On December 1, 2009, the Chicago Fed held a conference that examined issues shaping the future of Midwest agriculture, with a focus on public policy implications. This conference gathered experts from academia, industry, and policy institutions to discuss trends and possibilities for agriculture...

District farms are getting smaller and bigger at the same time.

Globalization has been a great benefit to rural America in that it has opened overseas markets for its agriculture. Yet, there is growing concern that U.S. rural communities will lose not only their share of agricultural trade but also nonfarm jobs to global competition. This article examines...

How a real estate law has driven up farmland prices.

Farmland prices are skyrocketing across the Ninth District. Many worry that the boom can’t last, and what consequences might lurk if it doesn’t.