The Clean Water Rule (CWR) was formulated in 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers in an attempt to clarify what wetlands and waterways should fall under the federal government’s oversight. The rule has been a hotly debated topic since its formulation. Many landowners suddenly found themselves with land [...]

Murray Wise enjoyed discussing the farmland market at the WILL All Day Ag Outlook Meeting at the Beef House in Covington, IN. Murray spoke on a number of current issues concerning the farmland market. A recap of his presentation and a discussion with Daniel Grant of Farm Week can be seen in the article “Gap [...]

A bipartisan bill, the “Family Farmer Relief Act of 2019”, has been introduced in the Senate to make Chapter 12 bankruptcies accessible to more family farms in need of debt relief. Our friends at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP have summarized the advantages this could provide small to mid-sized farming operations as compared to [...]

The recent initial public offering of Beyond Meat, a producer of plant-based meat substitutes, was a great reminder that what once were niche products (plant-based alternatives to conventional animal foods) are becoming a diverse and growing segment in the food and beverage industry for incumbents and new players alike. Given the market response to the [...]

MWA would like to congratulate the nine Parkland College students who presented their business plans at the CobraVenture pitch showcase. Elizabeth Allen of Mahomet was named the winner by the judges and has received funding for her business, Central Illinois Vinyl. MWA supports the CobraVenture program with the goal of helping young entrepreneurs in Central [...]

The Sierra snowpack is 33 times bigger this year than last year’s snowpack. This winter featured a long succession of storms crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains, leading to the large increase in snowpack. The added snowpack and heavier than usual rains in the Central Valley have equated to full water allocations for many water districts. [...]

CHICAGO, July 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ Paine Wetzel Commercial Real Estate and MWA Capital Advisors have been hired by the Panagiotaros family to publicly market the 1.05-acre former Stanley’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetables property located at the corner of North Avenue and Elston Avenue on Chicago’s North Side. After serving several Northside Neighborhoods for decades, the family has [...]

By Eric L. Sarff For my first commentary at MWA, I thought it important to touch on trends I’ve seen recently in the Midwest farmland market and the reasons behind those trends. Trend 1: Midwest land prices have remained steady so far in 2019, despite numerous obstacles for farmers. It remains to be seen what [...]