August 15, 2025
Ag Land Market Remains Resilient
Despite ongoing challenges, agricultural land values have remained remarkably stable through mid-2025. According to the Farmers National Company, the resilience is mainly driven by simple supply and demand; there are more motivated buyers than willing sellers. While producers remain the main buyers of ag land, interest from individual and institutional investors can’t be ignored. As land values stabilize after the peaks of the last five years, investors are increasingly attracted to the annual returns and long-term appreciation. Farm Credit Services of America says benchmark Midwest farmland values increased 57 percent over the past five years and 39 percent over the past decade. Inventory remains limited, with listings down 25 percent from the peak in 2020-2021. “While producer balance sheets generally remain strong, any negative movements in the ag economy could quickly impact the land market,” said Paul Shadegg, (SHA-degg), the senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National.
**********************************************************************************
Can Large-Scale Solar Coexist with Agriculture in Rural America?
Local opposition to utility-scale solar installations in rural areas is growing following the rapid pace of new solar developments in recent years. Land use concerns in areas largely dominated by agricultural production are fueling much of the community-level resistance. A new CoBank report says solar expansion could deliver the fastest, most affordable means for increasing the nation’s razor-thin energy reserves while driving new revenue streams for rural communities. CoBank says concerns around the pace of solar development in rural areas and the implications for land use in agricultural regions are warranted. A recent analysis by USA Today found that about 15 percent of U.S. counties have some form of restriction on building new utility-scale solar energy projects. American Farmland Trust says more than 80 percent of new solar development will take place on agricultural lands over the next 20 years, with almost half that development on what’s considered “prime” land.
***********************************************************************************
U.S. Soy and Vietnam Celebrate 30 Years of Collaboration
The U.S. Soybean Export Council commemorated three decades of partnership between U.S. Soy and Vietnam with milestones including a Memorandum of Understanding and a keystone conference. The event highlighted the strength of the countries’ enduring relationship and its role in supporting Vietnam’s food, feed, and livestock sectors. The agreement aims to strengthen trade ties, foster industry collaboration, and enhance awareness of U.S. Soy sustainability programs, such as the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. The MOU is the latest in a series reaffirming the two countries’ shared commitment to mutually beneficial trade. During a trade mission sponsored by USSEC in June, Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment signed MOUs with USSEC members and other companies to purchase more than $1.4 billion in U.S. agricultural products like soybeans, corn, wheat, meat, distiller’s grains with solubles, and timber. U.S. Soy plays a critical role in supporting Vietnam’s pork, poultry, aquaculture, and soybean oil industries.
***********************************************************************************
Coalition Applauds Historic Listing of Hemp Seed Meal for Laying Hens
The Hemp Feed Coalition announced that hemp seed meal for laying hens was published in the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ main publication. The milestone comes two years after the organization’s Ingredient Definition Committee voted to approve hemp seed meal for this use, marking a hard-earned victory for hemp and poultry producers nationwide. Despite the achievement, HFC and its members stress that the regulatory path to the market for hemp feed remains riddled with bureaucratic obstacles. Because the Association of Feed Company Officials’ approval alone doesn’t grant automatic state-level acceptance, companies serving the feed market have to navigate a cumbersome, state-by-state registration process. Even after the approval vote in January 2024, many state regulators denied or stalled applications for hemp feed until it appeared in the Official Publication,” said Morgan Tweet, CEO of IND HEMP. “These delays have nothing to do with science or safety; it’s purely bureaucracy standing in the way.”
***********************************************************************************
National FFA Foundation Recognized as Foundation of the Year
The National FFA Foundation has been recognized as the Indianapolis Business Journal’s inaugural Foundation of the Year for 2025. The Foundation was recognized at the Nonprofit Excellence Awards Ceremony. ”We are honored to be selected as the IBJ’s Foundation of the Year,” said Molly Ball, National FFA Foundation President. “The Foundation plays a unique and vital role in building the pipeline of skilled workers and leaders in the agriculture, food, and natural resource industries, and it exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, invest with vision, and impact lives.” In 2024, the Foundation helped power an extraordinary milestone, resulting in 1,027,273 student members in the National FFA Organization, representing a nearly 22 percent increase since 2022. This record-breaking year of growth reflects both demand and trust – a growing demand for agricultural education and leadership opportunities, and continuing trust in the Foundation’s ability to steward resources and deliver meaningful results.
***********************************************************************************
2024 Assessment of BQ-9000 Biodiesel Properties
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced the findings of the “Assessment of BQ-9000 Biodiesel Properties for 2024.” It’s the eighth in a series of annual reports documenting the quality of biodiesel from U.S. and Canadian producers participating in the industry’s voluntary BQ-9000 accreditation program. The study evaluates fuel quality parameters within the ASTM and Canadian CAN/CGSB specifications. Developed in partnership with Clean Fuels Alliance America, the report analyzes monthly quality data provided by BQ-9000-accredited producers throughout 2024. The study evaluates critical fuel quality parameters like viscosity, octane number, kinetic viscosity, carbon residue, and the presence of metals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. “This report demonstrates that the quality of biodiesel supplied by a BQ-9000 accredited producer exceeds the limits of the consensus global specification from ASTM International.” The 2024 Assessment of BQ-9000 Biodiesel Properties underscores the program’s critical role in advancing the adoption of higher biodiesel blends in diesel applications.
***********************************************************************************