Downloadable Tools and Data
The TIAA Center for Farmland Research provides several data analysis tools and decision aids, developed in the Center and in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. Farmland related tools and data are provided to assist in understanding and analyzing issues related to farmland investments.
Farmland Index Construction Utility (Excel spreadsheet)
- This utility allows a user to estimate the current value of farmland based on an earlier valuation, or estimate a prior date valuation based on current values. This utility is useful for establishing historic basis, and to estimate realized rates of return through time. The utility uses USDA state level data on cropland and farm real estate values to calculate the rates of return over selected intervals and to index know farmland and cropland values to their analogs at different dates.
Farmland Values and Returns by State through time (Excel spreadsheet)
- This utility provides a quick and convenient means to visually compare aggregate state level farmland and cropland information with returns and levels based on USDA data. It is maintained at the TIAA Center for Farmland Research at the University of Illinois and is updated annually after the release of USDA survey information on farmland values and rental statistics.
US Ag Sector Balance Sheet data through time with Lender Shares (Excel spreadsheet)
- Based on USDA data, the composition of the US Ag Sector balance sheet is provided along with formatted graphs to show important financial ratios and lender shares through time.
Land Purchase Evaluation Tool (FAST) (Excel spreadsheet)
- A comprehensive tool to evaluate returns characteristics associated with the purchase of real assets. Financial structure terms, transactions costs, and holding period differences are reflected along with a budgeting tool to assess the sensitivity to important conditions of the purchase are involved.
Returns to Alternative Investments (2023) by holding interval (Excel spreadsheet)
- This utility allows a novel view of returns across all possible combinations of purchase and sales dates for farmland in more than 30 states, as well as a collection of important alternative investment classes. A set of technical features related to risk and convergence in the volatility through time is provided as well.
Farmland Correlation (2024) with other assets by holding interval (Excel spreadsheet)
- This utility allows a user to consider the impact of holding period definitions on the relationship between farmland returns and major alternative asset classes as well as to inflation.
Illinois Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Representative Parcel Transfer Information (Excel spreadsheet)
- This utility provides a powerful comparison of land market transactions through time by region of Illinois. Property characteristics can be used to sort the type of property and track actual sales data through time.