August 24, 2022
Associate professor Wendong Zhang was interviewed by KCUR for the story "Farmland prices soar, making it even harder for young farmers to break in and grow."
The story examines how Iowa's rising farmland prices are keeping young farmers out of the market. The 2021 Iowa Land Value Survey, which Zhang heads, found that investors purchased 25% of the farmland that was for sale in Iowa that year. Zhang told KCUR that “[Investors are] mainly looking at farmland to provide a viable alternative to diversify their whole portfolio. During uncertain times when their stocks’ value could go down by 30%, their farmland could hold onto the value."
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