Investing in United States Farmland: A Capital Asset Pricing Model Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the risk and returns to owning United States farmland. State, regional, and national farmland returns from 1998 to 2018 are analyzed via the capital asset pricing model. Results show that farmland may be an effective route of investment portfolio diversification due to its favorable returns and low correlation with other commonly held assets. This study’s findings are generally consistent with similar research conducted in the past.