Market Intelligence
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Who's Actually Buying Farmland Today? A Look at Iowa's 35-Year Buyer Data
Despite headlines about institutional investors and foreign buyers, existing farmers still dominate the market at 70% of purchases. Iowa's 35-year buyer survey reveals who is really buying and what that means for sellers.
June 16, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 4 min read
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The Capitalization Rate Puzzle: Why Farmland Prices Defy the Math
Cash rent as a percentage of land value has dropped from 8% in 1986 to roughly 2.2% today. If income alone does not justify the price, what are buyers actually paying for?
June 2, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 4 min read
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The Corn Belt Export Problem: Why Brazil Changes Everything for US Soybean Farmers
China's pivot to Brazilian soybeans is a structural headwind for U.S. exports, but corn markets tell a different story. Here is how global trade dynamics are reshaping commodity prices and what it means for farmland values.
May 19, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 3 min read
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Reading the 2025 Farmland Tea Leaves: Forces Pushing Values Up and Down
Six upward forces and three downward pressures will determine where farmland values settle in 2025-2026. Here is a balanced analysis of the market outlook from Schrader's annual farmland market review.
May 5, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 4 min read
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Farmland as an Inflation Hedge: The Gold vs. Ground Comparison
Productive farmland outperforms inert stores of value because it generates income while appreciating. Here is why the gold-to-farmland comparison favors ground — and what Iowa buyer data tells us about investor appetite.
April 21, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 4 min read
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The Renewable Energy Land Squeeze: What Solar and Wind Mean for Midwest Farmland
Renewable energy buildout is creating a new class of non-agricultural bidders for farmland that will structurally support land values for decades. Here is what the data shows and what it means for landowners.
April 7, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 3 min read
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Auction vs. Appraisal: Why Competitive Bidding Discovers True Farmland Value
Appraisals establish a baseline, but competitive auction bidding consistently discovers what the market will actually pay for farmland — often significantly more. Recent Indiana auction results illustrate the premium.
March 24, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 3 min read
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Indiana Farmland Values in 2024-2025: A Cooling Market After the Surge
Indiana farmland values peaked in late 2023 and have entered a modest correction phase. Here is what the latest Purdue and Chicago Fed data tell us about where values stand today and what sellers should consider.
March 10, 2025 • State of the Farmer's Economy 2025 • 3 min read