For hunters, the thrill of the chase and the serenity of nature are unparalleled experiences. However, with these adventures come inherent risks that can potentially lead to financial and legal complications. This is where hunting insurance becomes an invaluable asset, providing a safety net for both hunters and landowners alike.

CommonGround Insurance Group offers specialized hunting insurance that serves as a comprehensive risk management tool, addressing the unique needs of both hunters and property owners. This tailored coverage helps mitigate potential liabilities and ensures peace of mind for all parties involved.

Hunters face various risks during their outdoor pursuits, including accidental injuries, property damage, or unintentional harm to others. CommonGround Insurance Group's hunting insurance provides essential coverage that goes beyond standard homeowners or general liability policies. This specialized insurance offers:

Personal liability protection in case of accidents or injuries to others

Legal defense costs in the event of a lawsuit

By securing proper insurance, hunters can focus on their passion without the constant worry of potential financial repercussions from unforeseen incidents.

For property owners who allow hunting on their land, whether through personal invitations or leasing arrangements, hunting insurance is equally crucial. CommonGround Insurance Group's policies offer landowners:

Liability coverage for injuries or accidents occurring on their property

Protection against property damage claims

This insurance acts as a buffer, shielding landowners from the financial risks associated with hosting hunters on their property. It allows them to open their land for hunting without jeopardizing their personal assets or financial security.

CommonGround Insurance Group understands that no two hunting situations are identical. Their policies can be customized to meet specific needs, offering flexibility in coverage options. Some key features may include:

General liability coverage with varying limits

Additional insured options for hunting clubs or organizations

By tailoring the insurance to individual circumstances, CommonGround ensures that both hunters and landowners receive the most appropriate and effective coverage for their unique situations.

Benefits of Specialized Hunting Insurance

Opting for hunting-specific insurance through CommonGround Insurance Group offers several advantages:

Expertise in the field: Their understanding of hunting-related risks allows for more targeted and effective coverage.

Peace of mind: Both hunters and landowners can enjoy their activities without constant worry about potential liabilities.

Legal protection: In the event of a lawsuit, the insurance provides necessary legal defense and coverage.

Preservation of personal assets: The insurance acts as a buffer, protecting personal finances from potential claims.

Expanded hunting opportunities: With proper insurance, hunters may gain access to more private lands, as landowners feel more secure in allowing hunting activities.

Hunting insurance from CommonGround Insurance Group serves as an essential safety net for outdoor enthusiasts and property owners alike. It bridges the gap left by standard insurance policies, offering specialized protection against the unique risks associated with hunting. By investing in this tailored coverage, hunters can pursue their passion with confidence, while landowners can open their properties without fear of financial repercussions.

CommonGround is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Hunters face various risks during their outdoor pursuits, including accidental injuries, property damage, or unintentional harm to others. CommonGround Insurance Group's hunting insurance provides essential coverage that goes beyond standard homeowners or general liability policies. 

Discover the importance of hunting insurance for both hunters and landowners. CommonGround Insurance Group offers specialized coverage to mitigate risks, provide legal protection, and ensure peace of mind.

Hunting Insurance - A Safety Net for the Outdoor Enthusiast

Securing the right insurance coverage is huge for safeguarding your farming operation against potential risks and uncertainties. Finding the right insurance agent can be challenging, but examining their scorecard – a comprehensive performance evaluation tool used by insurance companies – can help. Let's explore the key metrics you should look for in an agent's scorecard to ensure you receive the best possible service and protection for your business.

Your operation faces unique challenges and risks. Look for an agent whose scorecard demonstrates a deep understanding of agricultural risks, such as crop damage, livestock losses, equipment breakdowns, and liability concerns. An agent with expertise in this area can better assess your specific needs and recommend tailored insurance solutions for your farm.

As a farmer or landowner, you know that time is of the essence, especially during critical seasons like planting or harvesting. An agent's scorecard should reflect their ability to provide prompt and efficient customer service. Look for metrics that evaluate their responsiveness, problem-solving skills, and overall customer satisfaction ratings. Having an agent who is readily available and can quickly address your concerns can be invaluable during times of crisis on your farm.

Insurance is a heavily regulated industry, and compliance with various laws and regulations is essential. An agent's scorecard should highlight their adherence to relevant policies, regulations, and ethical standards. This ensures that you receive accurate and legally compliant advice, protecting both your farming operation and the agent's credibility.

The insurance needs of your farming operation can be complex, involving various types of coverage such as crop insurance, livestock insurance, equipment insurance, and liability protection. Look for an agent whose scorecard demonstrates a deep understanding of these products, their features, and their benefits. An agent with extensive product knowledge can better tailor insurance solutions to your specific farming needs.

While sales performance may not be your primary concern as a farmer or landowner, it can indicate an agent's overall productivity and efficiency. An agent with a strong sales record and high productivity metrics may be better equipped to handle your insurance needs promptly and effectively, ensuring that your farming operation remains well-protected.

Choosing the right insurance agent is crucial for protecting your farming operation and ensuring your long-term success. By carefully examining an agent's scorecard and looking for metrics that demonstrate agricultural expertise, customer service, compliance, product knowledge, and productivity, you can make an informed decision and partner with an agent who truly understands and meets the unique needs of your business.

At CommonGround Insurance Group, we understand the unique challenges faced by both farmers who own and work their land and landowners who rent their property to farmers. Our dedicated agent, Trevor Froehling, is ready to help you check all the boxes in finding the right insurance coverage for your farm. With a strong background in agricultural risks and a commitment to exceptional customer service, Trevor's scorecard reflects the qualities you need in a trusted insurance partner.

Don't leave your farm's future to chance. Contact Trevor at CommonGround Insurance Group today to discuss how we can help safeguard your operation and provide you with the peace of mind you deserve.

Finding the right insurance agent can be challenging, but examining their scorecard – a comprehensive performance evaluation tool used by insurance companies – can help.

Discover key metrics to evaluate in an insurance agent's scorecard to ensure the best service and protection for your farming operation.

What Farmers and Landowners Should Look for in an Insurance Agent's Scorecard

For hunters, gaining access to private land can be a major challenge. While some landowners are open to allowing hunting, many are understandably cautious about who they let onto their property. As a hunter, building a positive relationship with the landowner is key to not only gaining access in the first place, but potentially securing a multi-year agreement. By being respectful, ethical and helpful, you can go a long way toward becoming that landowner's favorite hunter.

One of the quickest ways to get kicked off a property is by failing to respect it. Always obtain explicit permission before hunting, even if you've been allowed there before. Follow all of the landowner's rules to the letter, including areas designated as off-limits, where to park, etc. Leave no trace by picking up any litter and avoiding damage to crops, fences or structures. Going the extra mile by offering to help with tasks like road, gate, and fence maintenance can really make a positive impression.

Ethical hunting practices are crucial for staying in a landowner's good graces. Only take the game allowed under their management objectives and beneficial to wildlife habitats - for example, if more doe harvest is needed, hold off on shooting bucks. Avoid any safety issues like shooting too close to boundaries where your shot could carry onto a neighbor's land. Following all regulations like wearing hunter orange helps reinforce your responsible image.

The key to long-term access is building an authentic relationship with the landowner based on trust and mutual respect. Contact them well before hunting season to request access politely rather than last-minute. Provide any details like your hunting license that they request. Small gestures like sharing part of your harvest can strengthen your connection. Most importantly, offer to assist with the landowner's wildlife management goals through labor like habitat improvement or preventing trespassing.

Protect Yourself and Landowners with Hunting Insurance

Hunting insurance is a great safeguard for both hunters and landowners. For hunters, it provides financial protection against potential accidents, injuries, or property damage that may occur during hunting activities. For landowners, it offers peace of mind by mitigating liability risks associated with allowing hunting on their property.

CommonGround Insurance Group specializes in providing comprehensive hunting insurance solutions tailored to your specific needs. By investing in hunting insurance, you're not only protecting yourself but also building trust with landowners, potentially leading to long-term access agreements. 

To learn more about how hunting insurance can benefit you, contact a CommonGround Insurance Group agent today.

Gaining long-term hunting access on private land is achievable if you put in the effort to be a respectful, ethical hunter who builds a positive relationship with the landowner. It starts with being a good steward of their property and wildlife, but gestures like helping with tasks and sharing your harvest can go a long way too. If you consistently demonstrate your value and commitment over time, that multi-year access agreement could be yours.

Explore hunting property listings at commonground.io.

As a hunter, building a positive relationship with the landowner is key to not only gaining access in the first place, but potentially securing a multi-year agreement. By being respectful, ethical and helpful, you can go a long way toward becoming that landowner's favorite hunter.

Discover essential tips for hunters to gain long-term access to private land. Learn how to build positive relationships with landowners through respect, ethical practices, and helpful gestures.

Becoming a Landowner's Favorite Hunter: Tips for Long-Term Access

Post Planting Update with Summit Agricultural Group | CommonGround Podcast Episode 18

Spring Showers Bring Relief After Dry 2023

After an extremely dry 2023, frequent rains from mid-April through mid-May were a welcome sight across the Midwest this spring. The abundant precipitation helped alleviate drought conditions and restore soil moisture levels to normal in most areas. However, the rains also delayed corn and soybean planting progress compared to last year's ideal conditions.

As of June 2nd, only 91% of the U.S. corn crop and 78% of the soybeans had been planted, behind the 5-year averages. While planting is nearly complete, some acres may go unplanted if conditions don't improve soon. Producers have preventive planting coverage through crop insurance to mitigate this risk.

Grain Markets Improve But Remain Below 2023 Highs  

Current cash corn and soybean prices in Central Iowa are around $4.60/bu and $11.75/bu respectively. While still at historically strong levels, that marks a $2.40/bu drop for corn and $3.00/bu drop for soybeans compared to a year ago.

Prices have improved modestly since the February lows as commodity traders have unwound some short positions. However, higher projected ending stocks from increasing global production and improved crop genetics are keeping a lid on prices despite the planting delays.

Cash Rents Hold Steady After Recent Increases

The average 2024 cash rental rate in Iowa stayed at $279/acre, supported by higher farm incomes over the past two years. Since 2022, rental rates have increased 9% or $23/acre on average.

Looking ahead, rental rates may face downward pressure in 2025 if grain prices don't improve or yields can't offset the lower prices. Flexible cash rent leases are recommended to allow landowners to participate in potential upside.

Carbon Intensity Scoring Offers Income Opportunity  

The GREET model from Argonne National Lab measures lifecycle carbon intensity and could be used to administer clean fuel tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. This creates an opportunity for corn and soybean producers to receive payments through ethanol plants by implementing practices like no-till, cover crops, and enhanced efficiency fertilizers.

Collaboration between ethanol plants and grain producers will be needed, as the plants receive the tax credits but rely on low-carbon feedstocks from farmers. Producers can determine their carbon intensity score now to prepare for potential future payments.

As the 2024 growing season progresses, farmers across the Midwest will need to navigate the impacts of planting delays, fluctuating markets, and emerging opportunities like carbon intensity scoring. While challenges remain, the return of more favorable moisture conditions provides hope for a rebound after last year's drought-stricken yields. By staying informed and proactive, producers can position themselves to capitalize on the upside potential, mitigate risks through tools like crop insurance and flexible rental agreements, and explore new income streams tied to sustainable practices. The resilience of the agricultural community will be tested, but the outlook remains cautiously optimistic.

For more details and updates, subscribe to the Summit Ag Newsletter. 

As we move into the heart of the growing season, it's important to take stock of the current landscape and look ahead to what may come. We got together with the guys at Summit Ag to dive into their Post-Planting Update and we wanted to break down the implications in the Midwest for you here.

Discover Summit Ag's insights on Midwest farmland management in 2024. Learn about post-planting updates, market trends, cash rents, and carbon intensity scoring opportunities. Watch our video for a comprehensive analysis.

Summit Ag's Blueprint for Successful Farmland Management | Post-Planting Update

Summit Ag's Blueprint for Successful Farmland Management

If you drive across any place in the grain belt this summer, you might get the impression that there is a limitless amount of farmland as you gaze at mile after mile of corn, soybeans, or wheat going by your window.  Or it could be the miles and miles of grazing land outside your window driving through the Great Plains.  In total across the globe, less than 10% of the land surface of the earth is used to produce food, fuels, energy, and fiber.  Agricultural land is vitally important to every person in the world.  

The information below from Our World In Data graphically depicts the small portion of the earth’s land area that is used to produce the food we live on.  Only 7% of the earth’s land mass is planted to crops which include cereal grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and non-food crops such as cotton or ones used for biofuels.  A much larger amount of land is used to produce meat and dairy products.  This area includes grazing land and cropland used to raise livestock feed and totals 27% of the earth’s land mass. 

Much of the world depends on a plant-based diet as shown in the last two lines above.  These diets are mainly dependent on rice and wheat usage along with fruits and vegetables.  The vast amount of the world’s land used for cereal production is evidenced in the graphic below.  Three main crop types use the majority of the cropland in the world.  Cereals, course grains such as corn and sorghum, and oil crops such as soybeans, canola, and palm oil cover vastly more area than vegetable, fruit, nut, and other crops. 

The amount of crop and livestock land varies widely among countries.  For instance, 44% of the land in the U.S. is classified as agricultural.  Pasture land is the larger share at 27% while cropland makes up 17% of the land in this country.  In contrast, Ukraine has 71% of its land used for agriculture (prior to the war) with the majority in cropland at 56%.  China, as one of the most populous countries in the world, has a higher percentage of agricultural land than the U.S. at 56% with a smaller percentage in cropland at 12.6%.

Agricultural land is critically important in today’s and tomorrow’s world as we depend on a small portion of the globe’s surface to produce the food we eat, the fiber we use, and the energy we have come to depend on.  

Ag land in the U.S. is especially valued because of stable ownership and title laws, productive soils, better water resources than in many countries, the best farmers, and the well developed supply and production channels. 

Delve into the significance of agricultural land globally, revealing its pivotal role in sustaining life through food, energy, and fiber production. Discover how nations like the U.S. leverage stable ownership laws and fertile soils for efficient farming practices.

Exploring the Vital Role of Agricultural Land in Feeding the World | Our World's Green Expanse

Acres & Assets | Exploring the Vital Role of Agricultural Land in Feeding the World | Our World's Green Expanse

As I mentioned in last month’s article, I grew up in farming spending a lot of time cultivating corn and soybeans.  Since it was hot and the job was tedious causing my mind to wander or to even doze off once in awhile, there would be the occasional “lightning strike” in the field.  At least that is what we called those spots where I wiped out 8 rows of the crop for a short distance when I veered off the row.  The ultimate result was a few less bushels of corn or soybeans in that field because those plants were eliminated by me.  It is different today.  Over time, many big and small improvements have come to production agriculture to make great strides in yields.

Corn and soybean yield trends in the United States have both increased over 40% during the past 30 years as seen in the two charts below.  Of course, weather variability from year to year as well as regionally experienced extremes have a huge impact on the country’s average yields for each crop.  However, actual yield trends have been on an upward slope over the years while the yield potential of corn and soybeans has expanded even more.  

The small changes that have taken place in each field over the years are numerous and ones mostly influenced by choices made by each individual farmer.  The use of GPS technology and auto steer has improved field production in several ways. With precision guidance, planting can be done on the contour with the most even spacing in the field and there should be no more “lightning strikes” taking away bushels.  Point rows in a field can be more accurately planted and a loss in yield from double planting on the ends can be avoided with GPS guidance and row unit shut off mechanisms on the planter.  Precision guidance and control allow for exact spacing of herbicide applications avoiding overlapping which wastes chemicals and can cause yield loss in some situations.  

GPS and other technologies now allow grid sampling of fields for better and more precise nutrient use.  Soil test and soil type data can allow for varying the number of corn or soybean seeds planted according to the capability of the soil in a specific grid or location.  Fertilizer and lime can be applied where needed and at the appropriate rate to optimize yield and and cost.  Together, all these options have improved field yields by producing more bushels from the lower productivity areas of a field while maximizing the output from the better areas.  

Big developments have increased yields over the years in a number of ways.  The potential from today’s seed varieties is much greater than 3 or 4 decades ago.  Varieties are now bred with herbicide and insect tolerance along with better plant health. The adoption of genetically engineered crops as shown in the graphic below has been a major factor in yield improvements.


Equipment manufacturerers have made huge advancements in planting, spraying, and harvesting machinery and technology.  More precise planting with better placement and spacing helps improve yield potential.  Today’s combines and headers are designed to gather all the crop and not leave any of it in the field helping increase the yield from each field.  

The knowledge of how to farm has grown and changed over time.  Science and technology have come together to assist farmers in knowing how best to use nutrients, pesticides, and fungicides to protect and improve yields.  Each field, each part of a field and now even each square inch can be monitored and treated with specific inputs thanks to advanced technologies.  

There are many more small and large improvements that farmers and others can adopt to help increase crop yields in today’s ever improving production agriculture.   More are on the way that we don’t even know about at this time.

Explore the remarkable journey of farming, from the days of "lightning strikes" in the fields to the era of precision agriculture. Discover how advancements in technology, seed varieties, and equipment have propelled corn and soybean yields, revolutionizing modern agriculture.

Evolution of Farming: From 'Lightning Strikes' to Precision Agriculture

The old adage goes: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For hunting leases, this is especially true. 

Most conflicts between hunters and private landowners can be resolved by simply laying out expectations in advance. By including these six specific items in your hunting lease, you can ensure a good experience for all involved. 

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it to draw up, negotiate, and sign a private hunting lease, trust us: it is. Despite being more accessible and generally less hassle to use, public hunting ground has drawbacks: bag limits, specified hunting seasons, hunting method restrictions, and strict licensing requirements.  

Plus, because public ground is more accessible for the average hunter, it’s more competitive. You’ll likely have a harder time finding and bagging the game you’re most interested in. 

Private hunting ground, on the other hand, helps circumvent these challenges. Because the rules are set by individual landowners, they’re generally more lax—and up for negotiation in most cases.  

There may be some additional responsibilities required. For instance, owners may require certain wildlife management or conservation practices, essentially employing you in managing the ecosystem as a condition of the lease. But for most hunters, it’s worth the price of admission. 

If you’re thinking about going with a handshake agreement, don’t! Although the simple, straightforward approach may seem appealing, you’ll run into serious problems down the line. Here are three of the biggest reasons to go with a written lease. 

Probably the most obvious benefit of a written lease is clarity. When everything is spelled out in advance, there’s less room for future confusion. Not only will this help with conflict resolution (more on that in a second), but it also helps you figure out whether a certain lease is worth getting into in the first place. 

These expectations can and often include: 

Hunting rules, boundaries, and responsibilities

Expectations for habitat management and land maintenance

Communication expectations, including frequency and preferred media

Clarity is also important if you want to build and maintain a long-term relationship with a given landowner. You’ll know in advance what an owner is looking for in an ideal tenant. By meeting and exceeding those standards, you make it more likely they’ll want to work with you in the future. 

Accidents happen. Problems arise. Any relationship will inevitably have some degree of conflict come up. Since conflict is unavoidable, you need a clearly defined way of handling it.

Written land leases not only provide a standard by which conflict resolution can be based, but it also provides the means and processes by which you manage that conflict. Working all of this out in advance before emotions and tensions get high can lead to better outcomes for all involved. 

For both owner and lessee, laying out terms and conditions of land use can reduce liability for all involved. Insurance and permit requirements, conservation practices, and general land lease practices all carry reduced risk of liability when vetted by legal experts in advance. 

6 items to spell out in your hunting lease

Private hunters should, at a minimum, make sure the following terms and conditions are spelled out in detail in your written lease. Clarity on these six points will almost certainly reduce stress and conflict, providing an overall better hunting experience. 

DISCLAIMER: The following is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. Please seek professional counsel when negotiating your own hunting leases. 

Yes, defining the type of lease seems like a basic requirement. But you’d be surprised how often people neglect to spell out these terms. There are various types of hunting leases, including these:

Annual lease. These leases allow hunters access to all legal wildlife species over the course of a year. Annual leases can also include camping, fishing, and other use cases. 

Multi-year lease. Hunters in good standing with a landowner can often transition from an annual to multi-year lease. Often these agreements require hunters to be more active in land management, including habitat management; road, gate, for fence improvements; or guarding against trespassers or poachers. 

Seasonal leases. These agreements give hunters property access to hunt for a single species. 

Short-term leases. These leases cover day-long, weekend, or week-long hunts. These are especially common for hunting small game or waterfowl. 

With public land, usage and restrictions are spelled out by law. Although state and local authorities will have some baseline requirements for private land leases, individual owners have a lot of say in how that land is used.

Many owners will implement the following usage requirements: 

Game restrictions. Landowners can either provide leases that provide unrestricted access to all wildlife species, or limit hunting to particular types of game. 

Non-hunting usage. Many hunters will use land for other activities than hunting, including fishing, hiking, camping, etc. If you want to engage in these, it’s better to ask permission than forgiveness. 

Conservation & land enhancements. These can include cover crops, wildlife food plots, fence repair, and other property upkeep and maintenance. 

Protection against trespassers. A condition of the land use may include monitoring for trespassers and reporting them to the local authorities. Specific protocols and expectations for these situations should definitely be spelled out in the lease. 

We’ve mentioned several times that landowners may require certain conservation practices as a condition of using their land. Let’s take a look at some of the most common:

Habitat management. Landowners may require hunters to plant cover crops, maintain wildlife food plots, and specific waste disposal practices to preserve a thriving ecosystem. 

Road, gate, and fence repair. Especially for multi-year leases, landowners may require hunters to pitch in and help with maintaining the property. Sometimes, this comes with an adjustment to the baseline lease amount. 

Bag limits. To avoid depleting the wildlife population, landowners may implement bag limits on all game, or for specific species. 

Hunting seasons. Although not all landowners will observe strict hunting seasons, some may require them to allow wildlife populations ample time to repopulate. 

Although state and local authorities will have specific requirements for checking-in and tagging big game, it’s a good idea to work out with the landowner any additional requirements. For example, they may require that evidence of the species’ sex and species remain until check-in.

All hunting parties should have basic liability insurance before beginning their hunting trips. Landowners may require other types of coverage to address more specific concerns. Make sure all of these details—including the type and amount of coverage—are all spelled out in the lease. 

To ensure a smooth and seamless renewal process, make sure notice for renewal (or non-renewal) periods are included in the lease. This includes dates, means of communication, and terms for renegotiation, if applicable. 

Final thoughts on drawing up your hunting lease

Drawing up a hunting lease in writing is key to avoiding miscommunication and conflict that could otherwise hinder your hunt. When you lease private hunting land through the CommonGround marketplace, we make sure these terms and others are spelled out plainly, and keep the entire process transparent. 

Ready to plan your next hunting trip? Search for available ground on the CommonGround marketplace today. 

If you’re leasing land for your next hunting trip, it’s critical to get a private hunting lease in writing. Here’s what it should cover.

6 Items to Spell Out in Your Private Hunting Lease

Day after hot summer day on a tractor with no air-conditioned cab.  AM radio sitting on the fender blaring country western tunes above the roar of the engine.  Staring at row after row of corn and soybean plants from end to end and field to field dawn to dusk.  Barely creeping along at slow walking speeds so as not to plow out the crop.  In other words, row crop cultivating back in the good old days which was one of the main ways to care for a newly planted corn or soybean crop.  Taking care of the growing crop is vastly different today.

Like most farmers in the springtime of the year, I would heave a sigh of relief when the rush of planting was over.  Even though the hours became less, the focus quickly turned to caring for the newly planted crop.  Scouting each field every few days was critical to gauge if there was a good stand of plants that had emerged and if there was any insect damage to the emerging crop.  If crop stands were thinner than desired from a poor seedbed or drowned out by too much rain, the planter would come back out to “patch in” more seeds in the affected areas to get the stand acceptable.  If insect damage to the new crop was found, application of insecticides would need to done.

Scouting the newly established crop is still very important but different for today’s row crop production.  First, most corn and soybean seeds are treated with minute amounts of insecticides and fungicides to protect the emerging plants.  This helps germination to be more even despite weather conditions and lessens the extreme early season stand establishment issues.  

Scouting of the new crop progresses in several ways as the plants grow taller.  Farmers or professional crop consultants walk the fields and fly drones over the crop to detect any problems arising in the field.  Satellite imagery can also provide early warning about stresses to the growing crop.  Weed pressures and disease outbreaks can be detected as early as possible and treated to maintain a healthy crop and top yields.  Scouting of a crop will continue to harvest time as late season applications of fungicides when necessary have proven to boost yields of corn and soybeans.

Instead of days of cultivating for weed control, scouting for specific weed problems and in season application of herbicides has become the norm for keeping fields weed free.  The most technologically advanced sprayers of today use visual identification and AI to spot apply a small amount of herbicide just to the individual weed and not blanket over the whole field.  This not only saves money for the producer, there are environmental benefits too.

If crops are raised under irrigation, additional work is needed to properly care for a new crop.  Gauging when and how much water to apply to the field used to be guesswork.  Today, farmers use sophisticated technology to determine the amount of moisture the crop in the field needs and when it is should be applied.  Keeping irrigation pumps, motors, and center pivots operation if a full-time job during the growing season even with current monitoring and reporting systems.  

Raising a crop is not a one and done job.  Planning out the details of inputs and operations prior to even getting in the field to plant is only the beginning.  Getting the crop off to a good start with good planting operations and care is vital to setting the stage for optimal yields.  Then scouting and nurturing the crop throughout the growing season will keep yield potential maximized.  The laser focus of a farmer’s efforts from the beginning of the season to the end is to harvest a bumper crop!

Explore the transformation of crop care from the days of tractor rows and AM radio to modern techniques involving drone scouting, AI-driven herbicide application, and precision irrigation. Discover how farmers adapt to ensure optimal yields in today's agricultural landscape.

Evolution of Crop Care: From Tractor Rows to Drone Scouting

Since the dawn of ag mechanization and the use of planters, the best way to get the new crop in the ground and off to a good start was to plow and work the soil into a fine consistency.   April and May are prime planting months for spring crops in the grain belt and farmers have been engaged in the annual planting race for weeks now.  However, times and technology have drastically changed how farmers plant their crops bringing conservation and economic benefits to the forefront.

All through the 1900’s the common farming practice was to plow all the preceding crop residue under to leave a “clean” surface of soil on top.  Many years ago, plowing was done in the spring after manure was spread on fields.  In my early farming career, we tried to complete plowing in the fall after corn harvest so that the soils could mellow over winter and be in better shape for planting soybeans.  We thought this was especially critical for the wetter, heavier soil types that retained moisture the most as it would give us a jump on spring planting.  

After plowing, whether spring or fall, multiple tillage trips with a disk, field cultivator, or harrow would be done to work the soil texture as fine as possible prior to planting.  This was required because planters throughout history were equipped with “runners” shaped like a sled runner only much narrower to slice a furrow for the planter to drop the seed in the ground and then be closed up by a packing wheel.  If the soil was not fine and was “cloddy”, the furrow would not be formed well and seed placement would be erratic thus hindering uniform emergence of the new crop.   Poor and uneven emergence would invariably lead to lower yields at harvest time.

Today’s planting equipment and technology is night and day different than the old style that I learned on.  Planters of today are equipped with disk openers and attachments that can cut throw residues in no-till or conservation tillage systems and at the same time place fertilizers and pesticides exactly where needed while traveling at speeds up to 10 mph.  Modern planters are designed to provide uniform and healthy stands of the new crop setting the stage for maximum yield potential.

The date that spring crops are planted has become earlier.  In my grandfather’s day, corn was not planted until mid or late May after plowing and disking twice.  Corn often followed wheat, oats, or clover hay in the rotation with soybeans coming later.  Jumping ahead to my father’s generation of farmers, and the corn planting date moved to late April with soybeans following right after.  Today’s Midwestern farmers will often plant soybeans starting in early to mid-April while at the same time planting corn.  Earlier planting of soybeans in many states has shown a yield increase over planting later.

One of the reasons I plowed and worked the soil multiple times prior to planting was for weed control.  Herbicide choices were more limited and many required one or two tillage passes to incorporate the chemical in order for it to control grass and broadleaf weeds.  Today, there are many more herbicide choices available to farmers based on the tillage system they use and the weed spectrum in each field.   Most herbicides do not require incorporation and are conducive to no-till and conservation tillage operations.

One of the most important innovations over the past couple of decades in helping get grain and oilseed crops off to a good start is the technology packed into the latest seed varieties.  In the past, corn and soybean varieties might have undesirable characteristics that caused the plant to not stand well or drop ears or pods prior to harvest, be slower to emerge, or be susceptible to diseases and insects.  Most corn, soybean, and wheat varieties were developed by land grant universities and were in the public domain.  Over the past few years strong and innovative breeding programs have developed grain and oil seed varieties with disease, insect, and herbicide resistance thus greatly boosting plant health and yields.  

Part of the battle to having a good crop with a strong yield is getting it planted properly and off to a good start.  Farmers of today employ their expertise using advanced equipment, proven techniques, appropriate inputs, and plant varieties to do that.  And it shows in the increasing yield levels being achieved in fields throughout the country.  

Explore the evolution of spring planting techniques from traditional plowing to modern no-till systems. Discover how advanced equipment and innovative seed varieties are revolutionizing crop yields in agriculture. Join us in understanding the changing landscape of farming practices.

Revolutionizing Spring Planting: Modern Techniques for Maximizing Crop Yields

Data in agriculture: it’s a topic growing increasingly important as more farmers and landowners take advantage of it to increase yields and productivity. Amid concerns about privacy, security, and data ownership & governance, everyone is looking to answer the question: how do we get the most value of our agriculture data? 

While much of the conversation around data in agriculture centers on farm and field performance, it can also be a powerful tool for landowners to optimize their land lease practices. Here are some of the ways to make that happen. 

What tools do farmers and landowners have to measure & analyze data in agriculture? 

As ag technology becomes more advanced—particularly in the areas of sensors, satellites, and surveillance—the insights available to farmers and landowners is growing exponentially. Let’s briefly look at the primary ways in which this data is captured and analyzed. 

Satellites have been capturing images of farm fields for decades, leveraging NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDRE (Normalized Difference Red Edge Index), and NDMI (Normalized Difference Moisture Index) to gain detailed insights into farm fields.

However, as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) become more adept at analyzing this imagery, the insights available from these data can be made more relevant and address specific questions. This can include agronomic concerns, but also details on field performance, security, and land management practices. 

What’s more, AI and ML algorithms can correlate field-specific data with other sources, like weather patterns, to give farmers the best information to make the best decisions for their field. 

As network connectivity spreads across Rural America, the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more popular among farmers and farmland owners. Some of the more relevant use cases include: 

Crop management IoT devices gather data on plant health and leaf moisture to detect diseases quickly and adjust irrigation schedules

Soil moisture sensors help agronomists determine water levels and make necessary irrigation adjustments

Electrochemical sensors analyze pH, soil nutrients, and other parameters to measure soil fertility and drive seed planting and fertilizer application decisions

IoT sensors attached to animals monitor health conditions, log activities, and forestall potential infections

In addition to satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can capture data on farm performance. Often these drones feature sophisticated measurement equipment, including ultrasonic echoes, GPS, and lasers. 

While most farms use drones for seeding and crop spraying, they also have the ability to gather data on the farm, including high-resolution data on plant conditions, helping you to better detect stressed areas and potential infections. This is especially helpful for farmers who manage multiple, geographically distant operations. 

Most data coming in from sensors is unstructured and, thus, unusable and requires processing and analysis to become useful. Fortunately, there are a growing number of robust data platforms that not only analyze data in agriculture, but surface the insights farmers need to make the most critical decisions. 

How data in agriculture can strengthen the farmer-landowner relationship

Data in agriculture, while certainly effective at making farms more productive, can also help landowners optimize their land leasing practices in three main ways. 

As farmland values increase, landowners are responsible for increased carrying costs: property taxes, insurance, liability, etc. Because of the way cash rental agreements are currently negotiated—namely, using USDA published figures based on farmer self-reporting—tenants indirectly set their own rates. 

To account for increased carrying costs, landowners need to renegotiate their cash rental rates. This requires real-time data on the specific piece of land that can account for above-average productivity, highly profitable crops, above-average soil and land quality, and other factors that apply to that specific piece of land. 

This is where CommonGround’s CashRenstimate tool comes into play. It’s an objective measure of a land’s true value, taking into account over fifty demographics and analyzing them according to a multiple linear machine learning algorithm which finds the most meaningful variables and weighs them more heavily than the others. 

For example, North Dakota produces more canola and winter wheat than Illinois. As such, canola and winter wheat weigh more heavily in the North Dakota CashRentstimate than they would in Illinois.

This approach, powered by data in agriculture, provides landowners with an objective, up-to-date picture of their land’s true value, which they can bring into negotiations and get fair value for their land. 

As mentioned above, real-time farm data can be correlated with external factors. For landowners in crop share agreements, understanding these relationships can be key to predicting their potential of their land to generate revenue into the future, which is important when renewing leases.

Currently, the agriculture market faces a number of challenges that can impact crop prices:

Increasing interest rates until the latter half of 2024

Inflation rates that, while slowing, are still concerning (2.1% domestically and 5.4% abroad)

Uncertain food price outlook, with projections ranging from a potential 5.5% increase to 7.8% decrease

Unstable geopolitical conditions as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue

With advanced market analytics correlated with field performance data, landowners can plan more strategically the crops they want on their land in future season, future lease agreement terms, and even whether they want to continue on with the same farmer. 

IoT devices, as mentioned above, give farmers access to more data than before and help them adjust their performance accordingly. Landowners, however, can also use this real-time data to gain insights into farmers performance and, if necessary, make suggestions for adjustment.

For instance, if a soil sensor indicates a higher pH level than the agreed upon fertilizer should cause, landowners can check on the farmer’s planting decisions and verify that they’re remaining in compliance with the agreement.

Because IoT sensors enable this insight in real time, owners can step in and make changes before they balloon into larger problems. 

Final thoughts on the use of data in agriculture

Data in agriculture can be a powerful tool, but only when applied to relevant questions. While the industry focus is mainly on use of data to improve crop performance and productivity, there are multiple use cases that enable landowners to strengthen their operations and maximize their land lease agreements. 


If you’re looking to increase the value of your land, check out the CommonGround marketplace, and we’ll show you what a fair, objective rental rate looks like.

Data in agriculture is a powerful tool for the farmer, but also the landowner. Here are some ways to leverage it to optimize your land lease practices.

How Landowners Can Leverage Data in Agriculture to Optimize Land Lease Practices

Non-operating landowners own almost 40% of the agricultural land across the U.S.  In some regions, a much higher percentage of land is owned and leased out by the non-operators.  This group is vitally important to farmers and ranchers who lease the land and produce the food and fiber that sustains the world.  Today’s landowners, active farmers and ranchers along with the non-operating owners, are faced with a multitude of decisions points concerning their farms.  Some are financial, some are operational, and some are conservation and sustainability focused.  Many decision needs remain the same year in and year out while others are new to owners.

Each generation of landowner, active producers and non-operating alike, face decisions about succession of the ownership of their land.  As agricultural land transfers to the next generation of family, there are usually more individuals involved in the ownership structure and decision making.  Planning for succession and the decisions affecting the transfer are becoming more critical because of the increased value of the underlying asset and the growing importance of food and fiber production for the world’s population.  Legacy and financial reasons come into play for each generation of landowner as they decide whether to keep the farm, who will farm it, and if they should sell.

New to succession of the farm are alternative methods of ownership and transfer.  Historically, land has been owned by individuals or in joint tenancy with the succession plan delineated in a will.  Ownership in a revocable trust has become very popular as one of the advantages of a trust is that it names a successor trustee to carry on management of the asset. 

Newer methods of land ownership and transfer include monetization of the farm into shares or units which can then be divided and passed to the next generation.  One means is to own shares in a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) or similarly in a DST (Delaware Statuary Trust) which are treated much like land for estate and transfer purposes except that it is shares that are passed down instead of a specific farm.  Investors can now buy into a farm partnership entity and own a share of a farm jointly with others.  These shares or units can be passed down or gifted to others. 

Landowners are now being faced with a new set of challenges and opportunities that create another set of decisions to be made with potential short and longer-term ramifications.  Longer term questions for a landowner include whether to enroll in carbon sequestration programs or try organic production on their farm.  Decisions about major improvements such as conservation structures or drainage tile, enrolling in multi-year conservation programs, or building grain storage all have longer-term effects on the value of the farm.  

Landowners make other decisions usually on an annual basis.  Determining who will rent the farm including lease terms and rental rates are important decisions made each year or every few years.  Depending on the type of lease utilized to rent to the farmer, landowners may need to look at insurance needs, inputs and  costs, pricing of grain, and how to use technology on the farm. 

Just like producers, non-operating landowners face important decision points around the land they own.  How the farm is owned, how it is operated, how to balance short-term changes with long-term benefits, and ultimately, how to leave a better farm to the next generation of owner are important decisions that need to be made.  Challenges abound as always, but new opportunities are here for landowners. 

Explore the crucial role of non-operating landowners in the U.S. agricultural landscape, their decision-making challenges, succession planning dilemmas, and emerging trends in land ownership and transfer methods.

Navigating Agricultural Land Ownership: Challenges and Opportunities for Non-operating Landowners

Hunting private land is often a better choice than public. There’s more control over land use, reduced competition, and often leads to a better hunting experience. But there’s one hurdle to hunting on private land that dissuades many tenants: cost.

Thankfully, if you want to realize the benefits of a private hunting lease, there are several strategies to alleviate those costs.In this article, we’ll walk through these strategies to help you figure out which best fits your hunting situation. 

There are a number of reasons for hunters to lease private ground. Public land, while a more accessible alternative, has some drawbacks: crowded conditions, limited control over the hunting area, and various state and local regulations.

That’s why private hunting ground is attractive to many hunters. Common benefits of private hunting ground include:

Private hunting land can be expensive to lease. Here are four cost reduction strategies to create a more affordable & accessible hunting experience.