A Practical Plan to Purchasing Iowa Recreational Ground

A Practical Plan to Purchasing Iowa Recreational Ground

By Jessica Graham

If you’re an Iowa outdoorsman, you have probably dreamed of owning your own land, a piece you can call your own. A place to cast a line, blaze a trail, or just sit under the stars and connect with our creator and nature. We yearn for a place to call our own rich with potential for hunting, fishing, fourwheeling, or camping. Let’s be honest, between the high land prices, and the unexpected obstacles life throws our way, that dream can feel like a trophy buck that slipped through your fingers.

Don’t write that dream off yet, with a little planning you could make this a reality. We’ll talk about creative ways to snag a piece of land without breaking the bank, different ways to own it even on a budget.

Agricultural Income
Iowa is a leader when it comes to agriculture, and one of the easiest ways to start generating a return on your investment is to farm, or cash rent out tillable acres. If you choose to rent out tillable acres, you will begin to regain your money from your land investment. You also should look at the non-tillable acres. I know several cattlemen looking for pasture to rent, especially the southern part of the state. Evaluate your fences, water source, and decide if you want cattle on your ground. They will create some erosion, they will compete with some wildlife, and they may encroach on your hunting a little bit. However, getting a little cash to help pay for your hunting might be worth it.

If you’re looking for a different way to generate income, but do not want to deal with livestock, you could always hay your pasture ground. Hay has been high the last several years, you could plant grass for hay or alfalfa to be baled. If you plant alfalfa, you will be improving the wildlife food available on your ground. There are some definite advantages to renting out your ground, but this might now be something you want to deal with. It is up to you to make the determination if you want to rent out your ground for agricultural activities.

Conservation Programs
When you purchase your ground, there may be some acres that qualify for conservation programs, like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). If you’re looking to conserve your land, several USDA programs offer diverse options. CRP provides year-round enrollment with competitive offers based on environmental benefits.

For targeted concerns, CREP offers additional incentives through partnerships. For specific state wildlife goals, consider SAFE. SAFE practices might involve planting flowering plants or shrubs that benefit both target wildlife and pollinators. So you will increase the wildlife value of your property and generate some income. Highly erodible land can benefit from HELI, and wetland restoration finds its place in the Farmable Wetlands Program. While primarily focused on water quality, CLEAR30 promotes practices like riparian buffers and filter strips.

Each program has its own requirements, so contact your local FSA office for details and guidance. Choose the program that best aligns with your land and conservation objectives, and unlock the potential for income. Just remember in exchange for putting your ground in some of these programs, you are limited by the activities you can do on your land. You might be prohibited from tilling acres, or might be required to manage the land according to the contract.

Timber Value in Iowa
Iowa timber values vary depending on several factors. Tree species is one of the biggest determination of value. High-demand hardwoods like walnut, white oak, and red oak generally generate higher prices, and our landscapes are full of these trees. Black walnuts are common and highly sought-after for furniture and veneer because of its rich color and tight grain. White oak is valuable for flooring, and right now white oak cabinets are in high demand. We see red oaks, hard maple, used in flooring, furniture, and in cabinets too. One of the other biggest factors determining your value of the species is the tree size and quality. Larger diameter trees with good form (straight and no defects) are most valuable. Additionally, the local and national demand and supply influence prices.

When you’re ready, research different loggers, and have one come out. They can give you information on current demands, prices, and take a look at your timber. They will also let you know more about their logging methods. These loggers do this for a living and are full of knowlege. They will be willing to work with you specifically to accomplish your goals. Additionally, logging your timber with selective logging can help get more daylight to the timber floor and can promote healthy forest growth and future timber value. The loggers can help guide you on what this process will look like on your particular land.

Replace Wildlife Habitat
Once you log some of the valuable trees, you could consider doing some hinge cutting on the “non-vaulable” trees to recoup and improve the wildlife habitat, particularly for whitetail. Hinge cutting involves making a deep cut on one side of the tree trunk about 1/3rd of the diameter about waist high from the ground, leaving the “hinge” intact on the other side. The tree remains partially standing, leaning towards the uncut side.

Choose non-valuable or invasive trees that won’t be missed. Determine the direction you want the tree to fall, then make the cut. Wildlife will start using the hinge cut areas very quickly. Overall, hinge cutting is a relatively simple and cost-effective technique that can quickly improve wildlife cover. If you want to keep you timber a haven for wildlife, you should consider adding wildlife cover if you remove valuable hardwoods. However, it’s important to understand the context and potential impacts before implementing it on your land.

These are just a few options to help generate an income and turn your hopes and dreams into a plan. I’m not going to lie, it takes some planning, dedication, hardwork, and sacrafice. However, by allowing agricutural activities, selective logging, or through utilizing conservation programs, you can begin to turn your dream into a reality.