It has been an incredible year in the Iowa farmland market. Ask anyone who has been paying attention since planting season, and one thing that is clear is that land values have shifted higher since spring. The shift has been led by strong grain prices, the expectation for very solid farm profits and still-low interest rates.

Early 2021 land value surveys and reports were not keeping up with the pace of change, so it will be interesting to see the forthcoming fall and early-winter reports. I believe we’ve already eclipsed the previous market highs from 2013 and 2014 — although the market is not perfectly uniform, as the sales below reflect. However, all land classes appear stronger, and I’m not sure we’ve seen the new highs yet. Stay tuned.

Northwest

Cherokee County. Northwest of Cherokee, 156 acres recently sold at public auction for $14,200 per acre. The farm consisted of 146 tillable acres with a CSR2 (Corn suitability rating) of 90.6, and equaled $167 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

North central

Wright County. Near Kanawha, 120 acres recently sold at public auction for $9,300 per acre. The farm consisted of 114 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 54.3, and equaled $180 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

Northeast

Winneshiek County. Near Decorah, 146 acres recently sold at public auction for $10,600 per acre. The farm consisted of 128 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 69.5, and equaled $174 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: The balance of acres in this property were timber and waste.

West central

Sac County. Near Nemaha, 87 acres recently sold at public auction for $12,400 per acre. The farm consisted of 83 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 83.9, and equaled $155 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

Central

Polk County. Northeast of Bondurant, 75 acres recently sold at public auction for $9,000 per acre. The farm consisted of 71 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 62.0, and equaled $153 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

East central

Jackson County. East of St. Donatus, 202 acres recently sold for $5,500 per acre. The farm consisted of 121 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 46.4, with the balance of the farm in timber and pasture.

Southwest

Pottawattamie County. Near Oakland, 29 acres recently sold at public auction for $8,100 per acre. The farm consisted of 27 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 70.2, and equaled $124 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

South central

Warren County. East of Indianola, 60 acres recently sold for $7,000 per acre. The farm consisted of 41 tillable acres with a CSR2 of 81.2, and equaled $126 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres. Note: The balance of acres in this property were timber and included a small pond.

Southeast

Mahaska County. Southeast of Barnes City, 75 acres recently sold at public auction for $11,900 per acre. The farm consisted of 75 tillable acres, with a CSR2 of 85.1, and equaled $140 per CSR2 point on the tillable acres.

Hensley is president of Hertz Real Estate Services, which compiled this list, but not all sales were handled by Hertz. Call Hertz at 515-382-1500 or 800-593-5263, or visit Hertz.ag.