Nobody follows and reports on farmland prices and ag economics quite like Landowner editor and blogger Mike Walsten. Lately, Mike’s been on a roll, with a great item on the recent auction of cash leases on 3,000 acres. Lease prices ranged from $400 to $530 per acre. Cash rents tend to lag movements in land prices, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we continue to see some strong increases.
Balancing that out is a second item in Mike’s blog about a recent survey suggesting that the rural economy may be leveling off. The Mainstreet Economy survey, conducted by Creighton University economics professor Dr. Ernie Goss, remains at its highest level since June 2007, but Goss said “We are detecting a leveling off in the growth of the Rural Mainstreet economy.” RMI press release.
The survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural, agricultural and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The RMI is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy.