News, Insights & Interviews Archive

Every quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago releases its findings on land values for the states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Its latest report released last week shows a modest increase of 3% in values for the area overall compared to the same time last year. This 3% gain matches the amount recorded in 2024. The Bank sends out a survey to district agricultural bankers each quarter to measure the temperature of the farming economy. This latest co

The UK farmland market continues to evolve under the pressure of changing tax rules, volatile agricultural economics, and shifting investor appetite. To understand who is buying land today—and why—American Farmland Owner spoke with Ed Blundy, a partner at Brown & Co.

November land auctions across Missouri, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and

For some farmers and producers struggling with depressed commodity prices and tariffs that, at least for now, have limited export potential and increased costs, they may find optimism in legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives that targets high fertilizer costs. Although, the legislation does not promise immediate help. High fertilizer prices remain one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. farmers. House lawmakers have now joined a previous effort in th

Larry Rasmussen farm in Buchanan County, Iowa. Image courtesy: Travis Smock, Peoples Company. When a 213-acre farm in Buchanan County, Iowa, went up for auction, it seemed like a typical land sale in the northeast part of the state. But what made it extraordinary was what longtime owner Larry Rasmussen decided to do with the proceeds. Rasmussen, who passed away in 2020, had no living children. Instead, he left his farmland in a trust to be sold, with all profits going to five

The wine sector—long considered a steady pillar of agricultural value—is facing a cascade of interlocking pressures: falling demand, over-supply, vineyard removal, and volatile global trade. Recent reports highlight how growers, especially in key regions such as California, are being forced into hard decisions. California’s wine-grape sector has become emblematic of the turmoil. California growers ripped out nearly 40,000 acres of vineyards -- which is approximately 7% of the

Sioux County, Iowa Two tracts were sold in Sioux County, Iowa, on October 22, 2025, when the heirs of Donald and Janet De Groot sold 120.17 acres of high-quality Lincoln Township farmland at public auction through Zomer Company. The property was offered in two tracts, with Tract 1 (80.13 acres, CSR2 94.5) selling for $26,500 per acre and Tract 2 (40.04 acres, CSR2 90.5) selling for $18,500 per acre, totaling approximately $2.86 million. Located just northeast of Hull, both fa

The Federal Reserve has continued what has recently become a slow step down in interest rates as it navigates limited federal data, rising inflation, a slower job market, and the continued tariff uncertainty. The Fed reduced its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75%-4.0%. This is the second reduction by this rate this year and is less than what President Donald Trump has pressured the independent body to do. The partial federal government

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Cattle, corn, and soybeans filled Liz Strom’s life as she grew up on the family farm in central Illinois. She still goes back to the farm when her schedule allows. But these days she is thinking about more than just her family’s farm. Strom, an accredited farm manager and Vice President at Murray Wise Associates in Champaign, Illinois, is watching farmland values. She saw them rise quickly but doesn’t expect them to fall with that same for

A historic New York farm could soon set a record in the Hudson Valley with a staggering $90 million listing price. Known as Mill Farm, the 2,150-acre property in Ancramdale has been assembled over 43 years by investment banker Daniel Slott and features 15 barns, 10 homes, a waterfall, and organic-certified hay fields. Surrounded by conservation land and just two hours from Manhattan, the farm is billed by Compass as a “living landmark” and one of the largest working farms nea

When a 150-year-old farm in west-central Indiana went up for auction this September, there were a couple of things that made it stand out from the typical properties in the Midwest. First, the land had been in the same family since just after the Civil War — a rare legacy in the farming community. But it was the second detail that surprised the realtor handling the sale. “They had created a reverse irrigation or subsurface irrigation system. I’ve never sold a farm with that b

As family farmers continue to wait for an aid package that President Donald Trump last month claimed that he could fund with tariff revenue, they now watch as the administration considers doubling its financial support for Argentina. The partial shutdown of the federal government could be slowing Trump’s $10+ billion package for U.S. farmers. But the optics of working on giving Trump’s political ally, Argentine President Javier Milei, four times that much doesn’t sit well wit

Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford wanted to stress the urgency of the situation. “What is happening right now is devastation,” Ford said of the struggles of many American farmers. Ford was one of the featured speakers at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Fortune began the series in 1998 to highly some of the most influential women in business. Ford has served as CEO of Land O’Lakes, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based agricultural cooperative, since

A 110.82-acre farm in northwest Indiana recently sold at auction, and the results surprised even the seasoned realtor handling the sale....

As renewable energy looks to strengthen the rural landscape, wind turbines have offered a source of power and income even as changing federal policies and organized local opposition threaten to stymie the speed of that growth.

Farmers must have a succession plan. Farmer Mac, the nickname for the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, that can provide some...

Farmland values in Iowa decreased slightly over the past six months, according to the latest Land Trends and Values Survey   released by...

In August, CNBC reported that John Deere was at a “crossroads.”  The report said, “the company continues to see weaker demand in the...

Farm incomes have been falling throughout the Minneapolis Fed’s Ninth District; a trend bankers expected over the past year. Comparing...

(Alice Hansen Farm in Prole, Iowa. Photo courtesy: Peoples Company.) Just 20 minutes from downtown Des Moines, Iowa, a rare and storied...