Farmers and landowners can recoup up to 80 percent of the value of their land, depending on their financial and tax situation, while leaving a legacy of clean water, stronger small towns and healthy food to Iowa.

If you own land you’d like to see in specialty crop, pastured livestock or organic corn and bean production, donating a conservation easement can be a prudent way to both protect the land you love and to realize significant federal tax savings.

Other options include

• donating some or all of your land to defray capital gains from the sale of other land, or simply because you can, and/or
• donating a reserve life estate that keeps you in control of your land but makes tax incentives available now.

Talk to your legal and tax professionals for how federal and state income tax benefits may apply to your situation.