Gladstone Land Corporation Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Real Estate and Intangible Assets

Real Estate and Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

REAL ESTATE AND INTANGIBLE ASSETSAll of our properties are wholly-owned on a fee-simple basis, except where noted. The following table provides certain summary information about the 164 farms we owned as of December 31, 2021 (dollars in thousands, except for footnotes):


Location	No. of Farms	Total Acres	Farm Acres	Net Cost Basis(1)		Encumbrances(2)
California(3)(4)(5)	62	33,027	30,740	$	854,859	$	415,667
Florida	26	22,591	17,639	221,736		130,929
Arizona(6)	6	6,280	5,228	55,701		18,253
Colorado	12	32,773	25,577	47,314		29,466
Washington	3	1,384	1,001	37,543		24,921
Nebraska	9	7,782	7,050	30,416		12,173
Michigan	23	1,892	1,245	24,661		14,608
Oregon(7)	5	726	606	20,604		10,660
Texas	1	3,667	2,219	8,250		5,000
Maryland	6	987	863	7,970		4,584
South Carolina	3	597	447	3,722		2,215
Georgia	2	230	175	2,874		—
North Carolina	2	310	295	2,204		1,172
New Jersey	3	116	101	2,181		1,290
Delaware	1	180	140	1,276		735
Totals	164	112,542	93,326	$	1,321,311	$	671,673

(1)Consists of the initial acquisition price (including the costs allocated to both tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed), plus subsequent improvements and other capitalized costs associated with the properties, and adjusted for accumulated depreciation and amortization. Specifically, includes Total real estate, net (excluding improvements paid for by the tenant) and Lease intangibles, net; plus long-term water assets, net above-market lease values, net lease incentives, and net investments in special-purpose LLCs included in Other assets, net; and less net below-market lease values and other deferred revenue included in Other liabilities, net; each as shown on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Excludes approximately $3.7 million of debt issuance costs related to notes and bonds payable, included in Notes and bonds payable, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(3)Includes ownership in a special-purpose LLC that owns a pipeline conveying water to certain of our properties. As of December 31, 2021, this investment had a net carrying value of approximately $1.1 million and is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet.

(4)Includes five acres in which we own a leasehold interest via a ground sublease with a California municipality that expires in December 2041. The ground sublease had a net cost basis of approximately $763,000 as of December 31, 2021 (included in Lease intangibles, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets).

(5)Includes 45,000 acre-feet of water stored with Semitropic Water Storage District, located in Kern County, California. See “—Investments in Water Assets” below for additional information on this water.

(6)Includes two farms in which we own a leasehold interest via ground leases with the State of Arizona that expire in February 2022 (which was extended to February 2032 subsequent to December 31, 2021) and February 2025, respectively. In total, these two farms consist of 1,368 total acres and 1,221 farm acres and had an aggregate net cost basis of approximately $1.1 million as of December 31, 2021 (included in Lease intangibles, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets).

(7)Includes ownership in a special-purpose LLC that owns certain irrigation infrastructure that provides water to one of our farms. As of December 31, 2021, this investment had a net carrying value of approximately $2.1 million and is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Real Estate

The following table sets forth the components of our investments in tangible real estate assets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands):


	December 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Real estate:
Land and land improvements	$	812,830	$	713,333
Permanent Plantings	331,969		202,420
Irrigation and drainage systems	153,688		141,408
Farm-related facilities	46,804		28,146
Other site improvements	12,509		10,132
Real estate, at cost	1,357,800		1,095,439
Accumulated depreciation	(74,002)		(49,236)
Real estate, net	$	1,283,798	$	1,046,203

Real estate depreciation expense on these tangible assets was approximately $25.9 million and $14.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Included in the figures above are amounts related to improvements made on certain of our properties paid for by our tenants but owned by us, or tenant improvements. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded tenant improvements, net of accumulated depreciation, of approximately $2.5 million and $2.0 million, respectively. We recorded both depreciation expense and additional lease revenue related to these tenant improvements of approximately $406,000 and $304,000 during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Intangible Assets and Liabilities

The following table summarizes the carrying value of certain lease intangible assets and the related accumulated amortization as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands):


	December 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Lease intangibles:
Leasehold interest – land	$	4,295	$	3,498
In-place leases	2,174		1,968
Leasing costs	1,808		1,640
Other(1)	130		127
Lease intangibles, at gross cost	8,407		7,233
Accumulated amortization	(3,951)		(3,501)
Lease intangibles, net	$	4,456	$	3,732

(1)Other consists primarily of tenant relationships.

Total amortization expense related to these lease intangible assets was approximately $1.3 million and $1.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The following table summarizes the carrying values of certain lease intangible assets or liabilities included in Other assets, net or Other liabilities, net, respectively, on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and the related accumulated amortization or accretion, respectively, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 (dollars in thousands):


	December 31, 2021				December 31, 2020
Intangible Asset or Liability	Deferred Rent Asset (Liability)		Accumulated (Amortization) Accretion		Deferred Rent Asset (Liability)		Accumulated (Amortization) Accretion
Above-market lease values and lease incentives(1)	$	65	$	(12)	$	308	$	(154)
Below-market lease values and other deferred revenues(2)	(2,010)		340		(908)		336
	$	(1,945)	$	328	$	(600)	$	182

(1)Net above-market lease values and lease incentives are included as part of Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, and the related amortization is recorded as a reduction of Lease revenue, net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

(2)Net below-market lease values and other deferred revenue are included as a part of Other liabilities, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, and the related accretion is recorded as an increase to Lease revenue, net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Total amortization related to above-market lease values and lease incentives was approximately $48,000 and $203,000 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Total accretion related to below-market lease values and other deferred revenues was approximately $224,000 and $113,000 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The estimated aggregate amortization expense to be recorded related to in-place lease values, leasing costs, and tenant relationships and the estimated net impact on lease revenue from the amortization of above-market lease values and lease incentives or accretion of above-market lease values and other deferred revenues for each of the five succeeding fiscal years and thereafter is as follows (dollars in thousands):


Period		Estimated Amortization Expense		Estimated Net Increase (Decrease) to Lease Revenue
For the fiscal years ending December 31:	2022	$	796	$	179
	2023	660		159
	2024	631		155
	2025	441		155
	2026	362		155
	Thereafter	1,566		814
		$	4,456	$	1,617

Acquisitions

2021 Acquisitions

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we acquired 27 new farms, which are summarized in the table below (dollars in thousands, except for footnotes):


Property Name	Property Location	Acquisition Date	Total Acres	No. of Farms	Primary Crop(s) / Use	Lease Term	Renewal Options	Total Purchase Price		Acquisition Costs(1)		Annualized Straight-line Rent(2)
Palmer Mill Road	Dorchester, MD	3/3/2021	228	2	Sod	10.0 years	2 (5 years)	$	1,600	$	56	$	89
Eight Mile Road – Port Facility	San Joaquin, CA	3/11/2021	5	—	Cooling facility and storage	9.8 years	3 (5 years)	3,977		50		189
South Avenue	Tehama, CA	4/5/2021	2,285	1	Olives for olive oil	14.7 years	1 (5 years)	37,800		149		2,555
Richards Avenue	Atlantic, NJ	6/3/2021	116	3	Blueberries	14.9 years	2 (5 years)	2,150		63		129
Lerdo Highway (Phase I)(3)(4)	Kern, CA	6/4/2021	639	1	Conventional & organic almonds and banked water	10.4 years	3 (10 years)	26,492		111		974
Almena Drive	Van Buren & Eaton, MI	6/9/2021	930	8	Blueberries	14.7 years	2 (5 years)	13,300		51		785
Maricopa Highway	Kern, CA	8/11/2021	277	1	Organic blueberries	14.9 years	3 (5 years)	30,000		63		2,262
Wallace Road	Yamhill, OR	8/11/2021	143	1	Organic blueberries	10.1 years	3 (5 years)	12,320		39		768
West Orange	St. Lucie, FL	8/18/2021	617	2	Lemons and oranges	12.0 years	None	5,241		184		367
Lerdo Highway (Phase II)(3)(5)	Kern, CA	8/20/2021	479	1	Conventional & organic almonds and banked water	10.2 years	3 (10 years)	14,772		53		735
Lerdo Highway (Phase III)(3)(6)	Kern, CA	10/8/2021	1,291	1	Conventional & organic almonds, conventional & organic pistachios, and banked water	10.1 years	3 10 years)	42,959		90		1,981
Raymond Road(3)	Madera, CA	10/21/2021	219	1	Almonds	10.0 years	1 (5 years)	3,300		78		183
Cogdell Highway	Atkinson, GA	11/12/2021	230	2	Blueberries	14.8 years	None	2,850		45		224
Chuckhole Lane(7)	Umatilla, OR	11/23/2021	165	1	Wine grapes	9.9 years	2 (10 years)	2,383		117		139
West Lerdo Highway(3)(8)	Kern, CA	12/3/2021	2,635	1	Pistachios	2.9 years	None	88,000		97		4,395
Farm Road	Charlotte, FL	12/16/2021	1,204	1	Sod, watermelons, and cattle	5.0 years	1 (5 years)	7,350		94		388
			11,463	27				$	294,494	$	1,340	$	16,163

(1)Includes approximately $78,000 of external legal fees associated with negotiating and originating the leases associated with these acquisitions, which were expensed in the period incurred.

(2)Unaudited; based on the minimum cash rental payments guaranteed under the respective leases, as required under GAAP, and excludes contingent rental payments, such as participation rents.

(3)Lease provides for an annual participation rent component based on the gross crop revenues earned on the farm. The rent figure above represents only the minimum cash guaranteed under the lease.

(4)As part of the acquisition of this property, we acquired a contract to purchase 20,330 acre-feet of water stored with Semitropic Water Storage District, located in Kern County, California, at a fixed price. We executed this contract on June 25, 2021, at an additional cost of approximately $1.2 million, which is included in the total purchase price for this property in the table above. Income is not currently being earned on the value attributable to the water. See “—Investments in Water Assets” below for additional information on this water.

(5)As part of the acquisition of this property, we acquired a contract to purchase 5,000 acre-feet of water stored with Semitropic Water Storage District, located in Kern County, California, at a fixed price. We executed this contract on August 23, 2021, at an additional cost of approximately $306,000, which is included in the total purchase price for this property in the table above. Income is not currently being earned on the value attributable to the water. See “—Investments in Water Assets” below for additional information on this water.

(6)As part of the acquisition of this property, we acquired a contract to purchase 19,670 acre-feet of water stored with Semitropic Water Storage District, located in Kern County, California, at a fixed price. We executed this contract on October 11, 2021, at an additional cost of approximately $1.2 million,

which is included in the total purchase price for this property in the table above. Income is not currently being earned on the value attributable to the water. See “—Investments in Water Assets” below for additional information on this water.

(7)In connection with the acquisition of this property, we also acquired an ownership interest in a related LLC, the sole purpose of which is to own and maintain an irrigation system providing water to this and other neighboring properties. Our acquired ownership, which equated to a 9.1% interest in the LLC, was valued at approximately $2.1 million at the time of acquisition and is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. See “—Investments in Unconsolidated Entities” below for further information for our aggregate ownership interest in this and other LLCs.

(8)Lease provides for an initial term of 9.9 years but also includes an annual tenant termination option, effective as of the end of the lease year (as defined within the lease) following the exercise of such termination option. The lease term stated above represents the term through the first available termination option, and the annualized straight-line rent amount represents the rent guaranteed through the noncancellable term of the lease.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, in the aggregate, we recognized operating revenues of approximately $6.4 million and net income of approximately $2.4 million related to the above acquisitions.

2020 Acquisitions

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we acquired 26 new farms, which are summarized in the table below (dollars in thousands, except for footnotes).


Property Name	Property Location	Acquisition Date	Total Acreage	No. of Farms	Primary Crop(s)	Lease Term	Renewal Options	Total Purchase Price		Acquisition Costs(1)		Annualized Straight-line Rent(2)
County Road 18	Phillips, CO	1/15/2020	1,325	2	Sugar beets, edible beans, potatoes, & corn	6.0 years	None	$	7,500	$	39	$	416
Lamar Valley	Chase, NE	5/7/2020	678	1	Potatoes, edible beans, & corn	6.7 years	2 (5 years)	3,500		43		204
Driver Road(3)	Kern, CA	6/5/2020	590	1	Pecans	4.7 years	2 (10 years)	14,169		52		784
Mt. Hermon	Wicomico & Caroline, MD, and Sussex, DE	8/31/2020	939	5	Sod & vegetables	10.0 years	2 (5 years)	7,347		226		432
Firestone Avenue(4)(5)(6)	Fresno, CA	9/3/2020	2,534	3	Pistachios and misc. organic & conventional vegetables	1.2 years	2 (5 years)	31,833		131		1,734
West Lost Hills Road(4)(7)(8)	Fresno, CA	10/1/2020	801	1	Pistachios	1.1 years	4 (3 years)	31,827		77		1,752
Tractor Road	Bamberg & Orangeburg, SC	10/23/2020	597	3	Sod	9.5 years	None	3,765		72		244
American Ave	Fresno, CA	12/11/2020	236	1	Current: Table grapes; Future: Almonds	19.9 years	1 (5 years)	3,600		55		241
Round Mountain	Ventura, CA	12/15/2020	368	3	Misc. vegetables	1.6 years	None	20,750		66		949
West Sierra	Tulare, CA	12/17/2020	4,642	1	Almonds, pomegranates (conventional & organic), pistachios, and oats	9.9 years	1 (10 years)	61,500		112		3,886
Eight Mile Road	San Joaquin, CA	12/24/2020	1,036	2	Conventional & organic blueberries	10.0 years	3 (5 years)	34,300		57		2,234
Rock Road	Whatcom, WA	12/24/2020	638	2	Blueberries	10.0 years	3 (5 years)	31,700		105		1,885
Fountain Springs(4)	Tulare, CA	12/31/2020	160	1	Citrus (mandarins & lemons)	7.8 years	2 (5 years)	4,200		51		252
			14,544	26				$	255,991	$	1,086	$	15,013

(1)Includes approximately $75,000 of aggregate external legal fees associated with negotiating and originating the leases associated with these acquisitions, which costs were expensed in the period incurred.

(2)Unaudited; based on the minimum cash rental payments guaranteed under the respective leases, as required under GAAP, and excludes contingent rental payments, such as participation rents.

(3)The lease provides for an initial term of 14.7 years and includes six tenant termination options throughout the initial term. The lease term stated above represents the term through the first available termination option, and the annualized straight-line rent amount represents the rent guaranteed through the noncancellable term of the lease.

(4)Lease provides for an annual participation rent component based on the gross crop revenues earned on the farm. The rent figure above represents only the minimum cash guaranteed under the lease.

(5)Lease provides for an initial term of 8.2 years but also includes an annual tenant termination option should the tenant become physically unable to continue farming operations on the property, effective as of the end of the then-current lease year (as defined within the lease). The lease term stated above represents the term through the first available termination option, and the annualized straight-line rent amount represents the rent guaranteed through the noncancellable term of the lease.

(6)In connection with the acquisition of this property, we also acquired an ownership interest in a related LLC, the sole purpose of which is to own and maintain a pipeline conveying water to this and other neighboring properties. Our acquired ownership, which equated to a 12.5% interest in the LLC, was valued at approximately $280,000 at the time of acquisition and is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. See “Investments in Unconsolidated Entities” below for further information on our aggregate ownership interest in this LLC.

(7)Lease provides for an initial term of 5.1 years but also includes an annual tenant termination option should the tenant become physically unable to continue farming operations on the property, effective as of the end of the then-current lease year (as defined within the lease). The lease term stated above represents the term through the first available termination option, and the annualized straight-line rent amount represents the rent guaranteed through the noncancellable term of the lease.

(8)In connection with the acquisition of this property, we also acquired an ownership interest in a related LLC, the sole purpose of which is to own and maintain a pipeline conveying water to this and other neighboring properties. Our acquired ownership, which equated to a 12.5% interest in the LLC, was valued at approximately $294,000 at the time of acquisition and is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. See “Investments in Unconsolidated Entities” below for further information on our aggregate ownership interest in this LLC.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, in the aggregate, we recognized operating revenues of approximately $2.5 million and net income of approximately $984,000 related to the above acquisitions.

Purchase Price Allocations

The allocation of the aggregate purchase price for the farms acquired during each of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows (dollars in thousands):


Assets (Liabilities) Acquired	2021 Acquisitions		2020 Acquisitions
Land and land improvements	$	98,403	$	124,870
Permanent plantings	129,677		93,751
Irrigation & drainage systems	11,277		26,837
Farm-related facilities	17,521		6,620
Other site improvements	984		2,699
Leasehold interest—land	790		—
In-place lease values	688		395
Leasing costs	511		250
Above-market lease values(1)	—		54
Below-market lease values(2)	(1,321)		(58)
Investment in LLC(1)	2,054		573
Water purchase contracts(1)(3)	31,153		—
Total Purchase Price	$	291,737	255,991

(1)Included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(2)Included within Other liabilities, net on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

(3)Represents only the value attributable to the water purchase contracts acquired as part of the acquisition of Lerdo Highway and excludes approximately $2.8 million paid to execute the contracts subsequent to the acquisition.

Acquired Intangibles and Liabilities

The following table shows the weighted-average amortization periods (in years) for the intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with new real estate acquired during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:


	Weighted-Average Amortization Period (in Years)
Intangible Assets and Liabilities	2021	2020
Leasehold interest – land	20.8	0
In-place lease values	13.9	4.6
Leasing costs	13.3	8.3
Above-market lease values and lease incentives	0	10.0
Below-market lease values and other deferred revenue	9.8	1.3
All intangible assets and liabilities	13.8	5.9

Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

In connection with the acquisition of certain farmland located in Fresno County, California, we also acquired an ownership in a related limited liability company (the “Fresno LLC”), the sole purpose of which is to own and maintain a pipeline conveying water to our and other neighboring properties. As of December 31, 2021, our aggregate ownership interest in the Fresno LLC was 50.0%. As our investment in the Fresno LLC is deemed to constitute “significant influence,” we have accounted for this investment under the equity method.

In the connection with the acquisition of certain farmland located in Umatilla County, Oregon, we also acquired an ownership in a related limited liability company (the “Umatilla LLC”), the sole purpose of which is to own and maintain an irrigation system providing water to our and other neighboring properties. As of December 31, 2021, our aggregate ownership interest in

the Umatilla LLC was 9.1%. As our investment in the Umatilla LLC is deemed to constitute “significant influence,” we have accounted for this investment under the equity method.

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded an aggregate loss of approximately $61,000 and $4,000, respectively (included in Loss from investments in unconsolidated entities on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income), which represents our pro-rata share of the aggregate loss recognized by the Fresno LLC and Umatilla LLC. Our combined ownership interest in the Fresno LLC and the Umatilla LLC, which had an aggregate carrying value of approximately $3.1 million and $1.2 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, is included within Other assets, net on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Investments in Water Assets

In connection with the acquisition of certain farmland located in Kern County, California, we also acquired three contracts to purchase an aggregate of 45,000 acre-feet of banked water held by Semitropic Water Storage District (“SWSD”), a water storage district located in Kern County, California, at a fixed price. The contracts to purchase the banked water could not readily be net settled by means outside of the contracts, and all rights and obligations associated with the purchase contracts were transferred to us at acquisition of the related farmland. We were not required to purchase a specific amount, or any, of the 45,000 acre-feet of water. Upon acquisition, we recognized the contracts at their relative fair value in accordance with ASC 805.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we executed all three contracts to purchase all 45,000 acre-feet of banked water for an aggregate additional cost of approximately $2.8 million. The purchased banked water was recognized at cost, including any administrative fees necessary to transfer the water to our banked water account. While we may, in the future, sell the banked water to an unrelated third party for a profit, our current intent is to hold the water for the long-term for future use on our own farms. There is no amount of time by which we must use the water held by SWSD.

As of December 31, 2021, the investment in banked water had a carrying value of approximately $34.0 million, which includes the subsequent cost to execute the contract, and is included within Other assets, net on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Each quarter, we will review the investment in banked water for any indicators of impairment in accordance with ASC 360, “Property, Plant, and Equipment,” and perform an impairment analysis if there are any such indicators. As of December 31, 2021, we concluded that there were no such indicators and that the water was not impaired.

Future Minimum Lease Payments

We account for all of our leasing arrangements in which we are the lessor as operating leases. The majority of our leases are subject to fixed rental increases, and a small subset of our lease portfolio includes lease payments based on an index, such as the consumer price index (“CPI”). In addition, several of our leases contain participation rent components based on the gross revenues earned on the respective farms. Most of our leases also include tenant renewal options; however, these renewal options are generally based on then-current market rental rates and are therefore typically excluded from the determination of the minimum lease term. The majority of our leases do not generally include tenant termination options.

The following tables summarize the future lease payments to be received under noncancellable leases as of December 31, 2021 (dollars in thousands):


Period		Tenant Lease Revenue
For the fiscal years ending December 31,	2022	$	75,700
	2023	71,046
	2024	64,985
	2025	57,953
	2026	53,829
	Thereafter	206,361
		$	529,874

Portfolio Concentrations

Credit Risk

As of December 31, 2021, our farms were leased to various different, unrelated third-party tenants, with certain tenants leasing more than one farm. No individual tenant represented greater than 10.0% of the total lease revenue recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Geographic Risk

Farms located in California and Florida accounted for approximately $49.6 million (65.9%) and $13.7 million (18.2%), respectively, of the total lease revenue recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021. Though we seek to continue to further diversify geographically, as may be desirable or feasible, should an unexpected natural disaster (such as an earthquake, wildfire, or flood) occur or climactic change impact the regions where our properties are located, there could be a material adverse effect on our financial performance and ability to continue operations. None of our farms in California or Florida have been materially impacted by the recent wildfires, droughts, or hurricanes that occurred in those respective regions. In addition, in light of the ongoing drought taking place in the western U.S., all of our farms in the region have independent (and, in most cases, multiple) sources of water, in addition to rainfall, and have not been materially impacted by the current drought conditions. No other single state accounted for more than 10.0% of the total rental revenue recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021.