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.

Think Green

Retaining the rich topsoil on farms is critical in terms of both reducing erosion and improving water quality, as well as holding on to the long-term value of the land. A new post at PeoplesCompany.com delves into the advantages of investing in cover crops – a corner post of conservation practices on managed farms in Iowa. Read more.

Chinese Food

China's global foray into farming and food businesses is likely to accelerate as the country is faced with a shrinking area of good arable land and a growing middle class that is consuming more calories. Buying or leasing farms abroad is nothing new for Chinese firms, which have spent almost $52 billion on overseas agriculture deals since 2005, while food industry-related transactions have quadrupled over the past six years. Bloomberg reports on the challenges ahead. Read more.

A Case for Ag

Capital Press makes a case for agricultural production while considering the impact of a farm or ranch changing hands in the western United States. Beyond a willing buyer and a willing seller – and whether the agricultural real estate stays in the family or it is sold – the article considers the potential effect of the land’s designated use on ranchers, farmers, neighbors and the economy. Read more.

Soft Landing

KMAland reports on the lack of inventory that’s driving Iowa’s agricultural real estate market. Farmland values in the state, according to the 2016 USDA Land Values Survey, averaged $7,850 per acre – a 1.9 percent decrease year-over-year and off the peak about 20 percent from 2013. At the same time, even with low commodity prices, it’s more of a sellers’ market that has stayed stronger than many may have anticipated. Read more. 

Big Buy 

Gladstone Land Corporation announced the acquisition of four farms totaling 3,253 gross acres and 3,032 irrigated acres in southwestern Arizona. Lease agreements, which were assumed with the existing tenants, include remaining terms ranging from two years to nine years. Approximately 1,221 of the irrigated acres are subject to leases with the State of Arizona. The $27.5 million land deal marks the second large acquisition for Gladstone in 2017, and its entry into a new growing region. Read more. 

New Beginnings

Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signaled the end of a five-decade career in Iowa politics and public life in May, when he won confirmation as the U.S. ambassador to China. Branstad, 70, left the Iowa Statehouse as the longest serving governor in American history and was succeeded by Kim Reynolds, who is the first female to serve as the state’s chief executive. Read more. 

Whole Thing

Internet retail giant Amazon announced that it would purchase grocer Whole Foods in a brick-and-mortar fixture deal that is valued at $13.7 billion. Whole Foods, which opened in Austin 1980, now has 465 stores in North America and the U.K. NPR reports. Read more.

Take a Look

Before Manhattan formed its famous street grid, the island contained farms in neighborhoods from Midtown to the Upper West Side. Business Insider shares an aggregation of photos and illustrations that provide a look at New York City’s transformation from rolling hills, grazing sheep and cattle farms. Read more.

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.

Click here for a PDF copy of Land Investor Monthly.