WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL NEWS AND REPORTING

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Podcast Graphic Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden

USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden: Here’s How Regional Hubs Will Work

A sweeping reorganization that brings a substantial reduction in personnel and shift in geographical footprint is underway at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one that could reshape the direction of the agency.

Dave Price

2 days ago

Featured Articles

WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL INSIGHTS

Robust Cattle Prices and Reliable Water Rights Deliver $16 Million Farm Auction

A large, family-owned farmland portfolio spanning southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle exceeded expectations at a November multi-parcel auction, drawing strong interest from both local producers and out-of-state buyers. The sale included 5,043 acres of irrigated cropland, dryland, grass, and CRP ground located within a 30-mile radius across Seward and Stevens Counties, Kansas, and Beaver County, Oklahoma. Marketed jointly by Peoples Company and The Lund Company, the au

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

2 days ago3 min read

Protests Halt Wind Farm and Data Center Projects

Opposition may have succeeded in stopping a wind farm project in Iowa and delaying unrelated data center proposals in Indiana. MidAmerican Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy, has worked over the past four years to develop the wind farm in northwest Iowa. Wind is already a significant commitment from the company, which provides service in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois. MidAmerican has turbines in roughly one third of Iowa’s counties

Dave Price

2 days ago3 min read

American flag bag filled with corn spilled out

Farmers Face Bridge Assistance Program Deadline, U.S. Faces Increased Latin American Competition

Farmers who failed to accurately report their 2025 acreage reporting by 5 p.m. Friday, December 19, could miss out on their share of the $12 billion USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The program provides emergency help for farmers struggling with repercussions from President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs on imports, low commodity prices, and higher costs. Acreage reporting will help the USDA determine individual assistance for farmers. USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Prog

Dave Price

2 days ago2 min read

Latest Agricultural Reporting

NEWS, INSIGHTS, ANALYSIS, & INTERVIEWS

Robust Cattle Prices and Reliable Water Rights Deliver $16 Million Farm Auction

A large, family-owned farmland portfolio spanning southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle exceeded expectations at a November multi-parcel auction, drawing strong interest from both local producers and out-of-state buyers. The sale included 5,043 acres of irrigated cropland, dryland, grass, and CRP ground located within a 30-mile radius across Seward and Stevens Counties, Kansas, and Beaver County, Oklahoma. Marketed jointly by Peoples Company and The Lund Company, the au

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

2 days ago3 min read

Protests Halt Wind Farm and Data Center Projects

Opposition may have succeeded in stopping a wind farm project in Iowa and delaying unrelated data center proposals in Indiana. MidAmerican Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy, has worked over the past four years to develop the wind farm in northwest Iowa. Wind is already a significant commitment from the company, which provides service in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois. MidAmerican has turbines in roughly one third of Iowa’s counties

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Dave Price

2 days ago3 min read

Farmers Face Bridge Assistance Program Deadline, U.S. Faces Increased Latin American Competition

Farmers who failed to accurately report their 2025 acreage reporting by 5 p.m. Friday, December 19, could miss out on their share of the $12 billion USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The program provides emergency help for farmers struggling with repercussions from President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs on imports, low commodity prices, and higher costs. Acreage reporting will help the USDA determine individual assistance for farmers. USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Prog

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Dave Price

2 days ago2 min read

USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden: Here’s How Regional Hubs Will Work

A sweeping reorganization that brings a substantial reduction in personnel and shift in geographical footprint is underway at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one that could reshape the direction of the agency.

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

Dave Price

2 days ago4 min read

Iowa State Land Values Survey Shows Stability in Farmland Values

If you’ve been waiting for a big drop or even an increase in Iowa farmland values this year, you won’t find it in the newest Iowa State University Land Value Survey . The survey offers a simple answer: not much changed, at least according to the overall numbers. The 2025 report shows that the average value of Iowa farmland inched up just 0.7%, or $83 per acre, bringing the statewide average to $11,549 per acre. That’s still $286 below the 2023 peak, when values reached a re

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

Dec 123 min read

Australian Farmland Values Plateau in 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, Australian farmland finds itself in transition. After more than a decade of rising values, the market appears to be leveling off, consistent with patterns seen throughout the year. Landholders face economic headwinds, emerging opportunities in niche and Indigenous-led agriculture, and fresh debates over land use—particularly between food production and renewable energy development. Recent figures from Bendigo Bank Agribusiness’ 2025 farmland values

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Dave Price

Dec 123 min read

Tractor in background graph of money trends

$12 Billion Farm Bailout: Short Fix or Band-Aid?

American farmers don’t yet know how much of the $12 billion aid package – “bridge payments,” the Trump administration calls them – that they will receive. But they may at least get some piece of mind that some assistance could come early next year as they have dealt with a bevy of financial pressures from higher tariffs and inflated borrowing, input, and equipment costs It may or may not cover the losses that they endured for lost or reduced overseas buyers. On Tuesday, the T

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

Dave Price

Dec 123 min read

Geopolitical Expert Marko Papic: Current Immigration Effort is Not a Plan for the Future

Marko Papic was not born in the United States. Papic was born in Serbia. He understands the contributions of immigrants to this country. And he understands the importance of an organized legal immigration process. He does not understand how the current federal immigration enforcement policy will lead to economic success. “On the immigration front, I just don’t really see any solution to the uncertainty,” Papic told American Farmland Owner from his office in Santa Monica, Cali

WORKFORCE & IMMIGRATION

Dave Price

Dec 124 min read

Agriculture Aid Package Could Be Coming Next Week

Farmers who have been waiting for months for federal help as they are overwhelmed with input costs, borrowing rates, tariff fallout, and low commodity prices may learn some news in the coming weeks. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that a “bridge payment” could arrive next week. Regardless of how it is publicly stated, the commitment would be a tacet acknowledgment that many farmers are not getting immediate benefit from President Donald Trump’s tr

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Dave Price

Dec 53 min read

California Takes Legal Action Against Ultra-Processed Food Companies

Growers and producers across the country could have reason to pay attention to a landmark lawsuit filed by the City of San Francisco against some of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, accusing them of knowingly producing and marketing ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that contribute to a growing public-health crisis. While the fate of the lawsuit is uncertain and could take years to resolve, it could lead to greater demand for whole foods and minimally processed foods. Perh

POLICY, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

Dave Price

Dec 53 min read

Tyson Plant Closure Signals New Phase in Tightening Cattle Cycle

Tyson Foods’ decision last month to shut down one of its largest beef-processing plants in Lexington, Nebraska, has organizations scrambling to support the thousands of employees who will soon be out of work and cattle ranchers wondering what is ahead. The company is the nation’s largest meat supplier. It plans to close the 3,000-employee facility—which can process nearly 5,000 head of cattle per day—in January. The shutdown comes as an historic cattle shortage continues to s

LIVESTOCK & ANIMAL HEALTH (LIV)

Brooke Bouma Kohlsdorf

Dec 53 min read

Bankruptcy Attorney Joe Peiffer: It’s Time for Tough Decisions for Some Farmers

Fall brought the early warning about what is likely ahead for Joe Peiffer, a longtime farm bankruptcy attorney in Hiawatha, Iowa. More farmers than he can remember reached out for assistance in August and September, which signals that the typical busier time post-harvest could be even busier this year. “You have to spend time with them,” Peiffer told American Farmland Owner regarding his conversations with farm families in financial distress, “You have to give them time to pr

FARMLAND FINANCE & INVESTMENT (FIN)

Dave Price

Dec 54 min read

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Where Landowners Get Their News Podcast

DISCUSSIONS WITH INDUSTRY THOUGHT LEADERS

USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden: Here’s How Regional Hubs Will Work

A sweeping reorganization that brings a substantial reduction in personnel and shift in geographical footprint is underway at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one that could reshape the direction of the agency.

2 days ago4 min read

Geopolitical Expert Marko Papic: Current Immigration Effort is Not a Plan for the Future

Marko Papic was not born in the United States. Papic was born in Serbia. He understands the contributions of immigrants to this country. And he understands the importance of an organized legal immigration process. He does not understand how the current federal immigration enforcement policy will lead to economic success. “On the immigration front, I just don’t really see any solution to the uncertainty,” Papic told American Farmland Owner from his office in Santa Monica, Cali

Dec 124 min read

Bankruptcy Attorney Joe Peiffer: It’s Time for Tough Decisions for Some Farmers

Fall brought the early warning about what is likely ahead for Joe Peiffer, a longtime farm bankruptcy attorney in Hiawatha, Iowa. More farmers than he can remember reached out for assistance in August and September, which signals that the typical busier time post-harvest could be even busier this year. “You have to spend time with them,” Peiffer told American Farmland Owner regarding his conversations with farm families in financial distress, “You have to give them time to pr

Dec 54 min read

Ed Blundy: Who Is Buying Farmland in the UK Today?

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.

Nov 284 min read

Geopolitical Expert Peter Zeihan: Why Losing Immigrants Is Bad for U.S. Agriculture and the Country’s Future

Reducing immigrants in the United States will hurt U.S. agriculture short-term and the country overall longer-term geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan believes.

Nov 214 min read

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard: Time to Bring Back Country of Origin Labeling for Beef

Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts Consumers could be critical on two fronts for American cattle ranchers, Bill Bullard believes: they can choose American beef over the imports, and they can insist that beef packaging includes on the label the country where the beef originated. Bullard is the CEO of R-CALF USA, cattle producers’ national lobbying association. He told American Farmland Owner from his office in Billings, Montana, that the Trump administration idea to increase

Nov 144 min read

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American Farmland Owner Hayfields mountains

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