Arlin Brannstrom, University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Profitability
Low commodity prices did not dampen average agricultural land prices in 2017. The WI Department of Revenue transfer return data finds average agricultural land values were nearly steady in 2017.
The weighted average price of agricultural land sold in Wisconsin in 2017 was $4,025 per acre. This is a 3.5% increase from 2015 and nearly identical to the average from 2016. There were 11% more acres sold in 2017 and 13% more reported transactions. Declining farm incomes helped to dampen demand. With low commodity prices expected and increased borrowing costs again in 2018, producer competition for land will likely soften again.
The complete 10 page report is on the UW Cooperative Extension Farm and Risk Management (FARM) Team Website: https://fyi.uwex.edu/farmteam/files/2018/04/Wisconsin-Ag-Land-Prices-2012-2017-final.pdf