About this episode

This episode discusses the resilience of U.S. farmland values amidst economic pressure in agriculture, featuring insights from Howard Halderman.

U.S. agriculture is in its third year of economic pressure, yet farmland values remain resilient. Why have farm real estate prices not declined alongside commodity margins? In this episode, Damian Mason speaks with Howard Halderman of Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management about the forces shaping agricultural land values today. While development pressure, renewable energy projects, and data centers contribute in select regions, the primary driver remains active farmers expanding their operations. Key farmland ownership statistics reinforce market stability: • Approximately two-thirds of farmland buyers are farmers • 85% of absentee landowners live within 100 miles of their holdings • 96.4% of U.S. farmland is owned by American individuals or entities • The average farm debt-to-asset ratio is just 14% With strong equity positions, limited leverage, and local ownership concentration, U.S. farmland markets differ significantly from previous downturn cycles. This episode examines agricultural land investment trends, farm balance sheet strength, rural real estate outlook, and what producers and investors should expect moving forward. If you are a farmer, landowner, ag lender, or…

People in this episode

Host: Damian Mason

Guest: Howard Halderman

Topics covered

• farmland values
• agriculture economics
• real estate investment
• farm management
• market stability

Keywords

• farmland values
• agriculture downturn
• real estate prices
• farm debt-to-asset ratio
• agricultural investment

Sponsors

Ag View Solutions, Tidal Grow Agriscience, Nano-Yield

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management

More episodes of The Business of Agriculture Podcast

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• 445 - Can America Re-Shore Produce? |Damian Mason Podcast · April 13, 2026 · 57 min
• 444 - Will a Fertilizer Shortage Make American Farming Better? | Damian Mason Podcast · April 6, 2026 · 56 min
• 443 - Will American Farms Have Enough Fertilizer? | Damian Mason · March 30, 2026 · 47 min
• 442 - Will We Have Water for American Agriculture? | Damian Mason · March 23, 2026 · 1h 3m

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