Measuring the Relationship between Agricultural Productivity and Heirs' Property

Abstract

Heirs' property is land that is jointly owned by multiple family members as it is passed down through generations. While heirs’ property is a significant issue in the southern region of the United States, it is also a national issue present in all states. Heirs’ property can limit generation of income from the land. Beyond building family wealth, this presents issues with economic development in communities. In this study I explore how agricultural sales relate to the prevalence of heirs' property in rural counties in the Southeastern region of the U.S. Data are obtained from the USDA Census of Agriculture, CoreLogic Parcel Level Property Records, U.S. Census Bureau, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Cropscape Data Layer, and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. Along with recognition in agricultural policy, cooperative extension is discussed as a vehicle to help heirs’ property owners address their land ownership issues and transition into agricultural production.