Where Landowners Get Their News

Farm policy has always been influenced by politics. But the growing Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is introducing a new set of questions that could have lasting consequences for American agriculture, from the chemicals farmers use to the way consumers think about the food they buy.

The long-term impact of President Donald Trump’s global trade war on American farmland may be difficult to measure. Perhaps Americans end up with new deals that bring additional economic prosperity. Perhaps the chaotic nature of the policies hurt agricultural producers by reducing or eliminating previous export possibilities.

Foreign ownership of American farmland has become a political flashpoint. If you live in a competitive political district, you may have seen commercials about ownership by a foreign entity – most likely China – trying to buy a farm or ranch in your state.

Sometimes, a traditional approach won't work when it's time to sell the land, especially for a truly unique piece of property. Of course, every property is unique. But it's fair to say that some properties are especially unique, right?

Knowing your neighbors helps, but knowing your neighbors’ data may help even more. Today, some of the most important forces affecting land values may have little to do with farming.

A two-state, 1,477.5-acre farm sale just closed for $22.45 million, and it wasn't luck. Geswein Farm & Land Realty's Johnny Klemme explains how branding an Illinois-Indiana portfolio as one regional event, pairing a hybrid live/online auction, and spotlighting decades of tenant stewardship drove nearly 800 bids and turned a multi-generational family farm into the sale everyone was watching.