American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers

How Colorado Eliminated Feral Hogs

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:24:47 GMT

Feral hogs devastate nearly everything in their path. They eat just about anything they can catch and destroy the environment. To make it worse, they spread disease to domestic pigs, other wildlife and even humans. Once feral pigs start reproducing, they are nearly impossible to eliminate. It’s no wonder Colorado is making headlines across the country. It’s the first state to announce it has successfully eradicated its feral hog population.

“As far as I know, Colorado is the only state that has announced that it has eradicated all feral pigs,” says Travis Black, deputy regional manager for the Southeast Region for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

More famously known in the state as the “feral pig expert,” Black says this day has been a long time coming.

When did feral pigs become a problem in Colorado?
In 2001, Black was serving as a field officer and noted about 250 feral swine at Big Sandy Creek on the eastern edge of the state. Colorado also had one other primary population of 100 feral pigs in the extreme southeast corner of the state, near the Cimeron River.

Over the next few years, field officers began noting isolated pockets of feral swine.

“There’s no doubt those pigs were illegally brought into that state,” Black says. “Some were in captivity in a farm or field. The farmers didn’t know any better, they bought them somewhere else and brought them on to their property.”

It wasn’t until 2005 that CPW partnered with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, USDA Wildlife Services and the U.S. Forest Service to begin addressing feral pig problems in the state. They developed a memo of understanding (MOU) specifying how the organizations would work cooperatively to get a handle on the situation. Soon after, a task force was created to start making recommendations.

In 2005, a commercial hog production facility, located about seven miles from one of the known populations of feral pigs, tested positive for PRRS. CPW knew it was time to step in.

“We knew we needed to address the issues,” Black says. “Feral pigs are a known vector for the spread of PRRS. I can’t say for a fact, but having those feral pigs within seven miles, it’s likely they were a vector for that disease.”

Feral pigs eat just about anything they can catch and destroy the environment.

Open season on feral hogs
In the beginning, CPW employed hunters and private landowners by encouraging them to shoot any feral pigs they saw. Black says they intentionally had a lack of regulations – it was always open season to shoot feral pigs.

“There was no limit, no license requirements, people could hunt day and night with any legal method – archery, muzzleloaders, rifles, etc.,” Black says. “We threw the door open and asked everyone to help us address the problem by killing wild pigs.”

After developing the MOU in 2005, they began live trapping and euthanizing animals caught in corral-like traps and USDA Wildlife Services performed aerial gunning on known populations of pigs with landowner permission. They also initiated a campaign years later disseminating signs to encourage the public to call in feral hog sightings.

Of course, a lot of the work involved continual ground patrol for feral pigs, he says.

“I started educating all Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers about feral pigs – signs to look for, how to distinguish feral or wild hogs from domestic pigs, and developed a reporting system to start gathering data on locations of pigs, types of pigs, numbers of pigs, and more to create a database for the future with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and USDA Wildlife Services.”

In addition, USDA began a monitoring program using environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples, looking for eDNA that could indicate the presence of feral pigs. They complemented this project using a system of trail cameras to obtain photographic evidence of feral pigs. Then, they would follow up with an eradication effort, Black says.

Travis Black shows off the skulls of some of the invasive species he helped eradicate from Colorado in a 15-year partnership.

What makes eradication so difficult?
Nearly 15 years later, after the efforts to address the feral pig problem in Colorado began, the state has successfully eradicated its feral hog populations. But it hasn’t been easy, Black says.

“Feral swine can adapt to most habitats. They have a relatively high reproductive rate, breed at a young age, and have fairly large litter sizes. A population of pigs can easily double in one year due to pigs’ reproductive capacity,” Black says. “They also have the ability to disperse on a fairly rapid scale due to natural immigration and migration.”

But one of the biggest reasons why it’s so tough to wipe out feral pigs? Illegal introductions into the state.

“People really enjoy hunting feral pigs – that leads to some illegal introductions of pigs into our state and makes it difficult,” Black says.

From a hunting standpoint, Texas is a big state for hunting feral pigs, he says. However, if you begin to see feral pigs show up in your state, address the hunting problem up front. For example, Kansas prohibited hunting feral pigs because hunters can inadvertently cause populations of wild pigs to spread.

“I’ll be the first to admit, hunting feral pigs is a kick in the pants,” says Black, a Texas native. “It’s sometimes thrilling, but what can result from feral pig hunting is not a problem you want to have.”

Commercial hunting creates an incentive to bring in hogs and he encourages other states to limit incentives that may exacerbate the problem.

Stop the problem early
In southern states, eradicating large populations of feral swine is almost impossible. Because of this, Black can’t stress enough how important it is to address feral hog problems as soon as possible. In states where this is a new or emerging problem, start educating the public, landowners and state officials on the potential impact feral swine can have on livestock, farmers, wildlife and the environment.

“If laws need to be changed, change them,” Black says. “The longer you wait, the higher the chances are that the population will increase and spread. Form partnerships with interested agencies and take a cooperative approach to address the problem. There’s generally a lot of common ground in dealing with invasive species and their impacts.”

If you see feral swine or transportation activities of the animals, contact the USDA Wildlife Services at 1-866-4-USDA-WS.

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Deadly Terrorist Threatens the Lone Star State’s Domestic Pig Herd

Feral Hog Eradication in Missouri: Let the Trapping Continue

Feral Hog Stomachs Tell Story of Destruction

Texas Community Hires Consultant to Fight Feral Hog Problem

Feral Swine: USDA Monitors World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species

How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:31:51 GMT

Since the signing of the Paris Agreement and its Net Zero by 2050 iniative, the ripple effects are still being ironed out as the demand for renewable energy increases.

With expanding renewable energy installations such as wind and solar, The Top Producer Podcast host Paul Neiffer asked David Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets , the Investment platform for Peoples Company, how those land uses change long term land values.

“We’re really seeing emerging revenue streams from our land base–outside of the ag production,” he says. “We’re trying to get our arms wrapped around the asset management strategy and really get this well positioned. So over the next 10 or 20 years, we’re expanding revenue right and capturing that correctly.”

Muth shares the estimate that over $1 trillion dollars a year is being invested globally in the low-carbon energy transition.

“If we step back and look at what that means for farmland, we’re taking our energy production system from highly centralized production facilities and we have to distribute it,” he says.

The team at Peoples Company used the Princeton Net Zero America study as the basis scenario for its work, which shows if there are 6,000 wind turbines in Iowa today, it needs to increase to about 48,000, which could bring almost $1 billion a year in additional revenue back to the landowners from the turbines.

Muth highlights the considerations for landowners with solar power are different than wind.

“With solar, it’s different. There’s certainly a free market element to this where the revenue streams and the value equations associated with the land in different areas will drive just how high they’ll push those numbers,” he says.

Solar’s Impact On Rural Property Values

He notes he’s seen annual leases with standard escalators for $1,100, and there are additional state and federal incentives.

“In Illinois, there’s been a big push, and we’ve seen options for solar development contracts on some of the best of the best farm ground for $1,400. It is what they’re talking about as a starting place on these assets. The core question is because it’s a fundamental shift in land use, how do you look at the underlying land value where you put solar in place?”

Thinking of recent trends, he says Illinois farm land has appreciated 7% a year, but the future appreciation rate is unknown just as the productivity of the land after solar panels are removed is unknown.

“It’s part of this sort of chaos that landowners are having sort through,” he says. “That’s where a pretty detailed discounted cash flow and understanding how much am I really making on that $1,400 an acre lease payment with a 2% escalator if the underlying farmland value doesn’t appreciate the way that the rest of that highly productive Illinois farm ground is going to appreciate.”

Pop-Up Solar: Can Farmers Make Fertilizer, Fuel and Electricity from the Sun?

Muth says the biofuels industry growth will also effect land values as the production of corn and soybeans is needed for Sustainable Aviation Fuel and renewable diesel.
He discusses more about wind, solar, biofuels as well as carbon storage opportunities on The Top Producer Podcast.

Which Foreign Country Owns the Most Farmland in the U.S.? Hint: It's Not China

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:24:37 GMT

Controversy continues to grow across the U.S., and China is the primary target of the new rules. However, China doesn’t own the most farmland in the U.S., according to a new USDA report. It’s actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres.

Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%. Together, citizens in those countries hold 13 million acres, or 29%, of the foreign-held acres in the U.S. China owns less than 1%, or 349,442 acres.

(Farm Journal)

All told, 43.4 million acres of forest and farmland in the U.S., or 3.4% of all ag land, is foreign owned as of Dec. 31, 2022. Roughly 30 million of those acres are reported as foreign-owned, with the remainder primarily under a 10-year-or-longer lease. Of the 30 million, 66% is owner-operated, 14% has a tenant or sharecropper as the producer and 12% report a manager other than the owner or a tenant/sharecropper as producer. The remaining 7% are “NA.”

USDA says the two biggest Chinese-owned companies with land holdings in the U.S. are Brazos Highland and Murphy Brown LLC, which owns Smithfield Foods. Brazos Highland reported owning 102,345 acres, and Smithfield owns 97,975 acres.

(Farm Journal)

The top five states with the largest Chinese holdings are:

Texas at 162,167 acres
North Carolina at 44,776 acres
Missouri at 43,071 acres
Utah at 32,447 acres
Virginia at 14,382 acres

USDA reports those five states combined account for 85% of China’s farmland ownership. In Texas, USDA reports China has long-term leases associated with wind energy, and in North Carolina and Missouri, ownership is tied to Smithfield and producers who contract for pork production.

More States to Take Up Possible Bans in 2024

Foreign-held farmland has become a hot button topic on Capitol Hill. Farm Journal Washington correspondent Jim Wiesemeyer thinks it will continue to gain momentum in 2024 as a political ploy used by candidates.

“It’s an emotional issue, and it’s not a simple issue either,” Wiesemeyer says. “I was recently in Missouri, and some commodity leaders worry about the negative consequences of going too far. No one’s saying China should not be watched relative to buying farmland near airports, national security is involved in that case, but more than a few farmers are looking at the potential downsides for pork producers who contract with Smithfield and the number of acres they own.”

One of those unintended consequences is playing out in Arkansas.

“I’m announcing Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned agrichemical company, must give up its landing holdings in Arkansas,” says Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, referencing a 160-acre research site owned by Northrup King Seed, a Syngenta subsidiary.

Eric Boeck, president of Syngenta Seeds North America, told Farm Journal editor Clinton Griffiths: “EPA and USDA many times require us to do work and permitting right in the same state as we’re going to sell products. One of the first things we have to make sure we figure out is how we work with the local community to make sure we’re still getting products tested in their backyard, so we have the ability to sell those products.”

(Farm Journal)

Syngenta argues if they sell that particular farm, Arkansas farmers will be at a disadvantage because research can’t be done in the same weather and soil conditions.

“We’re heavy in the soybean market in Arkansas, some of those maturity zones, we have a very significant market share and savings,” Boeck says. “We want to make sure we’re protecting those farmers’ abilities to be able to use our products.”

Wiesemeyer says the bigger issue for U.S. farmland might be solar panels, with farmers in states like Missouri reporting companies have offered to pay more than $1,000 per acre cash rent to put solar panels on their farm. At such a high price, he says it’s eating up acres of farmland, with the potential to grow even more in 2024.

New Farmland Bill Would Create a Public Database for Foreign Land Ownership

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 03:07:00 GMT

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced a new bipartisan bill , the Farmland Security Act of 2023 , seeking to further boost transparency in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

The legislation builds upon measures introduced by the same senators in the Farmland Security Act of 2022 and amendments to the 1978 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act. This bill would require greater transparency for foreign purchases of U.S. ag land, impose stronger penalties for reporting non-compliance, and mandate USDA to audit a minimum of 10% of foreign ag land ownership reports annually.

The issue of foreign ownership is increasingly important as nearly half of U.S. ag land is owned by individuals aged 65 and over, and approximately 100 million acres are expected to change hands over the next decade due to retirement.

What’s included in the Farmland Security Act of 2023?

The measure necessitates a transition to a digital filing system and a public database on foreign ownership for researching ownership trends. It also requires the USDA to report on foreign investment impacts. The bill further emphasizes transparency, complete and accurate data collection, and greater understanding of foreign ownership.

The new legislation introduces stricter penalties for non-compliant foreign owners or “shell companies” by removing the current fee cap of 25% of land valuation, imposing a 100% land valuation fee for non-reporting shell companies unless corrected within 60 days of notification. It authorizes $2 million annually for administration as amended in the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act.

Other stipulations include USDA research into foreign ownership of agricultural production capacity and foreign participation in U.S. ag, along with investigations into the use of “shell companies”. State and county-level staff would also be trained to identify non-reporting foreign-owned farmland.

Here's 3 Things to Know About Purchasing Farmland Now

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:39:38 GMT

Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company (FNC), joined AgriTalk host Chip Flory. During the conversation, they discussed agricultural real estate demand, impact of interest rates on farmland market, and the outlook for values the second half of 2023. Here are three takeaways from their conversation:

1. Today, people are buying land throughout the year rather than during a more set, traditional time frame.
“We used to say we sell land from October to March and during the rest of the year, there’s not much that happens,” Schadegg says. “But now what we’re seeing is more non-typical buyers, and they’re not afraid to buy land in the spring or summer – during the growing season – where typically that just used to not happen.

“Those guys are not afraid to go in and negotiate payback of inputs, or take a lease halfway through a year, or something like that. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a farmer isn’t going to bid on that land. Because if it comes up for sale, and it’s in his wheelhouse, you know, they’re definitely going to be there.”

In some cases the non-typical buyer is an investor, Schadegg says, but those individuals make up only 20% of land buyers. Eighty percent of ag land buyers are still farmers.

2. Thanks to technology (and the pandemic), you can buy land from your truck or tractor.
Today, farmers can plant corn and buy land at the same time, all while sitting in the comfort of their tractor. That fact is one of the practices the COVID pandemic helped create.

“When the pandemic hit, we started to have parking lot auctions, and we had to scramble to get an online platform set up,” Schadegg

says. “In today’s world that’s simply expected, and it has nothing to do with the pandemic anymore. It has to do with convenience.”

He adds that some people like to buy farms online, because they don’t want to stand or sit in a room with their neighbors as they bid on a piece of property.

“Some people just like the anonymity of buying online,” he adds.

Schadegg says there are still scenarios when a live auction makes the most sense to utilize, and the company employs a group of auctioneers for that purpose.

3. There’s still momentum in land sales, but it’s beginning to show signs of slowing.
Schadegg says Farmers National Company President Clayton Becker looks at the current scenario through a lens of what he calls profit and pressure.

On the profit side: “We’re not seeing that value increase like we were a year ago, but we are definitely still seeing some good stable values,” he says. “For high-quality land, we’re still seeing some great competition which sometimes drives that above-market value.”

From a pressure standpoint, FNC is starting to see less cash being used to purchase land and “a little more lending” happening across the country.

“I’ve said this before, but when we talk about any hiccup in the commodity markets that would have a pretty direct effect on land values. So, you know, we had a little bit of a scare here recently when we saw markets come down, but I think as long as we can maintain some of those levels, (land) does still look like a good opportunity.

Get the full details on the AgriTalk discussion with Schadegg here:

3 Things to Know About Purchasing Farmland Now

Thu, 25 May 2023 14:38:18 GMT

Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company (FNC), joined AgriTalk host Chip Flory on Wednesday. During the conversation, they discussed agricultural real estate demand, impact of interest rates on farmland market, and the outlook for values the second half of 2023. Here are three takeaways from their conversation:

1. Today, people are buying land throughout the year rather than during a more set, traditional time frame.
“We used to say we sell land from October to March and during the rest of the year, there’s not much that happens,” Schadegg says. “But now what we’re seeing is more non-typical buyers, and they’re not afraid to buy land in the spring or summer – during the growing season – where typically that just used to not happen.

“Those guys are not afraid to go in and negotiate payback of inputs, or take a lease halfway through a year, or something like that. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a farmer isn’t going to bid on that land. Because if it comes up for sale, and it’s in his wheelhouse, you know, they’re definitely going to be there.”

In some cases the non-typical buyer is an investor, Schadegg says, but those individuals make up only 20% of land buyers. Eighty percent of ag land buyers are still farmers.

2. Thanks to technology (and the pandemic), you can buy land from your truck or tractor.
Today, farmers can plant corn and buy land at the same time, all while sitting in the comfort of their tractor. That fact is one of the practices the COVID pandemic helped create.

“When the pandemic hit, we started to have parking lot auctions, and we had to scramble to get an online platform set up,” Schadegg

says. “In today’s world that’s simply expected, and it has nothing to do with the pandemic anymore. It has to do with convenience.”

He adds that some people like to buy farms online, because they don’t want to stand or sit in a room with their neighbors as they bid on a piece of property.

“Some people just like the anonymity of buying online,” he adds.

Schadegg says there are still scenarios when a live auction makes the most sense to utilize, and the company employs a group of auctioneers for that purpose.

3. There’s still momentum in land sales, but it’s beginning to show signs of slowing.
Schadegg says Farmers National Company President Clayton Becker looks at the current scenario through a lens of what he calls profit and pressure.

On the profit side: “We’re not seeing that value increase like we were a year ago, but we are definitely still seeing some good stable values,” he says. “For high-quality land, we’re still seeing some great competition which sometimes drives that above-market value.”

From a pressure standpoint, FNC is starting to see less cash being used to purchase land and “a little more lending” happening across the country.

“I’ve said this before, but when we talk about any hiccup in the commodity markets that would have a pretty direct effect on land values. So, you know, we had a little bit of a scare here recently when we saw markets come down, but I think as long as we can maintain some of those levels, (land) does still look like a good opportunity.

Get the full details on the AgriTalk discussion with Schadegg here:

Owning Farmland Is Now Cool, Even If You Don't Farm

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 22:17:29 GMT

For those in agriculture, owning farmland has long been viewed as a symbol of status and wealth. Now, even individuals who don’t farm are jumping on board, looking to buy farmland. The interest from outside investors has propelled farmland prices higher over the past year, but even with the rapid run-up in prices, experts say we aren’t in the middle of a farmland bubble.

The top two farmland sales in Iowa raked in $21,000 and $20,000 per acre last week. While it’s not a statewide record, the strong interest and bids on farmland are proof farmland prices are in the midst of a bubble, as farmers are still in the majority of winning bidders at auctions today.

Related Story: A New Way to Rent Ground is Gaining Traction - With Cash Rent Bids in Illinois Topping $600 Per Acre

“It is the farmers who can afford to pay the higher prices,” says Jim Rothermich of Iowa Appraisal. “Their hold period is much longer than an investor. A farmer’s hold period could be from 50 to 100 years. So, if they pay too much for a piece of ground over time, it’ll work itself out and in 50 years, people ask, ‘Why didn’t you buy more land at that price?’”

Professional Athletes Are Buying Farmland

Buying farmland is so cool, even professional athletes are now buying land. Earlier this month, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, along with Boston Celtics forward Blake Griffin and a few other athletes, pooled together to buy farmland in northeast Iowa. The 104-acre farm was a transaction made through Patricof Co., a private New York investment firm that facilitated the deal.

“Owning land has become popular, it’s trending,” Rothermich says. “If you can go to the coffee shop and say you own land, or even Joe Burrow going to maybe a Super Bowl party and telling all his friends how much land his has, that’s the cool thing to do now.”

Burrow might not be playing in the Super Bowl, but if he does have a watch party, he will be able to tell his friends he owns farmland. Rothermich says the group of athletes purchased the 100 acres in Benton County, Iowa, for just over $10,000 per acre.

“I think they got a good deal, by the way, but they are wanting to get into the land space,” Rothermich says.

It’s not just professional athletes. Entrepreneurs, doctors and lawyers also see it as a symbol of status and wealth, joining their friends who are all in search of owning a piece of prime real estate. And today, that’s farm ground.

Not a Farmland Price Bubble

The strong interest, both in farming and outside of farming, is what’s laying a foundation for continued strength in not only land prices, but also a historic increase in cash rents . Rothermich points out while Iowa is seeing record farmland prices, Illinois is seeing records in the cash rent market.

“Rent auctions provide true open market rental valuation and answer the question: What will the market bear for my ground,” Rothermich says. “Farmers bid based on how much they would pay per acre to farm the ground for the specific lease term.”

“I don’t think this is a bubble because that implies it breaks with a massive deflation,” says Mike Walsten, contributor to Pro Farmer’s LandOwner newsletter. “Yes, there have been quite a few seemingly irrational land auctions and rent auctions at $600 an acre, but there were also quite a few signs of cooling while these headliners occurred.”

Low-Quality Farmland Showing Signs of Weakness

Rothermich points out low-quality farm ground is starting to see some pressure. However, high-quality ground remains the hot commodity, with prices continuing to post gains.

“Yes, values are leveling off,” Walsten says. “The top- and medium-quality ground stills show low single-digit gains. Lower-quality ground is firm where no top-quality ground is available — southern Illinois for instance.”

Walsten says there have been some no sales - and an increasing number of slow sales- that started late fall and now into winter.

“These came where communities are normally much less aggressive on land purchases, the ground was less than top-quality, the percent tillable versus was low, the area has very little livestock, tile, etc. is needed. In a bubble, all this type of ground gets gobbled up,” Walsten says.

Related Stories:

A New Way to Rent Ground is Gaining Traction - With Cash Rent Bids in Illinois Topping $600 Per Acre

5 Eye-Popping Farmland Sales from 5 States

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale

Beyond the Buzz: Land Values, Fundamentals and New Services

2023 Cash Rent Outlook: Be Ready for Higher Rates

Rental Rally: Don’t Let High Cash Rents Sink The Farm

Foreign Farmland Ownership to be Addressed in New Study

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 19:51:45 GMT

House Ag Committee ranking member G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), Republican leader on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, in a letter to General Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, asked the GAO to conduct a study addressing the following:

1. What is known about the extent of and trends in foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land (e.g., by country of investor, by state, by type of land)?

2. How does the Farm Service Agency collect data ona foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land and what steps are taken to ensure data reliability? How have USDA’s data collection methods changed since AFIDA was enacted in 1978?

3. What procedures are in place to ensure proper disclosure of acquired agricultural land by a foreign person or entity and does USDA have a process to ensure accurate disclosure of the transfer or sale of such lands?

4. Do the current standards for filing under AFIDA ensure that land acquired by a foreign person or entity through a U.S. chartered company or corporation is accurately disclosed as a foreign investment in agricultural land?

5. How, if at all, does the U.S. government use the data on foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land to ensure the land is used for its intended purpose and does not pose a threat to national security?

6. What improvements or policy options, including regarding national security, could be made to strengthen reporting of foreign investment in agricultural land?

7. Are there other Departments or Agencies that USDA is or should be partnering with to ensure accurate disclosure of foreign owned agricultural land?

According to Rep. Thompson, foreign ownership and investment in U.S. ag land has “nearly doubled” in the past decade.

“This growing trend has elevated concerns regarding national security in a time of uncertainty that is already compounded by challenges to our supply chain infrastructure, high input costs for farmers, and geopolitical pressures. It is critical for Congress to have a thorough understanding of foreign investment in our nation’s agricultural land,” he said.

The study was put into motion to ensure an “affordable, reliable” food supply is secured for the nation’s wellbeing, according to Rep. Comer.

“We are calling on the Government Accountability Office to report on the scope of this threat to our food supply to inform Congress how we can best protect the security of the American people. Americans need transparency about the federal government’s efforts to address this growing problem,” says Comer.

What We Know

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has noted that foreign ownership of U.S. land increased by 2.4 million farm acres in 2020. If this trend continues, it will contribute to unfair competition for young and beginning farmers who seek to buy land.

(Farm Journal)

Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Grassley introduced the “Farmland Security Act,” to require more disclosure by foreign entities about the purchase of U.S. farmland. The bill would require USDA to increase reporting on foreign investments in the U.S., “including the impact foreign ownership has on family farms, rural communities and the domestic food supply.”

USDA also would be required to develop an interactive public database with real-time updates on disclosures of foreign land purchases.

China’s Role

USDA’s latest data shows China owns over 191,000 acres of U.S. lands.

A Chinese company, Fufeng Group, recently acquired 300 acres in North Dakota for $2.6 million. According to the company, it intends to establish a milling plant.

Various government officials, including North Dakota’s Governor Doug Burgum, have raised concerns over the sale.

“We ask that this review process be completed with the utmost urgency to aid Grand Forks officials in their decision-making process and provide clarity on whether this land purchase has national security implications,” Burgum wrote.

Eric Chutorash, Fufeng Group USA COO, claims the company has no Chinese government ownership and all workers in the plant will be Americans. He says he “cannot imagine” anyone in the facility would partake in espionage.

This isn’t the first time a question has been raised in China’s stake in the U.S.

The plug was pulled on a similar wind energy project in Del Rio, Texas, in April when state officials realized two key issues:

1. The land dedicated to the wind farm is miles from the Laughlin Air Force Base.
2. The Chinese company hired to carry out the job is owned by a former member of the Chinese military who has direct ties to China’s ruling communist party.

Some 14 states restrict or prohibit foreign ownership of farmland, though none outright forbid it, according to a memo last November by the Congressional Research Service.

More on farmland:

China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk
Who Can Afford These Soaring Farmland Prices?
U.S. Cropland Cash Rents Hit All-Time High

Which 10 States Have the Highest Cash Rent?

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 02:44:14 GMT

For 2018, the national average for cash rents on cropland is $138 per acre, which is 1.5% higher than 2017. The national average for irrigated cropland is $215 per acre, which is $3 per acre higher than last year. Pastureland stayed flat, averaging $12.50 per acre.
So which states have the highest cash rents in 2018?

State	Cropland Cash Rent ($/acre)
California	$340
Arizona	$253
Iowa	$231
Illinois	$223
Washington	$203
Indiana	$198
Nebraska	$195
Minnesota	$167
Idaho	$160
Oregon	$159

Move the white sliders on the maps below to see how state-level cash rent prices have changed from 2017 to 2018.

Montana, Oklahoma and Texas have the lowest state-average cash rents in the country.

Maryland showed the largest year-over-year increase, 10%, for cropland cash rents. West Virginia posted a 7% increase over 2017 and Alabama cash rents increased by 6%.

Four states—Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida—saw a drop in state-average cash rents. Florida’s decline of 7% was the largest decrease.

Cash rental rates have been on a steady increase over the last two decades. The U.S. average for cropland cash rent peaked in 2015 at $144 per acre.

Are you currently negotiating 2019 cash rental rates? If so, we have some resources for you:

The Question: To Rent or Not to Rent?

Strategies To Nail Your Cash Rent Negotiations

Three Ways to Wow Your Landlords

Dial In 2019 Land Rent Costs

The True Cost of Cheap Rent

Nail Your 2019 Land Lease Agreement

Volatile Markets Make Setting Cash Rent Even Tougher

Cash Rented Farmland: How Do You Know It’s Time To Walk Away?

Three Tips To Lower Farmland Cash Rent

American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers

How Colorado Eliminated Feral Hogs

How Do Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy Effect Land Values?

Solar’s Impact On Rural Property Values

Pop-Up Solar: Can Farmers Make Fertilizer, Fuel and Electricity from the Sun?

Which Foreign Country Owns the Most Farmland in the U.S.? Hint: It's Not China

More States to Take Up Possible Bans in 2024

New Farmland Bill Would Create a Public Database for Foreign Land Ownership

What’s included in the Farmland Security Act of 2023?

Here's 3 Things to Know About Purchasing Farmland Now

3 Things to Know About Purchasing Farmland Now

Owning Farmland Is Now Cool, Even If You Don't Farm

Professional Athletes Are Buying Farmland

Not a Farmland Price Bubble

Read More: Who’s Really Behind All These Record Farmland Buys?

Low-Quality Farmland Showing Signs of Weakness

5 Eye-Popping Farmland Sales from 5 States

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale

Beyond the Buzz: Land Values, Fundamentals and New Services

Rental Rally: Don’t Let High Cash Rents Sink The Farm

Foreign Farmland Ownership to be Addressed in New Study

What We Know

China’s Role

Which 10 States Have the Highest Cash Rent?