SILT is offering this informal list of SILT farms and farmers available for matching. We have no staff to manage these relationships. We ask farmers and landowners who still reside on SILT properties to consider being flexible and creative when thinking of the many arrangements you can make or food you can grow. Breaking out of the mold is how we find new, better solutions! Thank you.
Farms (see Farmers below)
Corydon: A great way to get started in Central Iowa!
1760 Ohio Rd. Corydon
Low-cost lease on up to 25 acres
Eventual Co-ownership of this Common Good Farm!
- fruit and vegetable production
- livestock such as poultry, goats, rabbits, sheep or hogs
Includes good boundary fences, hydrants (on rural water), electric, one metal building approx. 60’ x 30’. Available for use are riding mowers, walk-behind mowers, chipper shredder, chainsaw, air compressor, many hand tools. New concrete floor in workshop.
An individual or couple may live rent-free by pulling up an RV or mobile home and hooking up to water and electric on site seasonally. First year land rent only $50/acre in keeping with SILT’s mission of affordable access to land. The current resident is interested in helping get a hoop house for the farmer’s use.
This is a 40-acre parcel, 18 acres of which are timber with a 2-acre pond near the house. The 25 acres have been in pasture and should qualify for immediate organic certification. Marketing opportunities include a new Amish distribution center near Corydon, Hy-Vee 17 miles north in Chariton and Des Moines 75 miles north, among others. Two fruit-growing operations have begun in the area in recent years.
Long-term, affordable lease available to eligible farmers after initial trial period. Interested applicants should send a business plan, resume and references with proof of at least one year of recent on-farm experience to info@silt.org. Farmers involved in a nonprofit apprenticeship/mentoring program preferred. Women and veterans encouraged to apply.
Iowa City: One of Iowa’s Coveted Markets!
5133 Strawbridge Rd. Iowa City
Start farming with almost no upfront land costs! SILT is offering up to 63 acres of sustainable food farmland in Johnson County just 10 miles north of Iowa City. The current farmers have decided to go in different directions. This entire farm is available in 2020!
Eventual Co-ownership of this Common Good Farm!
This farm comes with
- a 70’x30’ hoop house and two hydrants
- electric
- a septic system with a 10-person capacity
- a powerful well designed for watering livestock on property twice the size
- A 9’ perimeter fence surrounds the farm on 3 sides – needs the fourth side and secure gates.
- Thousands of fruit and nut trees and shrubs planted on contour on the hill with the opportunity to alley crop or graze between them.
- No synthetic chemicals for at least 5 years except along the fence line.
- A 60’ x 40’ construction trailer with 4 offices, bathroom, water heater and HVAC on a gravel pad with concrete footings that will be listed soon for removal unless the right farmer chooses to keep it and update it.
- Johnson County is planning to construct a bike trail alongside the eastern edge of the property, providing a direct-to-consumer opportunity to an entrepreneurial farmer.
The donors of this land still manage it, but the deed is with SILT. Eventually the farm will be entirely managed by SILT, which offers discounted land rent and discounted buildings for purchase. This is a great opportunity for one or more farmers interested in orchard crops, rotational grazing and agroforestry. It includes a discounted ground lease and the opportunity to gain or keep equity in all of the buildings currently there, constructed or transported onto the property.
Owners are willing to discuss creative, affordable ground leases and home ownership to help a new farmer get started. Only serious candidates with experience should approach them.
Contact Suzan Erem at suzan@lastdraft.com 319.480.4241 for more information.
Loess Hills Farm for SALE!
See this link for the details on 53 acres just minutes from Omaha and Council Bluffs!
The farmland is located next door to 19195 Cougar Ave. Honey Creek.
You could be on it by next season!
South East Iowa – A Perennial Opportunity!
SILT has protected 130 acres less than 30 minutes south of Iowa City. It is currently in CRP including a 
walnut timber stand and many acres of prairie. The Wittrig Family is interested in young farmers who’d like to plant chestnuts and other perennials or start a vegetable operation. Staggered USDA contracts allow the family to take a few acres out at a time. This farm is located near Wyman and straddles the Washington-Louisa County line.
Experience required. This land contains no infrastructure but has great long-term potential.
Contact SILT Executive Director Suzan Erem for more information about this land and direct contact with the family.
Farmers Seeking SILT Farms
To date, SILT’s Farm Seeker Survey has drawn more than 50 farmers interested in SILT farms! They range from a few acres to hundreds, from fruit and vegetables to many kinds of livestock. If you own land or know someone who does and would like to discuss permanent protection, we can begin to introduce you to these farmers. These farmers signed up specifically for SILT farms, so let’s get them some affordable land either through a donation to SILT or a permanent easement! Contact us today if you’d like a free consultation on what kind of food your land wants to grow.
Refugee families looking to work the land
Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Global Greens agricultural programs coordinate land access, production education and business development training for refugees in the Des Moines metro who want to reconnect with the land.
Many refugee families coming to Iowa have agricultural backgrounds, hailing from Burma, Bhutan, Rwanda and Burundi. Growing food and caring for the land in a holistic manner has always been a way of life for our farmers. Most families owned their farms for many generations but lost their land due to war and persecution. Re-connecting to land has so many benefits for both our farmers and the community!
• Reduced grocery costs and better access to healthy produce
• More income and business opportunities for families
• More social connections with neighbors and less isolation
• Emotional healing for refugees who have faced past trauma
• More connections to cultural traditions and ethnic crops not found in Iowa
• Opportunities to share agricultural traditions with the next generation
Global Greens farmers are currently growing on ¼ acre plots at the Global Greens training farm in Des Moines however, farmers are eagerly looking for larger land in order to grow their businesses and provide more food for their communities.
For more information about Global Greens and to learn more about our 8 Advanced Market Farmers looking for land, visit www.lsiowa.org/globalgreens.
Contact SILT if you know someone with a parcel they can dedicate to these dedicated, passionate new Americans.