Lessons From the Delta, Part 2: Land Values, Capital Markets, and the Business of Rice

About this episode

This episode explores the complexities of farmland valuation and capital movement in the Delta region, focusing on rice farming.

Lessons From the Delta continues — but this time, the focus shifts from fields to finance. In Episode 2 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe sit down with Aaron Shew of Acres to explore how farmland is valued, how capital moves through the Delta, and why agricultural land markets are more complex than most producers realize. Unlike residential real estate, there is no “Zestimate” for farmland. In many counties, fewer than 10 land transactions occur each year — yet prices can shift 5–10% annually. That creates real challenges for lenders, brokers, investors, and farmers trying to make long-term capital decisions. The conversation also discusses: • Why agricultural land data is fragmented and difficult to combine• How lenders and investment firms evaluate farmland purchases• The role of mortgage data and transaction history• What rice farmers are actually paid for — and why it’s different from corn and soybeans• How milling yield introduces another layer of risk As the Delta’s irrigation-dependent system shows, land values, water access, and milling economics stack together to create a very different capital structure than what most Midwest…

People in this episode

Hosts: Chad Fiechter, Todd Kuethe

Guest: Aaron Shew

Topics covered

• land values
• capital markets
• agricultural finance
• rice farming
• land transactions
• investment strategies

Keywords

• farmland valuation
• capital markets
• rice farming
• land transactions
• agricultural economics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Acres

Products: Zestimate

Places: Delta, Midwest

More episodes of Purdue Commercial AgCast

• Why Profitable Farms Still Run Out of Cash · May 20, 2026 · 39 min
• Farmer Sentiment Is Falling Amid Higher Input Costs · May 6, 2026 · 15 min
• Lessons From the Delta, Part 8: Why Ducks Are More Valuable Than Crops in the Delta · April 22, 2026 · 30 min
• Lessons From the Delta, Part 7: How Rice Farmers Cut $31/Acre Water Costs · April 15, 2026 · 12 min
• Farm Sentiment Is Up… So Why Are Farmers Still Worried? · April 8, 2026 · 19 min
• Lessons From the Delta, Part 6: Farming with No Margin for Error · April 1, 2026 · 26 min