There has never been a better time to put your investment dollars into the agriculture arena. And you would be hard-pressed to find a better investment than farmland. Our group of real estate and farm management professionals are constantly tracking the farmland market.
Here is some of our best information to illustrate our point. You can also view our latest thinking in our most recent Farmland Barometer.
Prime Farmland Values
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Comparing Farmland to other Financial Assets
Here is a quick comparison of how farmland compares in its overall return over the past 40 years -- it's the best!!
Assett/Index
1970-2010 Avg. Annual Return
1990-2010 Avg. Annual Return
Farmland
10.77%
10.80%
Mtg./REITS
9.09%
9.49%
Aaa (Bonds)
8.24%
6.85%
10 yr. Treasury
7.20%
5.45%
Dow Jones
6.52%
6.84%
S & P 500
6.24%
5.75%
CPI
4.29%
2.63%
PPI
4.03%
2.47%
CRB Spot Index
3.25%
2.40%
Prime Farmland Sales
Prime Farmland values shot up 14% across Central Illinois in 2010 and are up 31% in 2011 and continued to rise in 2012. Farmland went from $7,000 to $8,000 per acre in 2010 and surpassed $10,000 per acre in early 2011! Now our data is showing prices in 2012 hovering above the $11,000 mark!
