Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Indiana farmland valuable as an investment?
Indiana farm land is incredibly valuable because the topsoil is deep and rich, especially in the flat northern counties and along the big river valleys. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Indiana is consistently one of the top five states in the entire country for growing corn and soybeans. The best land in northern counties like Benton, Jasper, and Newton rents out for $175 to $275 per acre every year. Finding a good farmer to rent your land is easy because there are plenty of local families always looking to expand their operations. Farm values in Indiana have climbed steadily right alongside the rest of the Midwest. You get a steady rent check every year while the land gets more valuable, and you buy in at a discount compared to Illinois or Iowa.
What crops dominate Indiana agriculture?
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, corn and soybeans completely dominate the state, with the northern counties pumping out the biggest harvests. Indiana is almost always the fourth or fifth biggest corn state and the third or fourth biggest soybean state in America. Indiana is actually famous for popcorn, and it grows more popcorn than any other state, mostly around the Redkey and Albany areas in Jay County. Farmers grow massive amounts of tomatoes for ketchup and salsa up northwest near Frankfort. Raising pigs and meat chickens is also a huge business across the state. Dairy farming up north in Elkhart, LaGrange, and Steuben counties is shrinking, but it is still a major part of the local economy.
What cash rents does Indiana farmland generate and how do they vary?
According to the annual Purdue University Farmland Value and Cash Rent Survey, rent prices swing wildly depending on how good the land is. The absolute best land in north-central Indiana land with a high Corn Suitability Rating, usually rents for $175 to $275 per acre every year. Average land in the middle of the state brings in $125 to $200 per acre. Down south, where the land gets rougher and transitions into hay fields, rent drops to $80 to $150 per acre. Farmers and landowners use the Purdue University report as the absolute gold standard when negotiating lease prices every year. Indiana rent checks are lower than what you would get in Iowa or Illinois, which is exactly why the land costs less to buy in the first place.
