Friday, April 29, 2016

Free workshop in Louisville will examine changing dynamics in ag finance, land ownership

As investors keep putting more money into farmland, questions are raised about how that many affect agriculture and farm policy. The Farm Foundation is hosting a workshop to explore the implications of investor-owned farmland and other newly evolving trends that affect the financial landscape of agriculture.

The free workshop will be held in Louisville June 6-7, just before the Farm Foundation Round Table meeting in the city June 8-10. The program will feature "farmer-landowners, academic researchers and lenders, including representatives of commercial banks, Farm Credit, insurance companies and the investment community," says a foundation news release. "The program will also examine the relationship of ownership and financing to farm policies, including programs targeted to credit, conservation, commodities and crop insurance."

Farm Foundation President Neil Conklin said, "This workshop is targeted to farmers, landowners, investors and members of the finance, agribusiness and public policy communities. All are key players whose actions are shaping the trends in farmland ownership and agricultural finance which, in turn, has potential implications for the social and political environments in which they operate. ... It is clear that trends in farmland ownership and tenure patterns are changing. This workshop will explore the current interest in farmland, the players driving it, and the implications for farmland ownership and tenure." For more information, or to register for the event, click here.

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