks that can lead to more positive financial outcomes and set up farms...
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How sound financial management can guide farmers in a tough economy
When times are tough, farmers with a strong grasp on business and finance - or who have partners that do - will find ways to persevere and even find success. Those that don’t are headed toward...
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