Americans have been eating pork for centuries, ever since the first hogs were imported to the United States in 1539. Nowadays, 42% of red meat eaten in the U.S. is pork, and that number has been continuously increasing throughout the past few decades. By the end of 2018, the USDA predicts that demand for pork in America will meet or exceed that of beef. We also export the majority of the world’s pork and pork products, so the future for hog farmers and their investors looks bright.
Read moreThe Top 10 Investment Trends in Agriculture
The huge variety of crop choices can be overwhelming to investors new to the agriculture asset class. An option for choosing potentially profitable investments is to follow society’s food trends. Many Americans these days are heavily dedicated to eating clean, local, organic foods. Trending diets and popular foods are raising the value of these crops to farmland owners and investors.
Read moreHow to Invest in Agriculture With Your IRA
An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a type of savings account that is designed to help you save for retirement and offers many tax advantages. Many employees end up with significant balances in their IRAs funded by roll-overs of their 401k plans after they retire or leave a job. Others build them up slowly with regular contributions. One of the best things about an IRA, as opposed to an employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401k, is there is a vastly larger selection of investment options available within the account. Traditionally, investors only consider stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds when choosing investments for an IRA. However, these are not your only options. Agriculture can be a great addition to any portfolio, providing a low-risk option that generates stable income in the form of profit from the farm and capital gains as the land appreciates in value.
Read moreWhat is My Farm Worth?
Whether you are in the market to sell or just curious, land-owners often wonder how much their farm is worth. There are many factors that make up a farm’s value. Property location, type of crop, soil, and physical condition of the land will all be taken into account, so it can be overwhelming to try and put a dollar value on your land. Not to mention, family farms have a certain sentimental value that should also be taken into consideration. Luckily, there are a lot of different ways to approach evaluating your land’s market value.
Read moreTimberland: Solid Returns with Forest Investments
Timberland provides numerous benefits that distinguish it from other investments. Timber investments have outperformed the stock and bond markets over the long term and do especially well in bear markets.
Read moreFarm Financing Decisions - Debt vs. Equity
Financing is a key decision every farmer must make. Taking on additional debt or equity to expand operations offers certain advantages and drawbacks to a producer. An operation's debt to equity ratio is a key measure of a farm's health. Where does your operation stack up against the national average?
Read moreWhat the Ivy League Can Teach You About Investing in Natural Resources
Asset managers for the massive Ivy League endowments have long known the benefits of investing in natural resources, to include farm and timberland. This asset class can provide the same advantages to average investors as it does the endowments.
Read moreToday's Markets and the Everything Bubble
Today's investing environment is precarious. Could agriculture be the solution for yield and safety?
Read moreDiversifying a Portfolio with International Agriculture
The vast array of affordable and diverse investment opportunities in Latin American agriculture are largely unparalleled. As U.S. markets continue to struggle and become increasingly uncertain, many investors will depart traditional asset classes in search of better investment alternatives.
Read more