Buying farmland during COVID-19: Zhang

Wendong Zhang, assistant professor, was quoted in a May 27 Wallaces Farmer story, "How to buy farmland amid uncertainty."

My colleagues at ISU CARD recently released a report, projecting that significant damages for the hog and ethanol industries. But there are three potentially good things to bear in mind:

1. U.S. agricultural economy doesn’t necessarily move in tandem with the general economy; think about the boom during the 2007-08 financial crisis.
2. Farmland values tend to be supported with lower interest rates, and now the Federal Reserve has made substantial cuts to interest rates.
3. Farmland is often a long-term investment. The land market is still relatively stable and robust.