State of the Farmer's Economy 2025
Series started March 10, 2025
Insights from Schrader President RD Schrader's 2025 annual farmland market presentation, analyzing current trends, data, and forces shaping farmland values across the Midwest and beyond.
-
1. 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 • 3 min read
-
2. 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 • 3 min read
-
3. 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 • 3 min read
-
4. 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 • 4 min read
-
5. 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 • 4 min read
-
6. 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 • 3 min read
-
7. 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 • 4 min read
-
8. 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 • 4 min read