While the winds may be riding high, Iowa State University Extension’s annual farmland survey released shows the value of farmland has reached a level that hasn’t been seen in a decade. Wendong Zhang, associate professor of economics at ISU says the statewide average is up 29 percent.

Zhang says competitive bidding for land in the central part of the state and the northern area helped drive up prices. He says the northern area land is desired for livestock production. Zhang says this year’s harvest also helped the values.