News, Insights & Interviews Archive

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

Farmers who failed to accurately report their 2025 acreage reporting by 5 p.m. Friday, December 19, could miss out on their share of the $12 billion USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The program provides emergency help for farmers struggling with repercussions from President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs on imports, low commodity prices, and higher costs. Acreage reporting will help the USDA determine individual assistance for farmers. USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Prog

If you’ve been waiting for a big drop or even an increase in Iowa farmland values this year, you won’t find it in the newest  Iowa State University Land Value Survey . The survey offers a simple answer: not much changed, at least according to the overall numbers.  The 2025 report shows that the average value of Iowa farmland inched up just 0.7%, or $83 per acre, bringing the statewide average to $11,549 per acre. That’s still $286 below the 2023 peak, when values reached a re

As 2025 draws to a close, Australian farmland finds itself in transition. After more than a decade of rising values, the market appears to be leveling off, consistent with patterns seen throughout the year. Landholders face economic headwinds, emerging opportunities in niche and Indigenous-led agriculture, and fresh debates over land use—particularly between food production and renewable energy development. Recent figures from Bendigo Bank Agribusiness’ 2025 farmland values

American farmers don’t yet know how much of the $12 billion aid package – “bridge payments,” the Trump administration calls them – that they will receive. But they may at least get some piece of mind that some assistance could come early next year as they have dealt with a bevy of financial pressures from higher tariffs and inflated borrowing, input, and equipment costs It may or may not cover the losses that they endured for lost or reduced overseas buyers. On Tuesday, the T

Farmers who have been waiting for months for federal help as they are overwhelmed with input costs, borrowing rates, tariff fallout, and low commodity prices may learn some news in the coming weeks. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that a “bridge payment” could arrive next week. Regardless of how it is publicly stated, the commitment would be a tacet acknowledgment that many farmers are not getting immediate benefit from President Donald Trump’s tr

Fall brought the early warning about what is likely ahead for Joe Peiffer, a longtime farm bankruptcy attorney in Hiawatha, Iowa. More farmers than he can remember reached out for assistance in August and September, which signals that the typical busier time post-harvest could be even busier this year. “You have to spend time with them,” Peiffer told American Farmland Owner regarding his conversations with farm families in financial distress, “You have to give them time to pr

Thanksgiving week, for those who can, is often a week of overeating and excess. It is also time for appreciation for America’s producers whose year-round efforts help to feed the traditional family gatherings. The partial shutdown of the federal government might be prolonging the wait to find out how deeply some American farmers are suffering during this holiday week. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court   does not yet show third quarter bankruptcy filings. The third quarter ended on Oc

Cattle farmers are doing better since prices have improved. Although, they must also be cautious about what impact the Trump administration’s increased imports of foreign beef could have on those prices. Fortunately for those American ranchers, consumers are focused on protein. That could also help pork and poultry producers, too, with the increased American appetite for protein. Inflation is not the albatross for farmers and ranchers that it was a few years ago after COVID s