Posted on 02/23/2026 1:53:46 AM PST by Libloather
Millions of acres of farmland across the country are privately owned, but a small share of it is foreign-owned land sitting idle in many areas.
That’s according to new U.S. Department of Agriculture data which shows just how much of the nation’s agricultural land is owned by other countries.
The USDA‘s online portal reveals that more than 45 million acres of land are owned by foreign countries, with an original purchase value of over $38 billion. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, has the most agricultural acreage in the United States, at 15.35 million acres.
John Hewlett, a farm and ranch economics management specialist at the University of Wyoming, doesn’t find this surprising. Rather, he points out that not many know this farm fact.
“Many people are surprised to learn that Canada is by far the largest foreign holder of U.S. land (owning about 33% of the foreign total),” Hewlett tells Realtor.com®. “Followed by the Netherlands and Italy. Because these are long-standing allies, their ownership of timberland or wind farms rarely causes a stir.”
The Netherlands owns 5,197,940 acres of agricultural land, and Italy owns more than 2.7 million acres.
Whether this is a concern or not when it comes to agricultural land owned by foreigners, Hewlett says the “who” depends on what they are trying to protect.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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That’s only the beginning. Some are being paid not to use that land by the government. Foreign landowners can receive U.S. federal agricultural subsidies, provided they meet specific eligibility requirements, such as being “actively engaged in farming” and possessing a U.S. taxpayer ID. So it’s really more than just the land worth. Very simple.
wy69
CRP for foreign owned land must stop.
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