News, Insights & Interviews Archive

A new report lays out the value of agriculture in North Carolina: nearly one million jobs and $117 billion in economic activity.

There is no land value crash, far from it, actually, but the author of a statewide survey of land values in Indiana would not be surprised if slight depreciation takes place in the final months of 2026.

Sure, Lou Jewell could be sitting on a beach. Others his age, 77, may be doing that or wishing that they could. Jewell doesn't. He is in his fourth decade as a rural North Carolina land broker, and he is committed to helping others learn the land business.

A 481-acre farm in Dallas County, Iowa, sold at auction in early August for a combined $5,849,610, averaging $12,154 per acre.

Every farmer knows that most of the future value is the land, but more may be realizing that what is in the dirt may grow extra value. Section 180 in the federal tax code allows farmland owners to recognize residual soil fertility for a potential tax deduction.

When Larry Consbruck retired from farming in 2014, he decided not to sell the 1,100 acres he owned and operated just outside the south central Nebraska towns of Juniata and Roseland. Instead, he leased the land to his nephew, a young farmer who wanted to farm but didn't have land of his own.

Every three months, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank releases a snapshot of farmland values and agricultural credit conditions across its Seventh Federal Reserve District, which includes Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The latest survey shows farmland values were essentially unchanged during the second quarter of 2026. Are Farmland Values Staying Flat in the Midwest? According to the Chicago Fed, farmland values across the five-state region were unchanged in

For farmers and ranchers, deciding to sell a piece of land is much more than a business decision, especially if the land has been in the family for generations. This isn’t just selling a piece of property.

Carroll County, Iowa, farm that sold in July for $16,900 per acre. Photo courtesy: Adam Pick, Farmers National Company. An 80-acre tract of farmland in Carroll County, Iowa, sold in mid-July for a price that topped many recent comparable sales in the area. The 79.2-acre farm brought $16,900 per acre, or $1,338,480 total, during a live auction on July 14. Adam Pick of Farmers National Company said the property, located just outside Glidden, had several factors working in its f

The struggles of American farmers and ranchers could get some assistance in the form of a delay in paying some of their bills. The USDA announced that farmers can have an additional 60 days to pay crop insurance premiums, administrative fees, and amounts due under written payment agreements that establish the required terms for repaying delinquent debts or setting up installment plans. Supplementary Payment Agreement for Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans or Rural Housing Servic

Every land sale tells a story. Sometimes it’s a stocked lake that took years to build. Sometimes it’s world-class soils, a rare large tract, or a location where land rarely comes up for sale. American Farmland Owner examined four notable land sales from 2026 and highlighted what made each property unique and what the final sale price says about land values in today’s agricultural economy. While these four farms are different in many ways, they shared an important characterist

When Terrain Ag Agricultural Economist Matt Erickson examined more than three decades of farmland returns in a comprehensive study, one group of states stood out. While Illinois, Indiana, and much of the Eastern Corn Belt generated much of their wealth through steady land appreciation, states like South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska followed a different path. Their strength wasn't simply rising land values; it was their ability to generate income. So, what makes those states d

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The National Corn Growers Association has released a new report saying U.S. farmers are paying significantly more for crop inputs than Brazilian farmers, one of their biggest competitors in the global marketplace. In some cases, the report showed that U.S. farmers are paying nearly twice as much as their Brazilian counterparts. NCGA posted the report and reactions from its leaders on Wednesday. "I think there has long been a belief among U.S. farmers that we pay more for the