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Farmland ownership is in transition

Farmland is frequently passed from generation to generation. The large number of Heritage and Century farms in the Hawkeye State is testimony to that tradition.

The transition in ownership of a farm can be a difficult time emotionally for landowners because their tie to the land that may have been in their family for many decades is so strong.

The Practical Farmers of Iowa is hosting an event Sunday that tackles the critical issue of farmland ownership transfer. At 2 p.m. in the Friendship Center in Lytton there will be a performance of the play “Map of My Kingdom” by Mary Swander, Iowa’s poet laureate. The play was commissioned by PFI.

In the play, character Angela Martin, a lawyer and mediator in land transition disputes, shares stories of how farmers and landowners have approached their land transitions. Some families struggled to resolve the sale or transfer of their land, dissolving relationships. Others found peaceful rational solutions that focused on keeping the land – and the family – together. The actor who will portray Martin in this performance is Elizabeth Thompsen, a graduate of Iowa State University.

The issue the play explores is one that is directly relevant to many Iowans. According to a report by retired Iowa State University economist Mike Duffy, 56 percent of Iowa farmland is owned by people over the age of 65 and 30 percent by folks who are more than 75 years old.

The performance Sunday is free and open to the public. If this issue is relevant to you, take the time to stop by the Friendship Center in Lytton to experience an insightful and enjoyable treatment of the subject.

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