MIDWEST LAND VALUES POISED TO MOVE HIGHER

By Steve Bruere

As fall begins and the bustle of farmland auctions grip the Midwest, the farmland market seems to have moved toward an advantage for sellers. The year of 2020 depicts many similarities to the combination of economic factors observed in 2012 after experiencing several years of diminishing commodity prices. Strong grain prices, increased farmer participation in land purchases, and suppressed interest rates collectively contributed to the strength in land values which peaked in 2013-14.