LAND EXPO
Economist, actor and comedian Ben Stein is set to speak during the 10th annual Land Investment Expo–presented by Peoples Company–on February 3, in West Des Moines. Stein, who was cast as a teacher inthe 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” is known widely as a commentator, columnist and author. Hedge fund manager Steve Eisman, whose prediction of the mortgage crisis inspired the movie “The Big Short,”and Mark Tercek, CEO of the Nature Conservancy, are also scheduled to appear. Additional details can be found at www.LandInvestmentExpo.com. Read more.

IOWA BANKERS
The Iowa Bankers Association’s annual convention in Des Moines attracted about 220 lenders with an emphasis on exploring land values, cash rents, mega mergers and the ag economy, among other issues. Experts say that tight supplies, low interest rates and investors seeking alternatives to the stock market have helped slow price declines across the state. The Des Moines Register reports. Read more.

KNOW THE TYPE
The USDA covers landowner types while searching for insights into the challenges involved with beginning or expanding afarm operation through ownership. Of the total amount of farmland in the United States, 61 percent of the agricultural real estate is owned by farm operators, 31 percent is owned by non-operator landlords, and the remaining 8 percent is rented from one operator to another. From methods of land acquisition to near-term transfer plans, the breakdown is relevant to the topic of land accessibility–and paints a broad picture of the contemporary farmland market. Results of the USDA’s 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Land survey also show that 6.4 million acres that will come on the market in 2015-19 were largely inherited. Read more.

BIG TRUST
Farmland Partners Inc. is acquiring all of the outstanding common stock of American Farmland Company in a stock-for-stock transaction. According to a release, the merger will create the largest public farmland real estate investment trust (REIT) in the nation–encompassing more than 133,000 acres across 16 states. On a consolidated basis, the combined company’s portfolio is expected to consist of approximately 75 percent row crop farmland and 25 percent specialty crops by value. Read more.

IN RESERVE
Drought conditions continue to plague the state of California though its major reservoirs are holding 69 percent more water than a year ago. As of October 1, six key reservoirs owned by the federal government’s Central Valley Project held a combined 4.9 million acre-feet of water–compared with 2.9 million acre-feet a year earlier. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the reservoirs were still at just 41 percent of capacity. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons, or approximately a year’s worth of water for the typical California household. Read more.

LAND CRISIS
A land crisis in Oregon is threatening to displace local producers and ranching families as beginning farmers are priced out of the agricultural real estate market. Sixty-four percent of Oregon’s farmland is expected to change hands in the next 20 years. At the same time, many farmers are finding themselves unprepared for succession. Oregon, which eats about 20 percent of the food it produces, is driven in part by a local economy reinforced by more than 35,000 smaller, family-owned farms. Oregon Live takes a look at a study that examines current trends in land tenure, alongside their potential impact on the economy, rural communities and environment. Read more.

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 to Steve@PeoplesCompany.com with “Land Investment Monthly” in the subject line.

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