WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL NEWS AND REPORTING

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Your 365-day connection to the industry insights, conversations, and reporting of The Land Investment Expo.

Ag Economist Matt Erickson: Volatility Varies on the Farm

Three decades offers more perspective than three years. Ten states provide more context than two. And volatility in one state’s agricultural priorities is not always the same as its bordering neighbor.

Dave Price

5 hours ago

Featured Articles

WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL INSIGHTS

Dividing Farm Into 22 Tracts Pays Off in $10.5 Million Illinois Sale

Farm in Edwards County, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Kurtz Auction & Realty. A 1,277-acre farm in southeastern Illinois sold for nearly $10.5 million during a July 9 auction after being divided into 22 tracts. The property, located near West Salem and Albion, brought a total of $10,500,000 averaging $8,222 per acre. The auction was managed by Jason Blue of Kurtz Auction & Realty, who said it was the largest property he has handled this year. Despite the size of the sale, and t

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

5 hours ago3 min read

Why This Farm Downturn Isn’t Another 1980s Crisis

It’s been a tough few years for farmers facing high input costs, low crop prices, and weaker farm income. Whenever the ag economy is in a prolonged downturn, it’s common to find someone asking if this is another 1980s farm crisis. At the Iowa Farm Bureau 2026 Economic Forum in Des Moines, economists said today’s pressures are real, but the situation is not the same as the ‘80s. “We are in the third year of a multi-year downturn,” said Dr. Christopher Pudenz, economist with th

David Geiger

5 hours ago3 min read

The Need for AI Vs. the Need for Protecting Land, Water, and Bank Accounts

One state finds itself different when it comes to all the rest. That state is New York. Communities across the country are having passionate debates – for and against – about locating data centers in their jurisdictions. But New York initiated a temporary ban for the entire state. More than a dozen states have discussed the idea of temporary bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which has been tracking legislation. But none progressed as far

Dave Price

5 hours ago3 min read

Latest Agricultural Reporting

NEWS, INSIGHTS, ANALYSIS, & INTERVIEWS

Dividing Farm Into 22 Tracts Pays Off in $10.5 Million Illinois Sale

Farm in Edwards County, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Kurtz Auction & Realty. A 1,277-acre farm in southeastern Illinois sold for nearly $10.5 million during a July 9 auction after being divided into 22 tracts. The property, located near West Salem and Albion, brought a total of $10,500,000 averaging $8,222 per acre. The auction was managed by Jason Blue of Kurtz Auction & Realty, who said it was the largest property he has handled this year. Despite the size of the sale, and t

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

5 hours ago3 min read

Why This Farm Downturn Isn’t Another 1980s Crisis

It’s been a tough few years for farmers facing high input costs, low crop prices, and weaker farm income. Whenever the ag economy is in a prolonged downturn, it’s common to find someone asking if this is another 1980s farm crisis. At the Iowa Farm Bureau 2026 Economic Forum in Des Moines, economists said today’s pressures are real, but the situation is not the same as the ‘80s. “We are in the third year of a multi-year downturn,” said Dr. Christopher Pudenz, economist with th

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

David Geiger

5 hours ago3 min read

The Need for AI Vs. the Need for Protecting Land, Water, and Bank Accounts

One state finds itself different when it comes to all the rest. That state is New York. Communities across the country are having passionate debates – for and against – about locating data centers in their jurisdictions. But New York initiated a temporary ban for the entire state. More than a dozen states have discussed the idea of temporary bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which has been tracking legislation. But none progressed as far

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

Dave Price

5 hours ago3 min read

Ag Economist Matt Erickson: Volatility Varies on the Farm

Three decades offers more perspective than three years. Ten states provide more context than two. And volatility in one state’s agricultural priorities is not always the same as its bordering neighbor.

LANDOWNERS PODCAST

Dave Price

5 hours ago4 min read

Notable Midwest Sales July 2026 Highlight Multi-Tract Auctions

Juneau County, WI Major 804-Acre Portfolio Brings $6.64 Million at Auction A large multi-tract auction in Juneau County, Wisconsin sold in July, with 799.66 acres m/l selling for $6,639,601, or an average of $8,303 per acre. The offering was highlighted by several quality cropland tracts, including Tracts 1, 2, and 3, which each sold for $8,700 per acre, while the 123.14-acre Tract 4 brought $9,000 per acre. The highest per-acre result came from the 11.66-acre Tract 10 at $13

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

American Farmland Owner

Jul 242 min read

china american flags with shipping containers

Making Uncertainty a Trade Policy

Changes to international trade policy carry a risk for businesses, especially farms dependent on exports. New rules are often challenged or delayed as economists and politicians debate policy. At the Iowa Farm Bureau 2026 Economic Forum in Des Moines, several speakers explained how that uncertainty has a cost. Agriculture seeks trade certainty Former U.S. Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer said, “For agriculture, what we need is consistent certainty of market access, right?

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

David Geiger

Jul 243 min read

Regional Monitor: Midwest Economy Sinking for Another Month

A downward economic trend has continued for another month for Creighton University’s “Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI),” according to its latest survey of rural bank CEOS in a 10-state region. RMI surveys leaders in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The index measures approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. Input costs rise for farmers “The farmers out there and ranchers are

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

Dave Price

Jul 242 min read

New Study: Iowa Farmers’ Income Fell 53% in Three Years

Farmers in a key agricultural state saw their incomes plummet over a three-year period, according to a newly released study. What Iowa farmers have faced is illustrative of what some of their counterparts in other states have experienced since the post-COVID boom earlier this decade. The headline number was 53%. That was the amount of net income that fell for farmers between 2022 and 2024, according to the study released by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State Universi

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Dave Price

Jul 242 min read

Real Estate Associate Christina Rather: Prepare for AFIDA

The sequel can sometimes be much different than the original. That could be the case with the proposed update of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).

LANDOWNERS PODCAST

Dave Price

Jul 244 min read

Court Ruling: Some USDA Cuts Must Get Restored

Sharon Mallory and her organization, the 2020 Farmers Cooperative, could once again get its share of $127 million in USDA grants, following a U.S. District Court judge’s ruling, according to Capital B News. The ruling could restore about half of the original USDA grants created under former President Joe Biden’s “Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program.” The program awarded $300 million to 50 projects as party of a federal effort to provide opportunities to Black

Dave Price

Jul 173 min read

AI for Farmers: Friend or Foe?

The potential benefits keep emerging: autonomous equipment, precision spraying, crop monitoring, and livestock management. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps guide producers in their decision-making as they search for efficiencies in time, cost, and labor demands. AI can utilize data from myriad sources like satellites, drones, field sensors, and weather forecasts. Additional information can help farmers know when crops are stressed, disease begins to form, irrigation needs t

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Dave Price

Jul 173 min read

Recreational Buyers Keep Missouri Land Market Moving

Image Courtesy: Whitetail Properties Real Estate A nearly $1.5 million recreational property in northeast Missouri sold in just a few weeks this spring, offering another sign that demand for quality hunting and recreational land remains strong across the state. The 122.6-acre property in Pike County, near Bowling Green, checked many of the boxes today's recreational buyers are looking for: excellent hunting ground, tillable acreage, and a trail system that makes it easy to ge

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

Jul 173 min read

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DISCUSSIONS WITH INDUSTRY THOUGHT LEADERS

Ag Economist Matt Erickson: Volatility Varies on the Farm

Three decades offers more perspective than three years. Ten states provide more context than two. And volatility in one state’s agricultural priorities is not always the same as its bordering neighbor.

5 hours ago4 min read

Real Estate Associate Christina Rather: Prepare for AFIDA

The sequel can sometimes be much different than the original. That could be the case with the proposed update of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).

Jul 244 min read

Ron Dunker: Farmers Need to Make a Plan

Commodity prices, interest rates, weather, tariffs, artificial intelligence, ethanol, or the next “must have” piece of machinery.

Jul 174 min read

Dr. Becky Schewe: Research Shows USDA Cuts Limiting Local Staff for Farmers

New analysis from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) raises questions about whether the USDA’s staffing changes will be able to meet the needs of local farmers.

Jul 104 min read

Tri-State Farmer Jamie Beyer: Why She Flew to Washington to Defend a Trade Deal

Most farmers don't dream about testifying before Congress. They are usually thinking about weather forecasts, equipment repairs, markets, or whether they will get the crop in before the next rain. But sometimes, representing agriculture means trading muddy boots for a microphone in Washington, D.C.

Jul 24 min read

Iowa Senate Leader Mike Klimesh: Hydrogen Could Mean New Income and Landowner Protections

Every now and then, something comes along that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction movie. It goes something like this: Hydrogen is trapped 8,000 feet beneath Iowa farmland. Private developers extract it. Landowners have a new source of income. Their neighbors have new protections. Eventually – maybe, just maybe – residents across the state could see lower income taxes. They might not pay income taxes at all.

Jun 294 min read

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American Farmland Owner Hayfields mountains

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