California farmland values have taken a hit.
It is a price trend our friends at the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers have been warning of for quite a while.
A new groundwater law combined with poor commodity prices has led to double digit year-over-year farmland declines. While the San Joaquin Valley tends tohave greater water access than other parts of the state, farmland values there have still fallen.
Almond orchards that once sold for $60,000 an acre are now facing prices below just $44,000 an acre.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, the state is looking to purchase over 1,000 of farmland in Kaua’i that is currently owned by a billionare tech entrepreneur.
The $39 million deal is still waiting legislative approval. The state hopes to use the land to achieve local food production goals by allowing Hawaii’s Agribusiness Development Corps to satisfy the demand of farmers looking for access to more land.
Land equity protects solvency but does not replace profitability.
February 25, 2026 09:00 AM
·
Federal aid helps, but producers will bear most of the losses. Balance sheets may look stable, but margins remain fragile without policy support.
February 18, 2026 01:49 PM
·
RFD NEWS Markets Specialist Tony St. James reviews the USDA’s Farms and Land in Farms 2025 Summary.
February 18, 2026 01:38 PM
·
Jim Rothermich with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers joined us to share the latest on farmland real estate markets across the Midwest.
February 17, 2026 12:48 PM
·
AFBF Economist Samantha Ayoub discusses the latest data on Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings and what the troubling trend signals for the farm economy. At the same time, bigger loans and higher rates are squeezing working capital and increasing financial risk.
February 12, 2026 04:26 PM
·
Agriculture remains a key drag on regional growth amid weak prices and policy uncertainty.
February 12, 2026 08:00 AM
·
