Don't put your investments out to pasture: Here's how REITs let everyday investors own a piece of America's farmland

One of farmland’s distinct benefits is its steady growth in value, even after adjusting for inflation. For everyday investors, these are conditions for buying into a resilient investment that can provide a decent payout over many years.

Enter the real estate investment trusts, or REITs.

Investors like farmland

REITs are firms that own and operate real estate and related assets that generate a flow of income. In this instance, REITs offer investors a cheaper path into agriculture investing without having to directly buy a farm. They typically generate alluring long-term returns with a dual combination of appreciating land values and crop-driven rental income.

In addition, economists have pointed out that there isn’t a strong correlation between returns on REITs and the stock market. So the characteristic fluctuations in equity prices typically have little bearing on the value of farmland. Adding farmland into an investment portfolio helps to fortify against other asset classes like stocks, crypto and bonds that are more exposed to financial swings.

According to FarmTogether, there are only two publicly-traded farmland REITs as of summer 2026: Farmland Partners and Gladstone Land. The former trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), while the latter trades on the NASDAQ exchange. But both companies own and lease farmland. It’s possible to purchase shares for both these firms through a broker.

The bulk of Farmland Partners’ portfolio — or 60% — rests on farms prioritizing commodity crops like corn, rice and cotton. In the case of Gladstone, most of its farms grow fresh produce like fruit and vegetables, viewing them as a less-risky alternative to commodity crops that can fall prey to price volatility.

What’s next for REITs

Farmland Partners CEO Luca Fabbri projected confidence in the future of REITs.

“Looking ahead, we remain confident in the long-term fundamentals of the farmland REIT asset class and its ability to generate durable, attractive returns, despite ongoing disruptions and near-term volatility impacting the broader agriculture industry,” he said in a first quarter earnings release in late April.

Though these REITs don’t come without a little risk.

“Publicly traded REITs add another risk,” Chris Morris, president of LandFund Partners, an investment group, wrote in Forbes. “In broad equity selloffs, they can trade at steep discounts to net asset value, creating price swings disconnected from farmland fundamentals.”