The Land Investment Monthly is a round-up of articles and headlines published by the farm press, business media and financial publications with insights into buying, selling or investing in farmland, recreational ground or development ground. Follow Steve Bruere @SBruere on Twitter and find Peoples Company on Facebook for the latest land listings, auction results, upcoming events and real estate news. To subscribe to my monthly updates via email, send a message toSteve@PeoplesCompany.com with “Land Investment Monthly” in the subject line.

Land Star
Celebrity Chris Soules and presidential hopeful Donald Trump met this year for the first time at Peoples Company’s Land Investment Expo. Trump, who headlined the 2015 event, was introduced to Soules, and the real estate tycoon posted a selfie-style photograph of the two men on social media. Peoples Company ultimately hired Soules, who – in addition to his experience starring on ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “Dancing with the Stars” – is an agricultural real estate professional with more than $200 in sales under his belt over the past 10 years. Now the Land Investment Specialist is busy speaking at conferences and seminars, attending sporting or entertainment events, and brokering deals with celebrities, musicians, athletes and business tycoons and others in search of rich Iowa land.
Read more.

On Rents
AgWeb reports that 60 percent of farm producers say that, despite high cash rents, they probably or absolutely will not abandon their leases next year. According to a survey of Pro Farmer members and LandOwner newsletter subscribers, 41 percent of respondents plan to buy land in the next year with only 7 percent expecting to sell. Nearly 73 percent expect lower cash rents in 2016.
Read more.

Ag Case
Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa said agriculture, not telephones, would have been his focus if he could do it all over again. Masiyiwa, who has a diversified background in telecommunications, financial services and renewable energy, among other interests, made his case for agriculture while speaking this year during the African Green Revolution Forum. “Twenty years ago the idea that people could have their own [mobile] phone was almost as ludicrous as the idea that Africa will feed the world,” he told Maritz Africa. “But 20 years from now, this continent will feed the world.” The World Bank in a 2013 report noted that Africa’s food market is expected to be worth a $1 trillion in just 15 years.
Read more.

Mega Issue
The majority of landowners want to be fair and equitable to their farm tenants, even as some producers have contemplated terminating “high-dollar” leases amid low commodity prices and challenges related to cash flows. Things could change quickly, however, given that farming is a cyclical business and the current downtrend in commodity prices is nothing new to farmers who have experienced these ups and downs before. The Iowa Soybean Association, noting that rental rates are slowly coming down, reports that communication and transparency are key aspects of helping farmers negotiate fair rents.
Read more.

Up Land
Iowa land values are still in a downward trend, yet the decline appears to be slowing, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Iowa Chapter of REALTORS® Land Institute. Today’s values are still nearly 184 percent higher than they were on the same survey done in the fall of 2007, when commodity prices were very similar to the current market. Travis Smock with the Peoples Company Appraisal team reports that factors contributing to farmland values go far beyond the obvious bearish influences such as the decrease in commodity prices and farm income decline.
Read more.

Silver Lining
Sean McMahon of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance was on-hand during Peoples Company’s Big Questions Seminars to discuss the relationship among improvements to water quality, profitability and land values. The Iowa Soybean Association digs into the executive’s thought process behind calls to “make an investment in a conservation infrastructure,” along with effective land management techniques to improve water quality and agricultural productivity. “A lot of folks are laboring under a common misperception that ‘If only farmers would stop over applying fertilizer our water quality problems would be fixed,’” McMahon said. “This is simply not the case.”
Read more.

SOIL Conference
The SOIL Conference is set for November, and Peoples Company is among the sponsors focused on “Sustaining Our Iowa Land” as a primary theme of the 2015 event. The Drake Agricultural Law Center, working in conjunction with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture out of Iowa State University, will welcome participants from across the state to discuss issues surrounding the protection of Iowa’s soil and water resources. More than 30 individuals have been identified to cover everything from current realities, future opportunities, and theories for change.
Read more.

Future Plans
Agricultural real estate remains strong, despite an array of variables, and given that there can be a high level of variability ​in the extent of activity – ​based on ​factors such as ​location or demand. This article delves into the thoughts of Michigan State University Extension’s Adam Kantrovich, including his take on succession as family farms consider options for an exit plan. Landholders, he said, are selling to an array of interested parties who are looking to expand during a period of adjustment that is bringing a variety of owners and landlords to the table.
Read more.