As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
 1. “Actively engaged in farming” means the designated person is personally involved in the production of crops and livestock on the eligible tract on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis. However, a lessor, whether under a cash or a crop share lease, is not actively engaged in farming on the area of the tract covered by the lease. This provision applies to both written and oral leases.
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Terms Used In Iowa Code 425A.2

  • Actively engaged in farming: means the designated person is personally involved in the production of crops and livestock on the eligible tract on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Actively engaged in farming: means the designated person is personally involved in the production of crops and livestock on the eligible tract on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Agricultural land: means land in tracts of ten acres or more excluding any buildings or other structures located on the land, and not laid off into lots of less than ten acres or divided by streets and alleys into parcels of less than ten acres, lying within a school corporation and in good faith used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Agricultural land: means land in tracts of ten acres or more excluding any buildings or other structures located on the land, and not laid off into lots of less than ten acres or divided by streets and alleys into parcels of less than ten acres, lying within a school corporation and in good faith used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Designated person: means one of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Designated person: means one of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Livestock: includes but is not limited to an animal classified as an ostrich, rhea, or emu. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Owner: means any of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Owner: means any of the following:
     a. See Iowa Code 425A.2
  • Partner: means a person that holds an interest, directly or indirectly, in a partnership or pass-through entity. See Iowa Code 422.25A
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Partnership: means an entity subject to taxation under subchapter K of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder and includes but is not limited to a syndicate, group, pool, joint venture, or other unincorporated organization through or by means of which any business, financial operation, or venture is carried on and which is not, within the meaning of this chapter, a trust, estate, or corporation. See Iowa Code 422.25A
  • Person: means any individual, firm, association, partnership, joint stock company, joint adventure, corporation, trustee, agency, or receiver, or any legal representative of any of the foregoing. See Iowa Code 453A.42
 2. “Agricultural land” means land in tracts of ten acres or more excluding any buildings or other structures located on the land, and not laid off into lots of less than ten acres or divided by streets and alleys into parcels of less than ten acres, lying within a school corporation and in good faith used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. Any land in tracts laid off or platted into lots of less than ten acres belonging to and a part of other lands of more than ten acres and in good faith used for agricultural or horticultural purposes is entitled to the benefits of this chapter.
 3. “Crop” or “crop production” includes pastureland.
 4. “Designated person” means one of the following:

 a. If the owner is an individual, the designated person includes the owner of the tract, the owner’s spouse, the owner’s child or stepchild, and their spouses, or the owner’s relative within the third degree of consanguinity, and the relative’s spouse.
 b. If the owner is a partnership, a partner, or the partner’s spouse.
 c. If the owner is a family farm corporation, a family member who is a shareholder of the family farm corporation or the shareholder’s spouse.
 d. If the owner is a family farm limited liability company, a family member who is a member of the family farm limited liability company or the member’s spouse.
 e. If the owner is an authorized farm corporation, a shareholder who owns at least fifty-one percent of the stock of the authorized farm corporation or the shareholder’s spouse.
 f. If the owner is an authorized limited liability company, a member who holds at least fifty-one percent of all membership interests in the authorized limited liability company, or the member’s spouse.
 g. If the owner is an individual who leases the tract to a family farm corporation, a shareholder of the corporation if the combined stock of the family farm corporation owned by the owner of the tract and persons related to the owner as enumerated in paragraph “a” is equal to at least fifty-one percent of the stock of the family farm corporation.
 h. If the owner is an individual who leases the tract to a family farm limited liability company, a member of the family farm limited liability company if the combined interests of the family farm limited liability company held by the owner of the tract and persons related to the owner as enumerated in paragraph “a” is equal to at least fifty-one percent of the interests of the family farm limited liability company.
 i. If the owner is an individual who leases the tract to a partnership, a partner if the combined partnership interest owned by a designated person as defined in paragraph “a” is equal to at least fifty-one percent of the ownership interest of the partnership.
 5. “Eligible tract” or “eligible tract of agricultural land” means an area of agricultural land which meets all of the following:

 a. Is comprised of all of the contiguous tracts under identical legal ownership that are located within the same county.
 b. In the aggregate more than half the acres of the contiguous tract is devoted to the production of crops or livestock by a designated person who is actively engaged in farming.
 c. For purposes of paragraph “b”, if some or all of the contiguous tract is being farmed under a lease arrangement, the activities of the lessor do not constitute being actively engaged in farming on the areas of the tract covered by the lease. If the lessee is a designated person who is actively engaged in farming, the acres under lease may be considered in determining whether more than half the acres of the contiguous tract are devoted to the production of crops or livestock.
 6. “Owner” means any of the following:

 a. An individual who holds the fee simple title to the agricultural land.
 b. An individual who owns the agricultural land under a contract of purchase which has been recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the agricultural land is located.
 c. An individual who owns the agricultural land under devise or by operation of the inheritance laws, where the whole interest passes or where the divided interest is shared only by individuals related or formerly related to each other by blood, marriage, or adoption.
 d. An individual who owns the agricultural land under a deed which conveys a divided interest, where the divided interest is shared only by individuals related or formerly related to each other by blood, marriage, or adoption.
 e. A partnership where all partners are related or formerly related to each other by blood, marriage, or adoption.
 f. A family farm corporation, family farm limited liability company, authorized farm corporation, or authorized limited liability company, as defined in section 9H.1, which owns the agricultural land.
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