News, Insights & Interviews Archive

Listen and subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts The farmland may be paid off and generating income. But looming capital gains taxes can make a straight sale financially painful. Or maybe an heir isn’t so sure that owning a farm is really what he wants to do in the years ahead. That is where a 721 exchange could be an option. “We're one of the few firms that have ever done it or tried it in the farmland space,” said Ethan Branscum, Director of Investments at Sower Farmland, w

159.92+/- acres in Taney County, Missouri 16 tracts – Sold Absolute February 11, 2026 A diverse multi-tract development offering totaling 159.92± acres sold at live and online auction on February 11, 2026. The property was divided into 16 individual tracts strategically located in high-traffic areas of Branson, less than one mile from the Highway 76 strip. The tracts ranged from small commercial and residential lots under one acre to larger development parcels exceeding 40 ac

Photo Courtesy of Farmers National A 430-acre farm, located about 15 miles northeast of Springfield, Illinois, sold in a private transaction on January 29th for $7,224,672. While the $16,800 per-acre figure was considered strong for the area, the agent who handled the sale says the defining factor behind the competitive price was not just yield history or infrastructure — it was contiguity. “All 430 acres are in one contiguous tract,” said Max Hendrickson of Farmers National

Agricultural land values in the Midwest increased in 2025, reversing a modest decline the previous year, according to the latest   from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s AgLetter. The quarterly publication, written by economists with the Chicago Fed, analyzes agricultural land values and credit conditions across the bank’s Seventh District, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The findings are based on responses from agricultural bankers who co

Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts Farms are getting bigger, and there are fewer farms each year. Those changes have taken place over a number of years. But Dennis Reyman, Partner at Stalcup Agricultural Services in Storm Lake, Iowa, said one factor remains constant in a constantly changing agricultural industry: farmers are still doing most of the farm buying. “…as far as land ownership, the trends are kind of the same as they usually are,” Reyman told American Farmland Ow

As longtime investment strategist Ed Yardeni set to begin 2026, he was already thinking about the year’s second quarter. He offered a measured outlook: slower inflation, steady growth, and lingering uncertainty tied to Washington and global trade. Yardeni, President of Yardeni Research , has been a highly sought-after analyst on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business, and the Wall Street Journal. His insight on global investment strategies is formed by deep dives into finan

$22,200 per acre 75.513 m/l acres in Effingham County, Illinois January 21, 2026 A high-quality tract in Effingham County, Illinois sold at public auction on January 21, 2026, bringing $22,200 per acre for a total of approximately $1.68 million. The property, located in Bishop Township northwest of Dieterich, consisted of 75.513 m/l acres of productive cropland with a strong 109.3 Productivity Index. The Krabbe-Spitz farm featured excellent access along E. 1200th Avenue and N

A 154-acre farm near Indianola, Iowa, sold at auction this January for $1.54 million, but it wasn’t a typical land sale. Along with the ground came one important condition: the longtime owner, Gwen Hodson, 93, will be allowed to remain in the farmhouse for the rest of her life.

Following who buys farmland is an important indicator for how the market is performing across the country. New investors want the stability it provides. At the 2026 Iowa Land Investment Expo, the Hot Topics in Land and Agribusiness breakout session, panelists detailed the uncertain trend of mergers and acquisitions. New Entrants into Farmland Sector There is ongoing, structural change in agriculture according to Bruce Sherrick, a professor of farmland economics at the Univers

With 2025 in the rearview mirror, what’s ahead for farmers and landowners in 2026? That question can cause anxiety for those who make their living off the land.  Jim Knuth, senior vice president of lending in Iowa for Farm Credit Services of America, said that when he looks at what happened last year, there is reason to be cautious—but also optimistic. Knuth spoke during one of the breakout sessions at the Land Investment Expo held earlier this month in Des Moines, Iowa.  Her

The question of whether institutional investors are good for agriculture is not new. It has surfaced repeatedly over the last half-century, often during periods of economic stress or structural change in farming. These days with some farmers burdened by the higher cost of operating and borrowing combined with the lower return for commodities, they may question how they can keep going forward. 

There is a new number one on the list of the nation’s leading landowners in the United States. If you don’t recognize the name, Stan Kroenke, you are probably at least familiar with some of the sports teams he owns: the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. The sports and entertainment mogul now owns 2.7 million acres of private land, consisting mostly of cattle ranches, according to the new Land Report 100  list. Kroenke was numb

Rural America has long faced a familiar set of challenges: declining populations, limited access to capital, and fewer economic opportunities for younger generations. But according to Ron Diamond, Diamond Wealth Founder and Chairman, a powerful and relatively new policy tool may help change that trajectory: rural Opportunity Zones. Diamond told American Farmland Owner that outside investment could be the missing ingredient rural communities need to regain momentum. “I think i

Johnny Klemme of Geswein Farm & Land  reflects on disciplined farmland buyers in 2025 and shares his outlook for how market forces could shape sales in the year ahead. Klemme is co-owner of Geswein Farm & Land in Lafayette, Indiana. He has more than 20 years of business experience and has handled hundreds of millions of dollars in land transactions across Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. He spoke with American Farmland Owner  about trends he’s witnessed and factors that could

American farmer’s counterparts “across the pond” face challenges in 2026. Farm profitability in England has been tested by extreme weather, volatile commodity markets, subsidy reforms, and structural challenges in profitability that have left many producers and policymakers grappling with the future of farming economics in the U.K. A Financial Times analysis reported that food production has become unprofitable for a significant portion of English farms. The article noted tha

Norma J. Loos Estate Land Auction 125.93 m/l acres in Adams County, IL December 1, 2025 PI Range: 125.3-132 A total of approximately 126 acres sold at public auction in two tracts in Adams County. Tract 1 sold for $16,300 per acre, reflecting its higher percentage of productive cropland and overall quality. Tract 2, which contained a greater proportion of timber and recreational land, sold for $6,100 per acre. The combined purchase price for both tracts totaled $1,488,905. $3

American Farmland Owner writes about some of the farmland and ranch sales that happen all over the country. From 500,000-acre cattle ranches to much smaller family farms entering the market for the first time in 150 years, we are often intrigued by the stories behind the land as it changes hands.     Here are three of them we chose to highlight from the past year, including some of the features that make them unique:  Great Western Ranch. Photo courtesy: Hall and Hall. One of

If 2025 was supposed to be the year farmland values either took a sharp turn up or down, the data delivered a different story: most land markets largely held their ground. After several years of rapid appreciation fueled by strong commodity prices, low interest rates, and limited supply, farmland values across the Midwest entered a period of what many experts call an “adjustment”.  2025 became a year defined by stabilization, uneven performance, and a growing divide between h

By any measure, the United States is standing on the edge of an unprecedented economic shift. Trillions of dollars are moving from one generation to the next, reshaping investment decisions, markets, and, potentially, the future of rural America. Ronald Diamond, Diamond Wealth Founder and Chairman, told American Farmland Owner from his office in Northbrook, Illinois, that he believes an historic wealth transfer is underway from the Baby Boomer generation, and it will impact a

A large, family-owned farmland portfolio spanning southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle exceeded expectations at a November multi-parcel auction, drawing strong interest from both local producers and out-of-state buyers. The sale included 5,043 acres of irrigated cropland, dryland, grass, and CRP ground located within a 30-mile radius across Seward and Stevens Counties, Kansas, and Beaver County, Oklahoma. Marketed jointly by Peoples Company and The Lund Company, the au