Storm Lake firm grows to 120,000 acres after 11,000-acre acquisition

Stalcup Agricultural Services of Storm Lake has expanded its footprint in Iowa, adding more than 11,000 acres across 53 farms after acquiring Midstates Farm Management from Midstates Bank in Council Bluffs. The deal, effective Jan. 1, boosts Stalcup’s managed portfolio to over 120,000 acres and broadens the firm's real estate and appraisal services across Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska.

The acquisition covers farms in 11 counties across west-central and southwest Iowa. For Buena Vista County, where Stalcup was founded in 1942 and remains headquartered in Storm Lake, the transaction cements the company's role as a regional hub for professional land management. Stalcup has operated for more than eight decades as one of the Midwest’s long-standing farm management and real estate firms, and the added acreage represents a sizable single-step expansion amid a broader market reshaping.

Stalcup partner Dennis Reyman described the move as strengthening the firm's regional reach and framed the deal as a response to ongoing generational turnover in land ownership. As part of the integration, veteran farm manager Steve Kock will join Stalcup and lead a new branch office in Avoca, providing local management interface for acres acquired in southwest Iowa.

Economically, the acquisition illustrates two trends affecting local farmland markets. First, aging ownership and estate transitions are increasing demand for professional management, appraisal and brokerage services; consolidation into established firms like Stalcup can streamline those transitions for family owners. Second, scaling management operations to more than 120,000 acres gives Stalcup greater pricing and service leverage when arranging leases, appraisals and real estate transactions, which may influence local rental rates and sale liquidity over time.

For Buena Vista County residents, the practical effects are immediate and tangible. Landowners considering succession now have a local firm with expanded geographic reach and appraisal capacity to assist with valuations and sales. Crop operators and renters may see continuity in management practices if leases roll to Stalcup-managed portfolios. The addition of a new Avoca branch also signals potential hires and managerial redistribution across the network, though specific staffing and service changes for Storm Lake were not detailed.

Policy implications include the need for county officials and agricultural advisors to monitor how larger management portfolios affect parcel-level transactions, tax assessments and rural services. As more acreage moves under professional management, local market dynamics for farmland values and lease structures could shift, requiring updated guidance for older landowners and incoming generations.

The acquisition underscores a longer-term shift toward professionalized farm management in the Midwest. For Buena Vista County residents, the change offers a deeper local resource for navigating land transfers and appraisals while reshaping who manages the region’s fields in the years ahead.