For custom cattle feedlot operators, Iowa Code Chapter 579A establishes an agricultural lien on the cattle and the identifiable cash proceeds from their sale. To protect this priority status, we assist farmers by filing a financing statement with the office of the Iowa Secretary of State within 20 days after the cattle arrive at the feedlot.

For growers and other livestock producers operating under a commodity production contract, Iowa Code Chapter 579B provides a commodity production contract lien. This lien applies to livestock, raw milk, or crops, as well as the cash proceeds from their sale. Unless a contract provides for continuous arrival, a producer must file a financing statement within 45 days after the livestock arrives or within 45 days after a crop is first planted. If the contract provides for continuous arrival, the timeline changes to one hundred eighty days after arrival. We understand these exact timelines and file the necessary documentation to ensure our clients maintain leverage during commercial disputes.