Insights
What's on our mind.
From the latest corporate news to intelligence briefings, be sure to bookmark this page for farmland investment insights and inspiration.
Filters
Farmer Stories
02 – Mar – 2023
Jesse Hough and the Economics of Sustainability
On Jesse Hough’s farm in eastern Nebraska, sustainability means two things: taking care of the earth and ensuring the farming operation is profitable enough to continue. You can’t have one without the other, he says, because protecting the earth using new farming practices and technologies requires an investment of time and money, and farmers simply […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
02 – Feb – 2023
Long, Fun Days on the Asmus Farm During Harvest
Dean Asmus knows he’s in for long days during harvest season on his corn and soybean farm in eastern Nebraska. “We try to get started by 8:00 in the morning, and we usually don’t quit until 11:30 or 12:00 at night, so they’re long hours,” he explained. “It takes a lot of hours and, and […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
05 – Jan – 2023
Farming is a Brockhaus Family Affair
It was harvest time on the Brockhaus farm near Humphrey, Nebraska when we arrived with our video camera one morning in October. As we prepared for the video shoot, a grain cart moved slowly and smoothly past our parked car and proceeded down a row of freshly cut corn to be filled by the waiting […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
22 – Sep – 2022
Reclaiming a Strip-Mined Farm in Western Illinois
The Sun Spot coal mine in Astoria, Illinois, was once an economic engine for the town. From 1962 to 1983, it produced 17.6 million tons of coal and was a major employer in the area. It also left behind a big mess when it shuttered. Farmland was destroyed or depleted. Wildlife habitat was disrupted. And […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
23 – Aug – 2022
Randy Phelps: ‘Farming’s the Fun Part’
There was a lot on Randy Phelps’ mind as he was planting corn and soybeans on the farmland he farms across four counties in central Illinois. Input costs and interest rates are climbing, which threatens to cut into margins. Labor has become more expensive and harder to find, and truck drivers needed to haul grain […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
09 – Aug – 2022
Smith Family Farms’ Sweet Story
According to Georgia’s Department of Agriculture, the farmer who first planted onions in Toombs County in the ‘30s was surprised when they tasted sweet, not hot. Locals and visitors bought the sweet onions at the Vidalia Farmers’ Market and were hooked on “Vidalia Onions,” a name that’s now protected by trademark and Georgia law. Today, […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
19 – Jul – 2022
Nice Lawn, Charlie Baucom
The straight lines left from a recent mowing of Charlie Baucom’s lawn in Marion County, South Carolina seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see. It is lush green and there isn’t a bare patch or a brown spot anywhere in sight. Charlie has the kind of grass people would pay for – […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
07 – Jul – 2022
Martinsville, Ill: A Little Town with a Big Farming Heritage
Derek Pine’s story is probably like a lot of the people who live around Martinsville, Illinois. “I knew from a very young age what I was gonna do,” said Pine, a fourth-generation farmer. “I knew I was gonna farm when I was big enough to follow dad around…when I was big enough to walk.” Martinsville […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
28 – Jun – 2022
Preserving the Great Dismal Swamp with Ducks Unlimited
The Atlantic Flyway is one of four ancient pathways that migratory birds use to travel from breeding grounds to wintering areas. It’s also the most densely populated, which means vital natural habitats are threatened by development and urban sprawl. Ducks Unlimited (DU) has made the area a priority for conservation, and recently collaborated with Farmland […]
get the details
Farmer Stories
16 – Jun – 2022
Variable Rate Technology on Full Display This Planting Season
There was a sense of urgency in the way Aaron Bartlow spoke as he stood in the large field of black dirt. Normally this field would be dotted by straight green rows of baby corn stalks or soybean shoots. But planting season was running way behind because of cold, wet conditions. In fact, Bartlow had […]
get the details