Major Iowa Land Auction Selling Absolute! The partnership of Peoples Company and Community Insurance Agency are honored to represent the Garst Family in the sale of 1,998.04 total acres m/l located in Coon Rapids, Iowa, and in the West Central Iowa counties of Carroll, Greene, Audubon, and Guthrie. The Garst Family name resonates throughout the agricultural community for their involvement in some of history’s more notable advancements to agriculture. The Garst Family also takes pride in the pioneering of several conservation efforts implemented on their farmland including early adoption of no-till farming practices in the 1980’s, cover crops, terraces, and erosion control through maintained waterways. Years of consistent application of these practices have improved the soil in terms of better yield productivity, limited erosion, and elevated organic matter allowing crops to thrive, and have hardened the landscape for potential erratic weather and climate adjustments. Located just outside of the strong farming community of Coon Rapids, Iowa, these farms would be a great addition to any farm operation or an investment-grade purchase for a land investor.
Of the 1,998.04 total acres m/l, there are 1,910.27 FSA Cropland Acres with outstanding average CSR2 values between 88.6 and 70. The actual planted acres for the entire portfolio for 2021 (per the FSA – 578 Form) shows 1,638.99 acres with the difference between the FSA Cropland Acres being acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), waterways, and terraces. The primary soil types on these tracts include top-producing Clarion loam, Nicollet loam, Webster clay loam, Marshall clay loam, and Judson clay loam. The farm leases will be terminated and farming rights for 2022 will be made available to each Buyer. This group of high-quality farmland offers opportunities for a variety of land buyers with tracts sizes ranging from 51 acres to over 494 acres. Several grain marketing options are available in the immediate area around Coon Rapids, Iowa including the POET Ethanol Plant, the large grain receiving facility with railroad access owned by Landus Co-op, and a nearby soybean processing facility in Ralston, Iowa. These farms have benefitted from years of diligent farm management and record keeping complete with regular soil testing, 20 years of crop yield history, and complete drainage tile maps; allowing a Buyer to be well-informed in the purchase of these farms. Copies of Yield or Fertility Information are available to interested parties. Please contact an agent or visit the “Data Room” at the auction website GarstFarmsAuction.com for additional information.
Permanent Conservation Easement
As part of this auction, all tracts included in this sale will be covered by a permanent conservation easement specific to each individual tract established by the Seller in an effort to maintain the conservation value on the farms. The conservation easement was prepared by the law firm of Simmons, Perrine, Moyer, Bergman, PLC in collaboration with the Garst family, while consulting with and receiving input from those with farming and conservation backgrounds. Potential bidders are encouraged to review the easements and can be done so via the “Data Room” accompanying the listing page for the property on Peoples Company’s website.
This easement was established to continue the Garst family’s legacy of conservation and safeguard the renewable agriculture values of the farms for generations to come. The easement broadly enhances the sustainability and conservation values of the farms to bolster their continued economic productivity and farm profitability. Specifically, it requires that certain sustainable agriculture practices be used on the farms and that conservation measures and structures currently utilized on the farms be maintained. Practices include, but are not limited to, no-till farming, annual cover crop plantings post-harvest with the basis of having continuous, living roots in the soil, and maintenance of existing terraces and waterways. The easement also governs the ability of future owners to construct certain structures on the property and guide their placement to preserve the integrity of the socially responsible practices. Overall, the conservation easement draws on the preservation efforts implemented over decades by the Garst family and advances the sustainable values of the property to the environment and public at-large. The conservation easement will be practically enforced by the local land conservation group Whiterock Conservancy, which will provide guidance on the conservation values upheld by the easement as technology and farming practices adjust over time. Please visit GarstFarmsAuction.com for additional information and to watch an interview with Garst Family Farm Manager Liz Garst regarding their passion for conservation.
*Three informational webinars have been scheduled to inform and update potential bidders about the permanent conservation easement and to answer any questions that may exist. Please register for these Conservation Easement Overview Webinars by clicking on the links below or by contacting the Listing Agents. The dates of these three webinars are:
Tuesday, July 27th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Thursday, August 5th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Friday, August 13th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
