Land Connection Meet-Ups

Land Connections – Looking for Land? – Landowners interested in transitioning land invite you to see their farm, talk about their goals and vison for the land that will be transferred.

Land Connections – Listening & Learning Sessions – Informal gatherings of land seekers, tenants, and landowners learning more about land access.


July 14 – Flex Leases with Ruth Rabinowitz and Mike Downey

Listening and Learning Session: Flex Leases

4-5:30 p.m.

For years tenant farmers and landowners have relied on a conversation and a handshake to determine rental rates each year.

Fluctuating market prices, fertilizer shortages and a dependence on world events means the price of corn and soybeans may fluctuate wildly year-to-year. Many farmers and landowners are turning to creative leasing solutions that can benefit the farmer and the landowner.

Learn more about flex leasing and some specific ways you can determine your rate. We’ll hear from farm managers, landowners, and tenants on the pros and cons of this type of lease.


August 13 – Grazing Lease with Mary Damm

Listening and Learning Session

12082 Iris Avenue | McGregor, IA 52157 | 10 a.m. – Noon

Mary Damm owns 120 acres in the Driftless Region of Northeast Iowa with pasture, timber, and reconstructed prairie. This land has about fifty acres of pasture that can be rented during the growing season, typically May-October. Mary is interested in finding a grazier who understands that a diversity of plant and animal species that can co-exist alongside cattle with proper management – that conservation and farming can work together to create a working-lands ecosystem. If you are a farmer who likes things trimmed and tidy, this may not be a good fit, but if you are a rotational grazier comfortable with taller grasses, semi-permanent fences, and working with the nesting seasons and the wildness of the place, this is an incredible opportunity.

We’ll begin with a pasture walk to discuss grazing, bird habitat, and the potential improvements that could be made by a renter, followed by a panel discussion about grazing leases. RSVP directly to martha.mcfarland@practicalfarmers.org.


RSVP for a Land Connection Meet-Up

To RSVP for a Land Connection Meet-Up email Martha McFarland at martha.mcfarland@practicalfarmers.org