Can You Take Me Higher

Feb 21, 2024

Creed’s song Higher, with its chorus “can you take me higher,” came to mind when learning of the latest increase in farmland values from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Despite many headwinds, farmland values continue to answer Creed’s question with an emphatic “yes”. The latest evidence comes from a survey of commercial bankers by the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Bank economists Cortney Cowley, Jannety Mosely, and Ty Kreitman report bankers in the Tenth District (Nebraska, western Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, and northern New Mexico) indicated the value for non-irrigated land rose 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to 2022. Values on irrigated and pasture ground exceeded 2022 levels by 7 percent. The increases on non-irrigated and irrigated land in Nebraska were the highest in the district, up 15 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Pasture ground in Nebraska was up 3 percent.

The growth in land values came despite lower commodity prices, higher interest rates, and reports of financial strain among producers.

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Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.