There has been added attention on the financial strain on many rural farmers, questions about whether diminished incomes will eventually weigh down increases in land values, and whether the Trump administration will eventually find trade deals that make finances better – not worse – for America’s farmers and ranchers. All those issues are critical, no doubt. But as many rural towns shrink in population, they don’t just lose growth potential. They also lose the potential workf

Alaska’s fishing industry may find new demand for an abundant fish that swims in obscurity for many consumers. For years, Alaska pollock has been hiding in fish sticks, fast-food sandwiches, and California rolls, often without consumers even knowing exactly what they were eating. Now, a very different force could help bring Alaska pollock into the spotlight: the growing popularity of GLP-1 medications.

Every land sale tells a story. Sometimes it’s a stocked lake that took years to build. Sometimes it’s world-class soils, a rare large tract, or a location where land rarely comes up for sale. American Farmland Owner examined four notable land sales from 2026 and highlighted what made each property unique and what the final sale price says about land values in today’s agricultural economy. While these four farms are different in many ways, they shared an important characterist

Farm in Edwards County, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Kurtz Auction & Realty. A 1,277-acre farm in southeastern Illinois sold for nearly $10.5 million during a July 9 auction after being divided into 22 tracts. The property, located near West Salem and Albion, brought a total of $10,500,000 averaging $8,222 per acre. The auction was managed by Jason Blue of Kurtz Auction & Realty, who said it was the largest property he has handled this year. Despite the size of the sale, and t

Image Courtesy: Whitetail Properties Real Estate A nearly $1.5 million recreational property in northeast Missouri sold in just a few weeks this spring, offering another sign that demand for quality hunting and recreational land remains strong across the state. The 122.6-acre property in Pike County, near Bowling Green, checked many of the boxes today's recreational buyers are looking for: excellent hunting ground, tillable acreage, and a trail system that makes it easy to ge

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released updated information on farmland ownership in the United States and how much of that land is rented to others. The 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) Survey is part of the Census of Agriculture program and is designed to provide a clearer picture of farmland ownership and management across the country. One of the report's key findings is that farmland ownership remains concentrated among older, no