Farmland vs Stocks: Which Is The Better Investment?

When people think about investing, the stock market is where their mind typically goes first.

This is for good reason. According to a recent Gallup poll, approximately 55% of Americans own stock. Farmland on the other hand is a much less popular investment among the general public.

As reported by the US Census Bureau, only 1.5 million Americans own farmland. As a percentage, that's less than 0.50% of the entire US population.

Historically, this makes sense. It has been much more difficult to purchase farmland than it has been to purchase a share of Apple stock from a stockbroker.

However, today the landscape is changing, and investing in farmland is becoming a much more realistic prospect for everyday investors looking to diversify their portfolios.

When we look at farmland as an asset class, it's no wonder why there is so much interest from investors looking to get involved. With returns comparable to the stock market, and significantly less volatility, an investment in farmland could make sense for many.

Interest in farmland investment has been surging since the pandemic, as many investors are interested in diversifying into more alternatives. Not to mention, investors like Bill Gates have put farmland investing on the map.

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Overview: Farmland vs Stocks

• Historically, farmland has provided higher returns than stocks with less price volatility
• In the past, it was much easier to buy stocks but now farmland is much more accessible thanks to numerous farmland investing platforms
• Farmland is generally significantly less liquid than stocks, except for farmland REITs
• Farmland investors can see returns through land appreciation, rent payments, and crop earnings
• Stock market investors see returns through appreciation and dividends
• Farmland investors can typically have a more powerful social impact through their investments
• Both stocks and farmland are susceptible to unique risk factors

Historical Returns: Farmland vs. Stocks

As an asset class, farmland has returned a healthy 12.1% over the last 20 years. A study from AcreTrader found that a $10,000 investment in farmland made in 1990 would now be worth over $199,700.

Over the same time period, the S&P 500, a collection of stocks of the 500 largest companies in the US, returned 9.2%. With these returns, the same $10,000 investment would be worth only about $117,500 today.

When comparing returns, it's also important to consider the volatility of the investment. Farmland clearly comes out ahead here. In the last 20 years, there have been a number of corrections in the stock market including the pandemic, the dot-com bubble and Great Recession.

Farmland on the other hand, has not had a year with negative returns since before 1990. As a result, an investment in farmland is about 1/3 as volatile as an investment in the S&P 500.

Judging from the numbers alone, it seems like farmland is coming out ahead. With greater returns and lower volatility, it's easy to see why an investment in farmland would be attractive.

However, it is important to remember that past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

While it is entirely possible and maybe even probable that the positive returns can continue, anything can happen. For example, rising costs in post-pandemic markets have affected profitability for many farming operations. Not to mention, other risk factors such as soil conditions or pests must be considered for each property.

How Returns Are Generated

In the stock market, returns come from one of two places: dividends and capital appreciation. Dividends are periodic payments made from companies to their shareholders. Capital appreciation takes place when a stock is sold for a higher price than it was bought for.

On average, S&P 500 companies have returned 3% – 5% in dividends and a 9.2% total return.

Farmland returns are fairly similar, they can come in the form of rental income or capital appreciation.

Rental income is paid by farmers who are using the land to grow crops and raise livestock. Appreciation occurs when the land grows in value over time, and is then sold for more than what it was bought for.

Historically, the average income yield on farmland has been 3% – 9%, while the total return has been 12.1%.

However, some arrangements allow farmland investors to derive returns from a third source: the land's crops. For example, you could theoretically have a deal with a farmer where they pay you rent as well as a percentage of the profits from the harvest.

This all depends on the rental arrangement you have with the farmer, and the purchasing method you choose.

Risks: Farmland vs. Stocks

Risks you'll experience as a farmland investor vary significantly from the risks of stock market investors.

However, there is some overlap, such as interest rate risk.

As debt becomes more expensive, every cost that is often financed using debt becomes more expensive.

With the stock market, expensive debt creates more pressure on businesses who often use credit and loans to finance new products and scaling their assets, causing them to yield lower returns. Investors who purchase their stock using margin face a higher risk of expensive debt eating their profits, as well as potential margin calls – not a good time for anyone.

With farmland, operators often go into debt to purchase farm-grade equipment, like tractors, fertilizers, and various mechanical agriculture systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. These high-interest rate environments also make buying land more expensive, as mortgage rates increase outright.

This interest rate risk can drag down the profitability of the earnings of a farm property in different markets.

Farmland Risks

Three of the most significant risks posed by farmland investing that investors are unlikely to see in the stock market are weather risk, crop risk, and liquidity risk.

When owning a stock, you don't have to worry much about natural events impacting your investment. Barring a serious earthquake at a company's headquarters or production facilities, there's not much to worry about here.

However, with an investment in farmland, one severe drought can significantly reduce the farmer's ability to pay rent or the quality of the soil.

In addition to the weather, investors also have to worry about things like insects or diseases wiping out crops. While some farmers pay rent before planting season, which means investors get paid regardless of crop yield, this is not always the case.

Stock Market Risks

It's important to note that farmland investors are free of some of the risks stock market investors face.

These include company risk, market risk, and political risk, to name a few.

Whenever investors put money into a single stock, they are taking on a significant amount of risk. If that company experiences hardships or goes out of favor, investors are liable to see the share price react dramatically. This is not something farmland investors experience.

Additionally, there exist risks that threaten the stock market as a whole. These include widespread recessions, political events, terrorist attacks, and a number of other events that can cause the stock market as a whole to drop.

Farmland investors have seen their investments hold steady throughout these events. In fact, farmland has also served as an effective hedge against inflation over time as well.

How To Purchase: Stocks vs. Farmland

These asset classes are both available to the everyday investor. However, the way investors purchase stock and the way they purchase farmland vary significantly.

Purchasing Farmland

When it comes to purchasing farmland, investors have a couple of options to choose from. The two most popular methods for buying farmland are either buying the land directly or going through a farmland crowdfunding platform.

Direct Purchase

Purchasing farmland directly is a pretty straightforward process.

You can work with a real estate agent specializing in farmland, or choose to seek out farmland that is for sale yourself. Once you identify the land, you'll work with the seller to determine the terms of the transaction. Then, depending on your cash on hand, you'll likely need to take out a loan from the bank to finance the property.

Now you own the property, but you still need to find someone to rent it from you and manage the property. This is a relatively drawn-out process, and from start to finish, you can expect it to take a few months.

Crowdfunding

Your other option which is typically more attractive to investors is to go through a farmland crowdfunding platform. There are a number of these popping up lately, such as AcreTrader, which simplifies the process for investors. This is a “managed” and more passive approach when investing in farms.

Click here to view current offerings on AcreTrader!

These platforms do all of the due diligence for you and typically list fewer than 1% of the deals that come across their plate. Additionally, they allow investors to get started with as little as a few thousand dollars. This is because the deals are set up as a number of investors pooling their money together to purchase a large parcel of land.

Through these platforms, investors can diversify their portfolios by investing in more deals. With a lower barrier to entry and no management requirements, it's much easier to invest.

There are now also farmland REITs, which you can purchase through the stock market!

Social Impact: Farmland vs. Stocks

For many investors, the social impact of their investments is an important factor to consider.

Social Impact Of Farmland

Depending on the circumstances of the deal, investing in farmland can have a significant impact. When purchasing farmland directly from the farmers using it, you can have a large impact on the family and the community as a whole. That is because farmers are an integral part of our society.

Farmers produce the food we eat every day and have a tremendous impact on our lives. By becoming a farmland investor, you have the ability to participate in this process that nourishes the world.

Consider the platform Steward where lenders are helping to support farmers who typically have trouble getting financing.

In addition, there are many farms that are currently pursuing much more sustainable practices. Investing in these farms sends a message to the industry about where you would like to see food production go in the coming years.

By moving some of your capital into farmland investments, you can directly have a say in the future of agriculture in America. At the same time, you can rest easy knowing that your investment is bringing significant impact to an entire community.

Social Impact Of Stocks

While there are some companies that claim to have a focus on social impact, purchasing their stock is unlikely to further that mission. That's because the seller of that stock was likely another investor and not the company itself.

Additionally, most for-profit companies in the current business environment are still largely profit-driven. While the idea that corporations should consider all stakeholders is on the rise, there is still a long way to go on this front.

However, owning stock in a company typically grants you the right to vote in shareholder meetings. This could potentially allow you to make your voice heard on social issues that are important to you.

In the end, it's possible to have a social impact through stock market investing, but it's not likely to be significant.

Final Verdict: Farmland vs. Stocks

When considering whether an investment in farmland or the stock market makes more sense for your personal situation, there are a number of important factors to weigh. In most cases, the best answer is to do a bit of both. Diversification is achieved by spreading your money out into many different asset classes.

Farmland clearly comes out ahead with returns, as it has consistently outperformed the stock market.

With almost a third of the volatility of the S&P 500, farmland also comes out ahead on volatility.

When it comes to the risk profiles of the two asset classes, there is no clear winner. Depending on your investment philosophies, each will present a different set of risks. It's important that you are aware of the risks you are taking on and consciously decide how to mitigate them.

Historically, it has been much easier to purchase stocks than farmland. However, with the increasing number of crowdfunding platforms, it now can take minutes to make your first investment. That being said, it will likely still be more difficult to sell a farmland investment early if you need the cash.

The bottom line is that if you are creating a diversified portfolio, both farmland and stocks have a place. Due to their negative correlation, holding both of these assets will reduce overall risk in your portfolio.

This is a sponsored promotion for the AcreTrader platform. Farmland Riches, LLC and the owners may have investments in companies represented on the AcreTrader platform. This informational is by no means a promotion, solicitation, or recommendation of any specific investment.