Over one-half of Iowa's farmers rent part or all of the land they operate, and more than one-half of the state's farm land is rented. Interests of tenants and land owners are largely complementary. Each needs the other's resources as well as his own to operate a farm successfully. Rental arrangements provide the means for landlords and tenants to share mutual benefits from the joint use of each other's resources.

Many of Iowa's landlords and tenants are constantly searching for rental practices to overcome new as well as old tenancy problems. Most of these problems center around determining rent, improving farms, trying new farming practices, getting landlords and tenants together who complement each other's interests and resources, and complying with Iowa's laws and customs of leasing.