News, Insights & Interviews Archive

A critical part of the rural economy – manufacturing – has continued the slide that began in 2025 and has stretched into 2026, according to Creighton University economist, Dr. Ernie Goss. Goss, who has held his position for 34 years, helps conduct a monthly survey of supply managers to measure the economy in nine states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The manufacturing sector got some recent relief, Goss said i

No growth provides no future. Negative growth brings even more problems. But too much growth could bring issues, too. That is how Wyoming State Representative Jacob Wassenburger, R - Cheyenne, sees it.

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

corn harvesting silos in background

Soybean farmers and the various people connected to their industry are asking themselves, “Could it finally be true?” They want to know if a deal really is close in Congress to finally extend E-15 – the 15% ethanol fuel blend – for year-round sales across the United States. They have been hoping that a campaign pledge would turn into action when Donald Trump returned to the White House. President Trump gave them hope this week when he addressed several hundred supporters in a

Technology has consistently influenced farming, from the steel plow to GPS tractors. But as global pressures around food security, energy, and water intensify, the next wave of innovation may not just improve yields; it could redefine where and how food is grown.

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

After complaining about not getting awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, President Donald Trump later announced 10% tariffs against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. The countries opposed Trump’s threats to take over Greenland, which would violate the principles of the countries’ long-standing NATO alliance.  Trump threatened the tariffs until, “a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.” However, he la

After a 15-year absence, whole milk is set to return to school lunches. President Donald Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025  into law. The law marks a significant shift in federal school nutrition policy and has been welcomed by dairy producers, rural advocates, and policymakers who see it as a boost to the dairy sector and an expansion of choice for school nutrition programs.  Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Acts of 2025 The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids A

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. 

National security, farm policy, and modernization are key priorities for the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Speaking at the morning keynote address of the 2026 Land Investment Expo, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden spoke on some of the most important topics happening at the federal level.  Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland With security as a priority, Vaden emphasized the USDA’s commitment to enforce and monitor the Agriculture Foreign Inves

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

Sharon Krause believes that the future of agriculture is close to home. “From an environmental perspective, the more food that we can grow closer to home, the more we reduce our costs between transportation and storage,” Krause told American Farmland Owner.

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast For many farm owners today, the question isn’t whether change is coming; it’s how to respond to it without jeopardizing everything they have built. Commodity markets remain volatile, input costs stay stubbornly high, and consolidation continues to squeeze margins. Virginia farmer, author, and outspoken agricultural thinker Joel Salatin offers a significantly different perspective for thinking about growth, resilience, and transition. Joel S

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

A new year has delivered a new food pyramid from the Trump administration, and we will see how it impacts what Americans buy from farmers. On January 7th, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled an updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. It was complete with a redesigned food pyramid that departs sharply from models of the past. This policy shift, centered on a message to “eat real food,”  could have significant impl

For much of the last decade, the national conversation about the U.S. economy has revolved around inflation, interest rates, and inequality. But according to veteran economist Ed “Dr. Ed” Yardeni, one of the most powerful forces shaping the current and future economy is far less discussed: America’s aging population. Yardeni -- noted national analyst on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business, the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere -- is the President of Yardeni Research and

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

MAHA, Make America Healthy Again, will influence America’s food system in 2026, although it may be too early to know how deeply. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy, Junior, has made a host of claims about ultra-processed foods, synthetic dyes, and pesticides and discussed thematic changes to better promote good health in Americans, especially children. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 that created the MAHA Commission. I