News, Insights & Interviews Archive

It’s not often that a 34,000-acre farm hits the market. Even rarer is finding one that consists of a single, massive, contiguous landholding. That’s exactly what’s happening in central South Dakota, just outside the state capital of Pierre. Gunsmoke Ranch contiguous acres Gunsmoke Ranch, a sprawling dryland organic farming operation, is being offered through a sealed-bid process that runs through July 30th. According to Peoples Company President Steve Bruere, who is managing

$18,100 per acre 146.27+/- acres in Poweshiek County, IA June 16, 2026 A high-quality Poweshiek County farm sold for $18,100 per acre at an online-only auction on June 16. Located three miles south of Grinnell, adjacent to Interstate 80, the 146.27+/- acre farm featured 139.98 FSA cropland acres with a CSR2 of 87.6. The farm consists primarily of Garwin, Tama, Killduff, and Muscatine soils and has a strong history of seed corn production. Its quality soils, productive history

A change in leadership at the Federal Reserve did not lead to the immediate change that President Donald Trump has demanded for months: lower borrowing rates. In fact, the opposite could be happening later this year if the Fed decides to raise rates following implementation of policies since Trump returned to office which included launching a global trade war and military strikes against Iran. Those actions are among the forces that have pushed up inflation higher than when P

For almond growers, the last several years have been defined by difficult choices, tight margins, and a lot of uncertainty. But according to Carl Evers III, President of AgIS Capital Property Management and Director of Sustainability, the industry may finally be finding some balance.

Figure 1. Average Cash Rental Rates in Iowa, $/acre, nominal. Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Cash Rental Rates for Iowa Survey Iowa farmland resisted broader agricultural volatility with cash rental rates in 2026 according to a new report. This supports parts of the farm economy, but it presents challenges to others. According to the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa survey, trends stayed flat across the state at $270 per crop acre. The report focused on one st

American farmers and ranchers will hope something good comes out of the latest conversations between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China. U.S. agricultural exports to China cratered following President Trump’s higher tariffs. But U.S. producers want access to China’s 1.4 billion consumers, who represent approximately one in six people worldwide. That is a lot of potential mouths to feed and an enticing market for American goods at a time of surplus produc

Recent Midwest land sales highlight a wide range of values, from $4,300 to $26,600 per acre depending on land use, quality, and location. High-quality cropland in Iowa and Wisconsin continues to command premium prices, while recreational land values vary based on improvements, water access, and habitat features.

Stoughton, Wisconsin farm. Picture courtesy: Adam Crist, Peoples Company A 208-acre farm in south-central Wisconsin went up for auction at the end of April. And if you blinked, you might have missed what happened. The farm, located about 15 miles south of Madison in Stoughton, was offered in five tracts. It sold for a combined total of $4,554,884 or $21,946 per acre. Adam Crist, one of the Peoples Company agents handling the sale, said the pace and price left some of the atte

Farmland investing has been increasingly appealing to some people as an inflation hedge. But some potential investors have stayed away because they don’t want their money tied up for too long.

Franklin/Indiana/Clinton County, Indiana farm near Lebanon. Photo courtesy: Geswein Farm & Land. A large farm with high-quality soil located in west-central Indiana drew a lot of interest at auction this spring, but it wasn’t just soil and size driving the price. Its position inside one of the Midwest’s growing high-tech corridors helped push the sale well above typical farmland values. The nearly 602-acre property, marketed by Geswein Farm & Land, sold March 31st for an aver

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube No doubt that some farmers are feeling serious financial pressure now. But much of the overall agricultural sector can handle this if some of that pressure is not long-lasting, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Senior Vice President Nate Kauffman believes. Kaufmann, who has worked for the Kansas City Fed for more than 14 years, is also the Center for Agriculture and the Economy Executive Director. His role demands a

Photo Courtesy: Merit Auctions. A 128-acre farm in southeast Iowa sold at auction in late March for a total of $2,095,250, or $15,674 per acre. The Louisa County property was offered in four tracts, including a 79-acre parcel of cropland and three smaller timber tracts. A fifth parcel featuring a home in nearby Henry County was also part of the auction. The farmland was the clear highlight, drawing strong competition and ultimately selling for $21,050 per acre. John Probasco,

Y Bar O Ranch in Brewster County, Texas. Image courtesy: Hall and Hall. When you think of classic American cattle ranches, Texas is often the first place that comes to mind. And this week, one of the Lone Star State’s well-known ranches changed hands for the first time in 60 years. The Y Bar O Ranch, located in the far West region of the state, was sold last week by the family of original owners, W.B. “Dub” Yarborough and his wife, Kay. The 29,071-acre property was listed at

Listen and subscribe to our weekly podcast on Spotify | Apple Podcasts The challenges facing rural America aren’t hard to find. Walk into any grocery store, talk to a cattle producer, or drive through a small town that’s lost a major employer, and the pressure points become obvious. But according to Small Business Administration Regional Director Brad Zaun, there’s a coordinated effort underway to change that trajectory—starting with access to capital and a renewed focus on c

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has pushed people to think about perspective as they look at Chapter 12 bankruptcies that increased for farmers by 46% year-to-year. "A quick note on that bankruptcy number,” Rollins told Fox Business . “Any time you hear that number, anyone should panic.” Rollins doesn’t want producers to focus on the percentage increase. “Honestly, it went from 30 farms, I think, to 60 or 70 farms. So, the percentage looks tough, but out of over

New loan opportunities are available for landowners and the food supply chain through a source that farmers don’t typically consider. And they include borrowing limits more than double USDA options. In Marc h, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the “Grocery Guarantee,” aimed at reducing grocery costs by expanding access for its SBA International Trade Loan (ITL) Program. On May 1st, the agency said at least 22 new categories of farm and agribusinesses in the

The years-long increase in farmland values may finally fall victim to financial pressure’s gravity after previously showing remarkable resilience despite inflation, supply chain strains, input cost increases, and declining farmer incomes. That is the feeling from Curt Covington, Senior Director of Institution Credit at AgAmerica Lending.

Jackson Creek Ranch. Photo courtesy: Fay Ranches. An 800-acre cattle ranch in southern Oregon sold in February for $5,000,000. Pictures of the high-elevation ground look like something you would see on a postcard. With the Cascade Mountains in the background, rolling terrain, and abundant wildlife, the beauty of the land makes it seem less like a working ranch and more like a place you would go on vacation to get away from it all. But Jackson Creek Ranch is a busy place for t

The decision by the Trump administration to attack Iran in retaliation for that country’s previous and potential future attacks on Americans continues to raise costs for producers, especially fertilizer. The economic hardship caused nearly two dozen U.S. agricultural organizations to already reach out to the U.S. Department of Commerce to ask for reductions in tariffs that have further increased fertilizer costs. Here is how much more expensive it has become for America’s far

$22,100 per acre 52.31 taxable acres in Hancock County, Illinois March 12, 2026 PI: 138.5 A Class A Hancock County, Illinois farm sold at auction on March 12, 2026, bringing $22,100 per acre and a total price of $1,156,051. Located in Rock Creek Township, about 3.5 miles northwest of Ferris, the tract included 51.97 FSA cropland acres and carried a strong 138.5 Productivity Index. The farm features Virden, Ipava, Shiloh, and Muscatune soils and was noted as being pattern tile