Farmland Partners Inc. (FPI)

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Overview and Background

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Our primary strategic objective is to utilize our position as a leading institutional acquirer, owner and manager of high-quality farmland located in agricultural markets throughout North America to deliver strong risk adjusted returns to investors through a combination of cash dividends and asset appreciation. As of December 31, 2024, we owned farms with an aggregate of approximately 93,500 acres in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia. In addition, as of December 31, 2024, we owned land and buildings for four agriculture equipment dealerships in Ohio leased to Ag Pro under the John Deere brand and served as property manager for approximately 48,300 acres of farmland, including farms in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 60% of our portfolio (by value) was used to grow primary crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton, and approximately 40% was used to produce specialty crops, such as almonds, pistachios, citrus, avocados, strawberries, and edible beans. We believe our portfolio gives investors the economic benefit of increasing global food demand in the face of growing scarcity of high-quality farmland and will continue to reflect the approximate allocation of U.S. agricultural output between primary crops and animal protein (whose production relies principally on primary crops as feed), on one hand, and specialty crops, on the other.

In addition, under the FPI Loan Program, we make loans to third-party farmers (both tenant and non-tenant) and landowners to provide financing for property acquisitions, working capital requirements, operational farming activities, farming infrastructure projects and for other farming, agricultural and other real estate related projects.

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FPI was incorporated in Maryland on September 27, 2013, and is the sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, which is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed on September 27, 2013. All of FPI’s assets are held by, and its operations are primarily conducted through, the Operating Partnership and its wholly owned subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2024, FPI owned 97.5% of the Common units and none of the Series A preferred units. See “Note 9—Stockholders’ Equity and Non-controlling Interests” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the non-controlling interests.

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FPI has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014.

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Recent Developments

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2024 Dispositions

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During 2024, we completed dispositions consisting of 54 properties in the Corn Belt, Delta and South, High Plains and Southeast regions. We received $312.0 million in aggregate consideration, and recognized an aggregate gain on sale of $54.1 million, including $2.1 million in connection with properties sold in 2023 for which the gain was deferred.

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2024 Acquisitions

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During 2024, we completed acquisitions consisting of four properties in the Corn Belt and Delta and South regions. Aggregate cash consideration for these acquisitions totaled $17.9 million.

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Share Repurchases

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 2,240,295 shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of $12.25 per share. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $55.8 million of capacity remaining under the stock repurchase plan.

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Deleveraging and Maintaining Liquidity Position

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, we reduced our overall indebtedness by $158.5 million, largely with proceeds from the asset dispositions described above, resulting in an increase in liquidity.

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As of December 31, 2024, we had access to liquidity of $245.8 million, consisting of $78.4 million in cash and $167.4 million in undrawn availability under our credit facilities with Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation (collectively, “Farmer Mac”), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”), and Rutledge Investment Company (“Rutledge”) compared to cash of $5.5 million and $201.1 million in undrawn availability under our credit facilities as of December 31, 2023. For more information on our deleveraging efforts and liquidity please see “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources”.

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Impact of the War in Ukraine

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Ukraine and the Russian Federation represent large portions of global trade in a variety of agricultural products (e.g., 34% of global wheat exports, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute). The disruption in farming operations in Ukraine, and trade from the Black Sea region has stressed the food supply for many countries that depend on imports of agricultural products from the region, such as Egypt (wheat for food products) and China (corn for livestock).

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The Russian Federation is also a major exporter of fertilizers and trade restrictions have hampered the flow of fertilizers to countries dependent on imports from the Black Sea region. United States farmers, including our tenants, however, generally source fertilizers from the United States and Canada.

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Inflation and Interest Rates

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Most of our farming leases have lease terms of three years for row crops and up to seven years for permanent crops, pursuant to which each tenant is responsible for substantially all of the operating expenses related to the property, including maintenance, water usage and insurance. As a result, we believe that the effect on us of inflationary increases in operating expenses are borne largely by our tenants under the terms of their leases, and inflationary increases in farmer profitability generally lead to increased rents upon lease renewals, as we experienced in the most recent renewal cycle in late 2023. Furthermore, high levels of inflation prompted the Federal Reserve to increase the federal funds rate (the rate the Federal Reserve charges member banks for overnight funds) eleven times between March 2022 and July 2023, which led to a significant increase in market short- and long-term interest rates beginning in early 2022. This increase in rates has significantly increased the cost of our floating rate debt and has also significantly increased the cost of certain of our MetLife debt with interest rates that have been reset since the beginning of 2022. However, we have recently repaid most of our floating rate debt with the proceeds from dispositions. Moreover, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate in September, November and December 2024. We anticipate any future rate cuts will have a favorable impact on the cost of debt for the Company moving forward. However, interest rates remain high, and the Federal Reserve has most recently signaled that it will not be making rate cuts over the next several quarters.

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Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations and Farmland Values

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The principal factors affecting our operating results and the value of our farmland include long-term global demand for food relative to the global supply of food; farmland fundamentals and economic conditions in the markets in which we own farmland; and our ability to increase or maintain rental revenues while controlling expenses. We are currently in an environment of appreciating land values, driven by, among other things, inflation, strong commodity prices and an outlook for high levels of farmer profitability. Sustained high interest rates can serve as a counter-balancing external factor to this favorable environment. Each year additional farmland in various portions of the world, including the United States, is repurposed for commercial development, thus decreasing the land acreage available for production of grains, oil seeds, permanent and specialty crops necessary to feed the world’s growing population. Although farmland prices may show a decline from time to time, we believe that any reduction in U.S. farmland values overall is likely to be short-lived as global demand for food and agricultural commodities typically exceeds global supply and quality farmland becomes scarcer.

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Food Demand

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We expect that global demand for food, driven primarily by significant increases in the gross domestic product (“GDP”) per capita and global population, will continue to be the key driver of farmland values. We expect that global demand for most crops will continue to keep pace with global population growth. We also believe that growth in global GDP per capita, particularly in developing nations, will contribute significantly to increasing demand for primary crops. As global GDP per capita increases, the composition of daily caloric intake is expected to shift away from the direct consumption of primary crops toward more fruits, vegetables and animal-based proteins, which is expected to result in increased demand for primary crops as feed for livestock. We believe that once individuals increase consumption of higher quality food, they will strongly resist returning to their former dietary habits, resulting in greater inelasticity in the demand for food. We anticipate these factors will lead to either higher crop prices and/or higher yields and, therefore, higher rental rates on our farmland, as well as sustained growth in farmland values over the long term.

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In addition, global demand for corn and soybeans as inputs in the production of biofuels such as ethanol and soy-based diesel also could impact the prices of corn and soybeans, which, in the long term, could impact our rental revenues and our results of operations. However, we believe that growth in GDP per capita and global population will be more significant drivers of global demand for primary crops over the long term.

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Despite advances in income, according to “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024,” a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 2.33 billion people were facing moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains and affected the prices of grain, fertilizer, and energy, further stressing food supplies for developing countries that are dependent on food imports.

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Farmland Supply

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According to the World Bank Group arable land per capita has decreased by approximately 50% from 1961 to 2021, further exacerbated by international conflicts, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine. Typically, additions to cropland are in areas of marginal productivity, while cropland loss, driven by urban development, tends to affect primarily highly productive areas. According to a study published in 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, urban expansion is expected to take place on cropland that is 1.77 times more productive than the global average. The global supply of food is also impacted by the productivity per acre of arable land. Historically, productivity gains (measured by average crop yields) have been driven by advances in seed technology, farm equipment, irrigation techniques, and improvements in soil health, chemical nutrients and pest control. On the other hand, we expect the shortage of water in many irrigated growing regions in the United States and around the globe, often as a result of new water restrictions imposed by laws or regulations, to lead to decreased productivity on those acres.

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Conditions in Our Existing Markets

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Our portfolio is broadly diversified across numerous farmland markets and crop types. Across all regions, farmland acquisitions continue to be dominated by buyers who are existing farm owners and operators, whereas institutional investors constitute a small fraction of the industry (less than 5% of total farmland in the United States). We generally see firm demand for high quality properties across all regions and crop types.

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Farmland values are typically very stable, often showing modest increases even in years of commodity price weakness. We expect this trend to continue, with modest but consistent annual increases that compound into significant appreciation in the long term. Under certain market conditions, as in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with strong commodity prices and farmer profitability, there are periods of accelerating appreciation in farmland values. Leases renegotiated under the robust market conditions experienced in 2021, 2022, and 2023 reflected significant rent increases. While the pace of appreciation and transaction volume slowed in 2023 and 2024, these metrics remain strong relative to long-term trends.

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We believe quality farmland in the United States has a near-zero vacancy rate as a result of the supply and demand fundamentals discussed above. We believe that due to the relatively high fixed costs associated with farming operations (including equipment, labor and knowledge), many farm operators choose to rent additional acres of farmland when it

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becomes available in order to allocate their fixed costs over additional acres. Our view is that rental rates for farmland are a function of farmland operators’ view of the long-term profitability of farmland, and that many farm operators will compete for farmland even during periods of decreased profitability due to the scarcity of farmland available to rent. Furthermore, because it is generally customary in the industry to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to re-lease the land at the end of each lease term, we believe that many farm operators will rent additional land that becomes available in order to control the ability to farm that land in future periods. As a result, in our experience, many farm operators will aggressively pursue rental opportunities in their operable geographic area, even when the farmer anticipates lower profits returns or even short-term losses.

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Lease Expirations

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Farm leases are generally one to three years in duration. As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio had the following lease expirations as a percentage of approximate acres leased and annual minimum fixed rents:

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Rental Revenues

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Our revenues are primarily generated from renting farmland to operators of farming businesses. Our leases generally have terms ranging from one to three years, with some extending up to 40 years (e.g., renewable energy leases). Although the majority of our leases do not provide the tenant with a contractual right to renew the lease upon its expiration, we believe it is customary to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to renew the lease, subject to any increase in the rental rate that we may establish. If the tenant elects not to renew the lease at the end of the lease term, the land will be offered to a new tenant. As discussed above, the vacancy rate for quality U.S. farmland is near-zero and there is often competition among prospective tenants for quality farmland; accordingly, we do not believe that re-leasing farmland upon the expiration of existing leases is a significant risk for the Company.

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The leases for the majority of the row-crop properties in our portfolio provide that tenants pay us, typically, 50% of their fixed farm rent in advance of each spring planting season. As a result, we collect a significant portion of total annual rents in the first calendar quarter of each year, which we believe mitigates the tenant credit risk associated with the variability of farming operations that could be adversely impacted by poor crop yields, weather conditions, mismanagement, undercapitalization or other factors affecting our tenants. Tenant credit risk is further mitigated by the farming industry practice of purchasing crop insurance in almost every circumstance because it is required by lenders who provide working capital financing to our tenants and due to requirements in our leases. In certain cases, the Company perfects its security interest in the crop insurance proceeds and the underlying growing crops using practices applicable in the state where the farm is located. Prior to acquiring farmland property, we take into consideration the competitiveness of the local farm-operator tenant environment in order to enhance our ability to quickly replace a tenant that is unwilling to renew a lease or is unable to pay a rent payment when it is due. Many of our leases provide for the reimbursement by the tenant of the property’s real estate taxes that we pay in connection with the farms they rent from us.

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Expenses

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Substantially all of our farm leases are structured in such a way that we are responsible for major maintenance expenses, certain liability and casualty insurance and taxes (which are sometimes reimbursed to us by our tenants), while our tenant is responsible for operating expenses, minor maintenance, water usage and all of the additional input costs related to farming operations on the property, such as seed, fertilizer, labor and fuel. We expect leases for farmland we acquire in the future will contain similar features related to expenses. As the owner of the land, we generally only bear costs related to major capital improvements permanently attached to the property, such as irrigation systems, drainage tile, grain storage facilities, permanent plantings or other physical structures customary for farms. In cases where capital expenditures are necessary, we typically seek to offset, over a period of multiple years, the costs of such capital expenditures by increasing rental rates.

We incur costs associated with running a public company, including, among others, costs associated with our personnel, Board of Directors, compliance, legal and accounting, due diligence and acquisitions (including, among others, travel expenses and consulting fees). Inflation in personnel costs, which is impacting many United States businesses, is also likely to impact our expenses.

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We also incur costs associated with managing farmland assets. The management of our farmland, generally, has significant economies of scale, as farmland generally has minimal physical structures that require routine inspection and maintenance, and our leases, generally, are structured to require the tenant to pay many of the operating expenses associated with the property. We do not expect the expenses associated with managing our portfolio of farmland to increase significantly as the number of farm properties we own increases over time.

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Crop Prices

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While many people assume that short-term crop prices have a great impact on farm values, we believe that long-term farmer profitability and revenue per acre, expressed as crop prices multiplied by crop yield, is a much more significant driver of farm value. Crop yield trends in corn and soybeans have been steadily increasing over the last thirty years. After yields for the 2023/2024 marketing year (September 2023 to August 2024) increased slightly for both corn and soybeans compared to the previous year, the USDA projects that yields will not change significantly for the 2024/2025 marketing year (September 2024 to August 2025). Short-term crop price changes have had little effect historically on farmland values. They also have a limited impact on our rental revenue, as most of our leases provide for fixed farm rents, a common approach in agricultural markets, especially with respect to row crops. Fixed farm rent significantly simplifies the administrative requirements for the landlord and the tenant, as farmers benefit from the fundamental revenue hedging that occurs when large crop yields mitigate the effect of lower crop prices. Similarly, lower crop yields have a tendency to trigger higher crop prices and help increase revenue even when confronted by lower crop yields. Such hedging effect also limits the impact of short-term crop price changes on revenues generated by leases with a variable rent component based on farm revenues. Further risk mitigation is available to tenants, and indirectly to us, via crop insurance and hedging programs implemented by tenants. Our TRS also takes advantage of these risk mitigation programs and strategies with respect to the properties it directly operates.

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Crop prices are affected by many factors that can differ on a yearly basis. Weather conditions and crop diseases can create a significant risk of price volatility. Changes in government regulations and policy, fluctuations in global prosperity, fluctuations in foreign trade and export markets and eruptions of military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, or civil unrest also impact crop prices.

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Interest Rates

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The Federal Reserve engaged in a series of significant increases in the federal funds rate between March 2022 and July 2023. The federal funds rate is the rate the Federal Reserve charges member banks for overnight funds. Changes to the federal funds rate affect all borrowing rates, and for variable rate debt and debt with rates that reset periodically, such changes have a direct and relatively immediate impact. The Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate from recent highs in September 2024, which was followed by additional rate cuts in November and December 2024, and has signaled

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the possibility of further rate cuts, but interest rates remain high, and there can be no certainty as to the occurrence, timing or magnitude of future rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

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As of December 31, 2024, $78.9 million of our outstanding indebtedness was subject to interest rates that reset before maturity (excluding our floating rate debt). There is no debt subject to interest rate resets in 2025.

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At December 31, 2024, $11.8 million, or 5.7%, of our debt had variable interest rates, however, as stated in “Note 10—Hedge Accounting” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, we have an interest rate swap with Rabobank for $11.8 million, which effectively reduces floating rate exposure to $0.0 million.

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We expect that future changes in interest rates will impact our overall operating performance by, among other things, affecting our borrowing costs and borrowing costs of our tenants. While we may seek to manage our exposure to future changes in rates through interest rate swap agreements or interest rate caps, portions of our overall outstanding debt will likely remain at floating rates or subject to interest rates that reset periodically. In addition, if interest rates begin to rise again, farmland prices may decline if the rise in real interest rates (nominal interest rates minus the inflation rate) is not accompanied by rises in the general levels of inflation. However, our business model anticipates that over time the value of our farmland will increase, as it has in the past, at a rate that is equal to or greater than the rate of inflation, which may in part offset the impact of rising interest rates on the value of our farmland, but there can be no guarantee that this appreciation will occur to the extent that we anticipate or at all.

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International Trade

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After a 37% increase in exports of corn for the 2023/2024 marketing year (September 2023 to August 2024), the USDA estimates corn exports will increase for the 2024/2025 marketing year (September 2024 to August 2025). After a 14% decrease in exports of soybeans for the 2023/2024 marketing year, the USDA estimates soybean exports will increase 8% for the 2024/2025 marketing year, due to less competition from South American production.

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According to the USDA Outlook for Agricultural Trade, the top three export countries from the United States were China, Mexico, and Canada. Exports to China for fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) were $25.7 billion, down 23% from 2023. Exports to Canada were $29.0 billion, up 3% from 2023. Exports to Mexico were $30.0 billion, up 7% from 2023. Exports to China for fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025) are forecast to decrease to $23.3 billion. Exports to Mexico are expected to decrease slightly to $29.9 billion, while exports to Canada are expected to increase slightly to $29.2 billion.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual amounts may differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies in the notes to the historical consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this filing. We have set forth below those accounting policies that we believe require material subjective or complex judgments and have the most significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We evaluate our estimates, assumptions and judgments on an ongoing basis, based on information that is then available to us, our experience and various matters that we believe are reasonable and appropriate for consideration under the circumstances.

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Real Estate Acquisitions

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When allocating the purchase price of properties acquired using the relative fair value, a number of significant assumptions can be used by management. We may utilize various sources, including third-party appraisals, our own analysis of recently acquired or developed properties and existing comparable properties in our portfolio, other market data and property specific characteristics such as soil types, water availability and the existence of leases acquired with the acquisition. The allocations of purchase price are sensitive and involve a degree of uncertainty due to the nature of the

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inputs and judgements, as well as the number, magnitude and complexity of these inputs and judgements made by management. See “Note 5—Real Estate” for additional discussion regarding acquisitions completed by the Company.

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Impairment of Real Estate Assets

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Assessing impairment can be complex and involves a high degree of subjectivity in determining if impairment indicators are present and in estimating the future undiscounted cash flows or the fair value of an asset. In particular, these estimates are sensitive to significant assumptions, including the estimation of future rental revenues, operating expenses, discount and capitalization rates and our intent and ability to hold the related asset, all of which could be affected by our expectations about future market or economic conditions. Assumptions are primarily subject to property-specific characteristics, especially with respect to our intent and ability to hold the related asset. While these property-specific assumptions can have a significant impact on the undiscounted cash flows or estimated fair value of a particular asset, our evaluation of the reported carrying values of long-lived assets during the current year were not particularly sensitive to external or market assumptions. During the quarter ended September 30, 2023, the Company was under contract to sell an asset for less than its carrying amount, resulting in an impairment of $3.8 million. The estimated fair value of this asset was $3.6 million. The asset was sold during the fourth quarter of 2023. During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company determined that one of its assets had an estimated fair value of $9.8 million, resulting in an impairment of $2.0 million. This is considered a Level 3 measurement under the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 is defined as inputs to the valuation methodology that are unobservable, supported by little or no market activity and are significant to the fair value measurement. The asset was valued based upon a market assessment of similar properties. There was $0.2 million and $5.8 million of impairment recognized on real estate assets in the accompanying financial statements during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets with Indefinite Lives

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Goodwill is not amortized, but rather tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit with goodwill has been reduced below its carrying value. Assessing the fair value of a reporting unit involves a high degree of subjectivity. Significant assumptions include future cash flow, discount rates and future capital requirements. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment expense is recognized. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but rather tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the asset is below its carrying value. Assessing the fair value of the asset involves a high degree of subjectivity regarding the significant assumptions including future cash flow and the discount rate. There have been no goodwill impairments recognized in the accompanying financial statements during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded impairment of $0.6 million and $0.0 million, respectively, on intangible assets. The fair value of trade names was determined to be $1.2 million at December 31, 2024. The Company utilized the relief from royalties method to determine the present value of cash flows and the through 2049 and the present value of residual cash flows, utilizing a discount rate of 8.7% and an average long-term revenue growth rate range of 0-3% per year. This is considered a Level 3 measurement under the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 is defined as inputs to the valuation methodology that are unobservable, supported by little or no market activity and are significant to the fair value measurement.

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Results of Operations

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This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. Year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2024 to the year ended December 31, 2023

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NM = Not Meaningful

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Our net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily affected by dispositions that occurred in 2023 and 2024, as well as higher crop sales, income from forfeited deposits, lower interest expense and lower cost of goods sold, partially offset by severance expense of $1.4 million and $2.3 million of special bonuses. The severance expense was incurred in connection with the previously announced departure of the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer as part of the Company's cost-cutting initiative.

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Rental income decreased $2.1 million, or 4.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, resulting primarily from dispositions that occurred in 2023 and 2024, partially offset by increased variable rent.

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Crop sales increased $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was the result of a higher volume of walnut, citrus and avocado sales on our directly operated properties.

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Other revenue remained relatively flat at $6.1 million and $6.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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Depreciation, depletion and amortization decreased $1.9 million, or 25.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was a result of asset dispositions in 2023 and 2024 and more assets becoming fully depreciated, partially offset by depreciable assets being placed into service.

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Property operating expenses decreased $1.3 million, or 14.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, resulting from lower tax and insurance expense primarily due to dispositions that occurred in 2023 and 2024.

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Cost of goods sold decreased $0.8 million, or 17.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was the result of a lower impairment expense as well as the sale of blueberry farms that were previously directly operated.

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Acquisition and due diligence costs were negligible during the year ended December 31, 2024 and remained relatively consistent compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

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General and administrative expenses increased $2.8 million, or 24.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was driven by a one-time severance expense of $1.4 million and $2.3 million of special bonuses during the year ended December 31, 2024, partially offset by lower compensation and travel expense. The severance expense was incurred in connection with the previously announced departure of the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer as part of the Company's cost-cutting initiative.

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Legal and accounting expenses increased $0.4 million, or 29.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. Despite this increase, legal and accounting expense continues to be substantially lower than in the past and a very manageable element of the Company’s expense structure.

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Impairment of assets decreased $5.1 million, or 86.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. Impairment during the year ended December 31, 2023, was the result of a property classified as held for sale and written down to its estimated fair value less costs to sell, while impairment during the year ended December 31, 2024 was related to the write-down on the value of trade names associated with Murray Wise Associates, LLC and impairment of irrigation assets held for sale at year-end.

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Other operating expenses remained flat at $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

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Other income remained relatively flat at $0.1 million and $0.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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Income from equity method investment increased $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

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Gain on disposition of assets, net increased $18.0 million, or 49.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to the dispositions of 54 properties in 2024 yielding an aggregate gain on sale of $54.1 million as compared to the dispositions of 74 properties in 2023 resulting in an aggregate gain on sale of $36.1 million. The 2024 dispositions included the sale of a portfolio of 46 properties, comprising 41,554 acres, to Farmland Reserve, Inc., a Utah nonprofit corporation, for total consideration of $289.0 million on October 16, 2024.

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(Income) from forfeited deposits was $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $0.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, due to the termination of a repurchase agreement and the retention of $1.2 million in earnest money payments.

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Interest expense decreased $3.8 million, or 16.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was the result of lower outstanding debt primarily attributable to debt repayments totaling $239.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, partially offset by higher interest rates.

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Income tax benefit decreased $0.2 million, or 90.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease is due to tax adjustments in 2023 related to estimates.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

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Overview

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Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including ongoing commitments to repay any outstanding borrowings, fund and maintain our assets and operations, acquire new properties, make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, and fund other general business needs.

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Despite cuts in the federal funds rate by the Federal Reserve in September, November and December 2024, interest rates remain high, and there can be no certainty as to the occurrence, timing or magnitude of future rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. We expect to meet our liquidity needs through cash on hand, undrawn availability under our lines of credit ($167.4 million in availability as of December 31, 2024), operating cash flows, borrowings, proceeds from equity issuances and selective asset dispositions where such dispositions are deemed to be in the best interests of the Company. The Company also has an effective shelf-registration statement that it may use to issue equity or debt securities to raise capital from time to time.

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Our ability to incur additional debt will depend on a number of factors, including our degree of leverage, the value of our unencumbered assets, compliance with the covenants under our existing debt agreements, borrowing restrictions that may be imposed by lenders and the conditions of debt markets.

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When material debt repayments are due within the following 12 months, we work with current and new lenders and other potential sources of capital sufficiently in advance of the debt maturity to ensure that all of our obligations are satisfied in a timely manner. We have a history of being able to refinance or extend our debt obligations to manage our debt maturities. Our ability to access the equity capital markets will depend on a number of factors as well, including general market conditions. We have $25.0 million in debt maturities due within the next 12 months.

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During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 2,240,295 shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of $12.25 per share. As of December 31, 2024, we had authority to repurchase up to an aggregate of $55.8 million in additional shares of our common stock.

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Consolidated Indebtedness

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For further details relating to our consolidated indebtedness refer to “– Recent Developments – Financing Activity” and Note 7 – Mortgage Notes, Line of Credit and Bonds Payable included in the financial statement section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Sources and Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents

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The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2024 to the year ended December 31, 2023

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As of December 31, 2024, we had $78.4 million of cash and cash equivalents compared to $5.5 million at December 31, 2023.

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Cash Flows from Operating Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by operating activities increased by $3.3 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Cash Flows from Investing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by investing activities increased by $110.3 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents (used in) financing activities increased by $38.4 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

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Funds from Operations (“FFO”) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”)

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We calculate FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or Nareit. Nareit defines FFO as net income (loss) (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable operating property, real estate related depreciation, depletion and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs), impairment write-downs of depreciated property, and adjustments associated with impairment write-downs for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure. Management presents FFO as a supplemental performance measure because it believes that FFO is beneficial to investors as a starting point in measuring our operational performance. Specifically, in excluding real estate related depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from sales of depreciable operating properties, which do not relate to or are not indicative of operating performance, FFO provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs. We believe that, as a widely recognized measure of the performance of REITs, FFO will be used by investors as a basis to compare our operating performance with that of other REITs.

However, because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of our properties that result from use or market conditions nor the level of capital expenditures necessary to maintain the operating performance of improvements on our properties, all of which have real economic effects and could materially impact our results from operations, the utility of FFO as a measure of our performance is limited. In addition, other equity REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the Nareit definition as we do, and, accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs’ FFO. Accordingly, FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income as a measure of our performance. FFO should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or service indebtedness. FFO also should not be used as a supplement to or substitute for cash flow from operating activities computed in accordance with GAAP.

We do not, however, believe that FFO is the only measure of our operating performance. Changes in GAAP accounting and reporting rules that were put in effect after the establishment of Nareit’s definition of FFO in 1999 result in the inclusion of a number of items in FFO that do not correlate with the sustainability of our operating performance. Therefore, in addition to FFO, we present AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, both of which are non-GAAP measures. Management considers AFFO a useful supplemental performance metric for investors as it is more indicative of the Company’s operational performance than FFO. AFFO is not intended to represent cash flow or liquidity for the period and is only intended to provide an additional measure of our operating performance. Even AFFO, however, does not properly capture the timing of cash receipts, especially in connection with full-year rent payments under lease agreements entered into in connection with newly acquired farms. Management considers AFFO per share, fully diluted to be a supplemental metric to GAAP earnings per share. AFFO per share, fully diluted provides additional insight into how our operating performance could be allocated to potential shares outstanding at a specific point in time. Management believes that AFFO is a widely recognized measure of the operations of REITs, and presenting AFFO will enable investors to assess our performance in comparison to other REITs. However, other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, and, accordingly, our AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted may not always be comparable to AFFO and AFFO per share amounts calculated by other REITs. AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or earnings per share (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of financial performance or as a measure of our liquidity, nor are they indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make distributions.

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AFFO is calculated by adjusting FFO to exclude or include the income and expenses that we believe are not reflective of the sustainability of our ongoing operating performance, as further explained below:

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of net income (loss) to FFO, AFFO and net income (loss) available to common stockholders per share to AFFO per share, fully diluted, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalents, respectively, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of AFFO share information to basic weighted average common shares outstanding, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalent, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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EBITDAre

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The Company calculates Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization for real estate (“EBITDAre”) in accordance with the standards established by Nareit in its September 2017 White Paper. Nareit defines EBITDAre as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding interest expense, income tax, depreciation and amortization, gains or losses on disposition of depreciated property (including gains or losses on change of control), impairment write-downs of depreciated property and of investments in unconsolidated affiliates caused by a decrease in value of depreciated property in the affiliate, and adjustments to reflect the entity’s pro rata share of EBITDAre of unconsolidated affiliates. EBITDAre is a key financial measure used to evaluate the Company’s operating performance but should not be construed as an alternative to operating income, cash flows from operating activities or net income, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that EBITDAre is a useful performance measure commonly reported and will be widely used by analysts and investors in the Company’s industry. However, while EBITDAre is a performance measure widely used across the Company’s industry, the Company does not believe that it correctly captures the

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Company’s business operating performance because it includes non-cash expenses and recurring adjustments that are necessary to better understand the Company’s business operating performance. Therefore, in addition to EBITDAre, management uses Adjusted EBITDAre, a non-GAAP measure.

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We further adjust EBITDAre for certain additional items such as stock-based compensation and incentive, indirect offering costs, real estate acquisition related audit fees and real estate related acquisition and due diligence costs and severance expense (for a full discussion of these adjustments, see AFFO adjustments discussed above) that we consider necessary to understand our operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDAre provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income and EBITDAre, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of our operating performance.

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EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

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Because of these limitations, EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results of operations and using EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre only as a supplemental measure of our performance.

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of our net income to our EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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Seasonality

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We recognize rental revenue from fixed-rate farmland leases on a pro rata basis over the non-cancellable term of the lease in accordance with GAAP. Notwithstanding GAAP accounting requirements to spread rental revenue over the lease term, a significant portion of fixed rent is received in a lump sum before planting season, in the first quarter, and after

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harvest, in the fourth quarter. We receive a significant portion of our variable rental payments in the fourth calendar quarter of each year, following harvest, with only a portion of such payments being recognized ratably through the year in accordance with GAAP, in relation to crop insurance contracts entered into by our tenants. The highly seasonal nature of the agriculture industry causes seasonality in our business to some extent. Our financial performance should be evaluated on an annual basis, which eliminates impacts of seasonality and other similar factors that may cause our quarterly results to vary during the course of the year.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Overview and Background

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Our primary strategic objective is to utilize our position as a leading institutional acquirer, owner and manager of high-quality farmland located in agricultural markets throughout North America to deliver strong risk adjusted returns to investors through a combination of cash dividends and asset appreciation. As of December 31, 2023, we owned farms with an aggregate of approximately 132,800 acres in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we owned land and buildings for four agriculture equipment dealerships in Ohio leased to Ag Pro under the John Deere brand and served as property manager for approximately 38,300 acres, including farms in Iowa. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 70% of our portfolio (by value) was used to grow primary crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton, and approximately 30% was used to produce specialty crops, such as almonds, citrus, blueberries, and vegetables. We believe our portfolio gives investors the economic benefit of increasing global food demand in the face of growing scarcity of high-quality farmland and will continue to reflect the approximate allocation of U.S. agricultural output between primary crops and animal protein (whose production relies principally on primary crops as feed), on one hand, and specialty crops, on the other.

In addition, under the FPI Loan Program, we make loans to third-party farmers (both tenant and non-tenant) to provide financing for property acquisitions, working capital requirements, operational farming activities, farming infrastructure projects and for other farming and agricultural real estate related projects.

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FPI was incorporated in Maryland on September 27, 2013, and is the sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, which is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed on September 27, 2013. All of FPI’s assets are held by, and its operations are primarily conducted through, the Operating Partnership and its wholly owned subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2023, FPI owned 97.6% of the Common units and none of the Series A preferred units. See “Note 9—Stockholders’ Equity and Non-controlling Interests” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the non-controlling interests.

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FPI has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014.

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Recent Developments

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2023 Dispositions

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During 2023, we completed dispositions consisting of 74 properties in the Corn Belt, Delta and South, High Plains, Southeast and West Coast regions. We received $195.5 million in aggregate consideration, including $11.8 million in seller financing, and recognized an aggregate gain on sale of $36.1 million. In connection with the foregoing seller-financed transactions, we deferred an additional net gain on sale of $2.1 million.  The deferred gain will be recognized at such time as we consider collection of the seller-financed portion of the sale price to be probable under applicable accounting standards.

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Share Repurchases

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased 6,551,087 shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of $11.00 per share. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had approximately $83.3 million of capacity remaining under the stock repurchase plan. In addition, the Company redeemed 34,000 Common units in exchange for cash of approximately $0.4 million.

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Deleveraging and Maintained Liquidity Position

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, we reduced our overall indebtedness by $76.4 million, largely with proceeds from the asset dispositions described above, resulting in an increase in liquidity.

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As of December 31, 2023, we had access to liquidity of $206.6 million, consisting of $5.5 million in cash and $201.1 million in undrawn availability under our credit facilities with Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation (collectively, “Farmer Mac”), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”), and Rutledge Investment Company (“Rutledge”) compared to cash of $7.7 million and $169.0 million in undrawn availability under our credit facilities as of December 31, 2022. For more information on our deleveraging efforts and liquidity please see “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources”.

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Lease Renewals

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, we renewed fixed cash farm leases expiring in 2023 at average rent increases of approximately 20%.

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Impact of the War in Ukraine

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Food prices were near record highs even before the invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and the Russian Federation represent large portions of global trade in a variety of agricultural products (e.g., 34% of global wheat exports, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute). The disruption in farming operations in Ukraine, and trade from the Black Sea region has stressed the food supply for many countries that depend on imports of agricultural products from the region, such as Egypt (wheat for food products) and China (corn for livestock).

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The Russian Federation is also a major exporter of fertilizers and trade restrictions have hampered the flow of fertilizers to countries dependent on imports from the Black Sea region. United States farmers, including our tenants, however, generally source fertilizers from the United States and Canada.

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We anticipate that U.S. farmers will continue to be an important contributor to global food imports as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, and high demand for primary crops, which are the core of our business, together with high commodity prices, will sustain high levels of profitability for U.S. farmers. We can provide no assurances as to whether this anticipated increase in profitability will have an impact on rental rates in the regions in which we operate.

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Inflation and Interest Rates

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Most of our farming leases have lease terms of three years for row crops and up to seven years for permanent crops, pursuant to which each tenant is responsible for substantially all of the operating expenses related to the property, including maintenance, water usage and insurance. As a result, we believe that the effect on us of inflationary increases in operating expenses are borne largely by our tenants under the terms of their leases. We believe that inflationary increases in farmer profitability will continue to impact lease renegotiations upon renewals, as we have seen in the most recent renewal cycle in late 2023. Furthermore, high levels of inflation have prompted the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve to increase the Federal Reserve’s discount rate, which has led to a significant increase in market short- and long-term interest rates since the beginning of 2022. This increase in rates has significantly increased the cost of our floating rate debt and has also significantly increased the cost of certain of our MetLife debt with interest rates that have been reset since the beginning of 2022. The Federal Reserve may continue this policy of maintaining elevated rates, which would further increase interest expense for many businesses, including the Company.

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Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations and Farmland Values

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The principal factors affecting our operating results and the value of our farmland include long-term global demand for food relative to the global supply of food; farmland fundamentals and economic conditions in the markets in which we own farmland; and our ability to increase or maintain rental revenues while controlling expenses. We are currently in an

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environment of appreciating land values, driven by, among other things, inflation, strong commodity prices (further exacerbated by the war in Ukraine) and an outlook for high levels of farmer profitability. Sustained high interest rates can serve as a counter-balancing external factor to this favorable environment. Each year additional farmland in various portions of the world, including the United States, is repurposed for commercial development, thus decreasing the land acreage available for production of grains, oil seeds, permanent and specialty crops necessary to feed the world’s growing population. Although farmland prices may show a decline from time to time, we believe that any reduction in U.S. farmland values overall is likely to be short-lived as global demand for food and agricultural commodities typically exceeds global supply and quality farmland becomes scarcer.

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Food Demand

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We expect that global demand for food, driven primarily by significant increases in the gross domestic product (“GDP”) per capita and global population, will continue to be the key driver of farmland values. We expect that global demand for most crops will continue to keep pace with global population growth. We also believe that growth in global GDP per capita, particularly in developing nations, will contribute significantly to increasing demand for primary crops. As global GDP per capita increases, the composition of daily caloric intake is expected to shift away from the direct consumption of primary crops toward more fruits, vegetables and animal-based proteins, which is expected to result in increased demand for primary crops as feed for livestock. We believe that once individuals increase consumption of higher quality food, they will strongly resist returning to their former dietary habits, resulting in greater inelasticity in the demand for food. We anticipate these factors will lead to either higher crop prices and/or higher yields and, therefore, higher rental rates on our farmland, as well as sustained growth in farmland values over the long term.

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In addition, global demand for corn and soybeans as inputs in the production of biofuels such as ethanol and soy-based diesel also could impact the prices of corn and soybeans, which, in the long term, could impact our rental revenues and our results of operations. However, we believe that growth in GDP per capita and global population will be more significant drivers of global demand for primary crops over the long term.

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Despite advances in income, according to “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023,” a report by the UN FAO, 2.4 billion people were facing moderate to severe food insecurity in 2022. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains and affected the prices of grain, fertilizer, and energy, further stressing food supplies for developing countries that are dependent on food imports.

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Farmland Supply

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According to the World Bank Group arable land per capita has decreased by approximately 50% from 1961 to 2021, further exacerbated by international conflicts, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine. Typically, additions to cropland are in areas of marginal productivity, while cropland loss, driven by urban development, tends to affect primarily highly productive areas. According to a study published in 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, urban expansion is expected to take place on cropland that is 1.77 times more productive than the global average. The global supply of food is also impacted by the productivity per acre of arable land. Historically, productivity gains (measured by average crop yields) have been driven by advances in seed technology, farm equipment, irrigation techniques, and improvements in soil health, chemical nutrients and pest control. On the other hand, we expect the shortage of water in many irrigated growing regions in the United States and around the globe, often as a result of new water restrictions imposed by laws or regulations, to lead to decreased productivity on those acres.

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Conditions in Our Existing Markets

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Our portfolio is broadly diversified across numerous farmland markets and crop types. Across all regions, farmland acquisitions continue to be dominated by buyers who are existing farm owners and operators, whereas institutional investors constitute a small fraction of the industry (less than 5% of total farmland in the United States). We generally see firm demand for high quality properties across all regions and crop types.

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Farmland values are typically very stable, often showing modest increases even in years of commodity price weakness. We expect this trend to continue, with modest but consistent annual increases that compound into significant appreciation

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in the long term. Under certain market conditions, as in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with strong commodity prices and farmer profitability, there are periods of accelerating appreciation in farmland values. Leases renegotiated under the robust market conditions experienced in 2021, 2022, and 2023 reflected significant rent increases. While the pace of appreciation and transaction volume slowed in 2023, these metrics remain strong relative to long-term trends.

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We believe quality farmland in the United States has a near-zero vacancy rate as a result of the supply and demand fundamentals discussed above. We believe that due to the relatively high fixed costs associated with farming operations (including equipment, labor and knowledge), many farm operators choose to rent additional acres of farmland when it becomes available in order to allocate their fixed costs over additional acres. Our view is that rental rates for farmland are a function of farmland operators’ view of the long-term profitability of farmland, and that many farm operators will compete for farmland even during periods of decreased profitability due to the scarcity of farmland available to rent. Furthermore, because it is generally customary in the industry to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to re-lease the land at the end of each lease term, we believe that many farm operators will rent additional land that becomes available in order to control the ability to farm that land in future periods. As a result, in our experience, many farm operators will aggressively pursue rental opportunities in their operable geographic area, even when the farmer anticipates lower profits returns or even short-term losses.

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Lease Expirations

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Farm leases are generally one to three years in duration. As of December 31, 2023, our portfolio had the following lease expirations as a percentage of approximate acres leased and annual minimum fixed rents:

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Rental Revenues

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Our revenues are primarily generated from renting farmland to operators of farming businesses. Our leases generally have terms ranging from one to three years, with some extending up to 40 years (e.g., renewable energy leases). Although the majority of our leases do not provide the tenant with a contractual right to renew the lease upon its expiration, we believe it is customary to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to renew the lease, subject to any increase in the rental rate that we may establish. If the tenant elects not to renew the lease at the end of the lease term, the land will be offered to a new tenant. As discussed above, the vacancy rate for quality U.S. farmland is near-zero and there is often competition among prospective tenants for quality farmland; accordingly, we do not believe that re-leasing farmland upon the expiration of existing leases is a significant risk for the Company.

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The leases for the majority of the row-crop properties in our portfolio provide that tenants pay us, typically, 50% of their fixed farm rent in advance of each spring planting season. As a result, we collect a significant portion of total annual rents in the first calendar quarter of each year, which we believe mitigates the tenant credit risk associated with the variability of farming operations that could be adversely impacted by poor crop yields, weather conditions, mismanagement, undercapitalization or other factors affecting our tenants. Tenant credit risk is further mitigated by the farming industry practice of purchasing crop insurance in almost every circumstance because it is required by lenders who provide working capital financing to our tenants and due to requirements in our leases. In certain cases, the Company perfects its security interest in the crop insurance proceeds and the underlying growing crops using practices applicable in the state where the farm is located. Prior to acquiring farmland property, we take into consideration the competitiveness of the local farm-operator tenant environment in order to enhance our ability to quickly replace a tenant that is unwilling to renew a lease or is unable to pay a rent payment when it is due. Many of our leases provide for the reimbursement by the tenant of the property’s real estate taxes that we pay in connection with the farms they rent from us.

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Expenses

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Substantially all of our farm leases are structured in such a way that we are responsible for major maintenance expenses, certain liability and casualty insurance and taxes (which are sometimes reimbursed to us by our tenants), while our tenant is responsible for operating expenses, minor maintenance, water usage and all of the additional input costs related to farming operations on the property, such as seed, fertilizer, labor and fuel. We expect leases for farmland we acquire in the future will contain similar features related to expenses. As the owner of the land, we generally only bear costs related to major capital improvements permanently attached to the property, such as irrigation systems, drainage tile, grain storage facilities, permanent plantings or other physical structures customary for farms. In cases where capital expenditures are necessary, we typically seek to offset, over a period of multiple years, the costs of such capital expenditures by increasing rental rates.

We incur costs associated with running a public company, including, among others, costs associated with our personnel, Board of Directors, compliance, legal and accounting, due diligence and acquisitions (including, among others, travel expenses and consulting fees). Inflation in personnel costs, which is impacting many United States businesses, is also likely to impact our expenses.

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We also incur costs associated with managing farmland assets. The management of our farmland, generally, has significant economies of scale, as farmland generally has minimal physical structures that require routine inspection and maintenance, and our leases, generally, are structured to require the tenant to pay many of the operating expenses associated with the property. We do not expect the expenses associated with managing our portfolio of farmland to increase significantly as the number of farm properties we own increases over time.

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Crop Prices

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While many people assume that short-term crop prices have a great impact on farm values, we believe that long-term farmer profitability and revenue per acre, expressed as crop prices multiplied by crop yield, is a much more significant driver of farm value. Crop yield trends in corn and soybeans have been steadily increasing over the last thirty years. After yields for the 2022/2023 marketing year (September 2022 to August 2023) decreased slightly for both corn and soybeans compared to the previous year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects yields to increase slightly for the 2023/2024 marketing year (September 2023 to August 2024). Short-term crop price changes have had little effect historically on farmland values. They also have a limited impact on our rental revenue, as most of our leases provide for fixed farm rents, a common approach in agricultural markets, especially with respect to row crops. Fixed farm rent significantly simplifies the administrative requirements for the landlord and the tenant, as farmers benefit from the fundamental revenue hedging that occurs when large crop yields mitigate the effect of lower crop prices. Similarly, lower crop yields have a tendency to trigger higher crop prices and help increase revenue even when confronted by lower crop yields. Such hedging effect also limits the impact of short-term crop price changes on revenues generated by leases with a variable rent component based on farm revenues. Further risk mitigation is available to tenants, and indirectly to us, via crop insurance and hedging programs implemented by tenants. Our TRS also takes advantage of these risk mitigation programs and strategies with respect to the properties it directly operates.

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Crop prices are affected by many factors that can differ on a yearly basis. Weather conditions and crop diseases can create a significant risk of price volatility. Changes in government regulations and policy, fluctuations in global prosperity, fluctuations in foreign trade and export markets and eruptions of military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, or civil unrest also impact crop prices.

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Interest Rates

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The Federal Reserve has engaged in a series of significant increases in the discount rate, which is the rate the Federal Reserve charges member banks for overnight funds. These increases affect all borrowing rates, and for variable rate debt and debt with rates that reset periodically, such increases have a direct and relatively immediate impact.

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As of December 31, 2023, $136.0 million of our outstanding indebtedness was subject to interest rates that reset before maturity (excluding our floating rate debt), of which $43.9 million was subject to interest rates that will be reset in 2024. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted average interest rate of the indebtedness subject to interest rate resets in 2024 was 3.07%.

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At December 31, 2023, $80.5 million, or 22.2%, of our debt had variable interest rates, however, as stated in “Note 10—Hedge Accounting” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company has an interest rate swap with Rabobank for $33.2 million, which reduces floating rate exposure to $47.3 million. After adjusting the $33.2 million of swapped Rabobank debt as fixed rate debt, the ratio of floating rate debt to total debt decreased to 13.0%. Assuming no increase in the level of our variable rate debt spreads, if SOFR increased by 1.0%, our cash flow would decrease by approximately $0.5 million per year, and if SOFR decreased by 1.0%, our cash flow would increase approximately $0.5 million per year.

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We expect that future changes in interest rates will impact our overall operating performance by, among other things, affecting our borrowing costs and borrowing costs of our tenants. While we may seek to manage our exposure to future changes in rates through interest rate swap agreements or interest rate caps, portions of our overall outstanding debt will likely remain at floating rates or subject to interest rates that reset periodically. In addition, a sustained material increase in interest rates may cause farmland prices to decline if the rise in real interest rates (nominal interest rates minus the inflation rate) is not accompanied by rises in the general levels of inflation. However, our business model anticipates that over time the value of our farmland will increase, as it has in the past, at a rate that is equal to or greater than the rate of inflation, which may in part offset the impact of rising interest rates on the value of our farmland, but there can be no guarantee that this appreciation will occur to the extent that we anticipate or at all.

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International Trade

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After a 33% decrease in exports of corn for the 2022/2023 marketing year (September 2022 to August 2023), the USDA estimates corn exports will be up 26% for the 2023/2024 marketing year (September 2023 to August 2024). After a 7% decrease in exports of soybeans for the 2022/2023 marketing year, the USDA estimates soybean exports will be down 12% for the 2023/2024 marketing year, due to lower production.

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According to the USDA Outlook for Agricultural Trade, the top three export countries from the United States are China, Mexico, and Canada. Exports to China for fiscal year 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) were $33.7 billion, down 7% from 2022. Exports to Canada were $27.9 billion, down 3% from 2022. Exports to Mexico were $28.2 billion, up 1% from 2022. Exports to China for fiscal year 2024 are forecast to decrease to $30 billion, while exports to Mexico and Canada are expected to decrease slightly to $27.9 billion and $27.7 billion, respectively.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual amounts may differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies in the notes to the historical consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this filing. We have set forth below those accounting policies that we believe require material subjective or complex judgments and have the most significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We evaluate our estimates, assumptions and judgments on an ongoing basis, based on information that is then available to us, our experience and various matters that we believe are reasonable and appropriate for consideration under the circumstances.

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Real Estate Acquisitions

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When allocating the purchase price of properties acquired using the relative fair value, a number of significant assumptions can be used by management. We may utilize various sources, including third-party appraisals, our own analysis of recently acquired or developed properties and existing comparable properties in our portfolio, other market data and property specific characteristics such as soil types, water availability and the existence of leases acquired with

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the acquisition. The allocations of purchase price are sensitive and involve a degree of uncertainty due to the nature of the inputs and judgements, as well as the number, magnitude and complexity of these inputs and judgements made by management. See “Note 5—Real Estate” for additional discussion regarding acquisitions completed by the Company.

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Impairment of Real Estate Assets

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Assessing impairment can be complex and involves a high degree of subjectivity in determining if impairment indicators are present and in estimating the future undiscounted cash flows or the fair value of an asset. In particular, these estimates are sensitive to significant assumptions, including the estimation of future rental revenues, operating expenses, discount and capitalization rates and our intent and ability to hold the related asset, all of which could be affected by our expectations about future market or economic conditions. Assumptions are primarily subject to property-specific characteristics, especially with respect to our intent and ability to hold the related asset. While these property-specific assumptions can have a significant impact on the undiscounted cash flows or estimated fair value of a particular asset, our evaluation of the reported carrying values of long-lived assets during the current year were not particularly sensitive to external or market assumptions. There was $5.8 million and $0.0 million of impairment recognized on real estate assets in the accompanying financial statements during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

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Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets with Indefinite Lives

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Goodwill is not amortized, but rather tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit with goodwill has been reduced below its carrying value. Assessing the fair value of a reporting unit involves a high degree of subjectivity. Significant assumptions include future cash flow, discount rates and future capital requirements. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment expense is recognized. Intangible assets with indefinite lives is not amortized, but rather tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of the asset is below its carrying value. Assessing the fair value of the asset involves a high degree of subjectivity regarding the significant assumptions including future cash flow and the discount rate. There have been no goodwill or intangible asset impairments recognized in the accompanying financial statements during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

​

Results of Operations

​

This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2023 to the year ended December 31, 2022

​

NM = Not Meaningful

​

Our net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was affected partially by acquisitions and dispositions that occurred since December 31, 2022, as well as lower crop sales, cost of goods sold, auction and brokerage revenue, legal and accounting expense, higher interest expense and the impairment of certain properties.

​

Rental income increased $0.3 million, or 0.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting primarily from increased fixed farm rent, solar rent and revenue recognized from tenant reimbursements, partially offset by lower variable rent.

​

Crop sales decreased $3.1 million, or 58.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was the result of a lower volume of crop sold on citrus farms and the conversion of blueberry farms from direct operations to third party leases.

​

Other revenue decreased $0.9 million, or 13.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease of $1.6 million in auction and brokerage income, and a decrease of $0.3 million in crop insurance proceeds, partially offset by an increase of $1.0 million in management fees and interest income.

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Depreciation, depletion and amortization increased $0.5 million, or 7.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was driven by non-recurring adjustments in the second and third quarters of 2023 and more depreciable assets placed into service, partially offset by asset dispositions and more assets becoming fully depreciated.

​

Property operating expenses increased $0.5 million, or 5.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, resulting from higher tax, insurance, and cost sharing on a West Coast farm, partially offset by lower utilities expense.

​

Cost of goods sold decreased $1.2 million, or 20.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was the result of a lower volume of crop sold on citrus farms and the conversion of blueberry farms from direct operations to third party leases, partially offset by an increase in walnuts in the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

​

Acquisition and due diligence costs remained relatively flat at $0.0 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

​

General and administrative expenses decreased $0.7 million, or 6.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily driven by lower bonus, stock-based compensation and travel expense partially offset by higher payroll costs.

​

Legal and accounting expenses decreased $1.6 million, or 55.5%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to the successful defense and termination of the stockholder class action litigation that was pending against the Company from July 2018 until dismissal of the litigation by a federal judge on April 6, 2022.

​

Impairment of assets increased $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was the result of certain properties being written down to their estimated fair value.

​

Other operating expenses remained flat at $0.1 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

​

Other income decreased $0.6 million, or 94.1%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease is primarily due to proceeds from a property insurance claim received during the year ended December 31, 2022, due to weather-related damage, partially offset by loss on early extinguishment of debt during the year ended December 31, 2022.

​

Income from equity method investment remained relatively flat at $0.0 million and $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

​

Gain on disposition of assets, net increased $33.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due the appreciation of farmland value on properties sold relative to book value as well as a greater number of property dispositions during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. In connection with the sale of two farms in December 2023 pursuant to which we provided $9.5 million of seller financing, we deferred an additional net gain on sale of $2.1 million. The deferred gain will be recognized at such time as we consider collection of the seller-financed portion of the sale price to be probable under applicable accounting standards.

​

Interest expense increased $6.5 million, or 40.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was the result of an increase in interest rates, partially offset by a lower average balance on outstanding debt.

​

Income tax (benefit) changed from income tax expense of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 to income tax benefit of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This change is due to tax adjustments of prior period estimates.

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​

Liquidity and Capital Resources

​

Overview

​

Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including ongoing commitments to repay any outstanding borrowings, fund and maintain our assets and operations, acquire new properties, make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, and fund other general business needs.

​

High levels of inflation have prompted the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates which has resulted in, and may continue to result in, increased interest expense. We expect to meet our liquidity needs through cash on hand, undrawn availability under our lines of credit ($201.1 million in availability as of December 31, 2023), operating cash flows, borrowings, proceeds from equity issuances and selective asset dispositions where such dispositions are deemed to be in the best interests of the Company.

​

On May 6, 2022, we entered into equity distribution agreements under which we may issue and sell from time to time, through sales agents, shares of our common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $100.0 million (the “ATM Program”). The ATM Program is intended to provide cost-effective financing alternatives in the capital markets. We intend to continue to utilize the ATM Program when the market price of our common stock remains at levels which are deemed appropriate by our Board of Directors. We may increase the size of the ATM Program in the future. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold no shares under the ATM Program and had $50.5 million in shares of common stock available for issuance under the ATM Program.

​

Our ability to incur additional debt will depend on a number of factors, including our degree of leverage, the value of our unencumbered assets, compliance with the covenants under our existing debt agreements, borrowing restrictions that may be imposed by lenders and the conditions of debt markets.

​

When material debt repayments are due within the following 12 months, we work with current and new lenders and other potential sources of capital sufficiently in advance of the debt maturity to ensure that all of our obligations are satisfied in a timely manner. We have a history of being able to refinance or extend our debt obligations to manage our debt maturities. Our ability to access the equity capital markets will depend on a number of factors as well, including general market conditions. We have an effective shelf registration statement with approximately $100 million of capacity (approximately $150 million inclusive of the ATM Program availability mentioned above) whereby we could issue additional equity or debt securities, which we have done successfully in the past as mentioned above. The Company has no material debt maturities due before 2025.

​

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 6,551,087 shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $11.00 per share. We currently have authority to repurchase up to an aggregate of $83.3 million in additional shares of our common stock. In addition, the Company redeemed 34,000 Common units in exchange for cash of approximately $0.4 million.

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Consolidated Indebtedness

​

For further details relating to our consolidated indebtedness refer to “– Recent Developments – Financing Activity” and Note 7 – Mortgage Notes, Line of Credit and Bonds Payable included in the financial statement section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Sources and Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents

​

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

​

​

Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2023 to the year ended December 31, 2022

​

As of December 31, 2023, we had $5.5 million of cash and cash equivalents compared to $7.7 million at December 31, 2022.

​

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

​

Net cash and cash equivalents provided by operating activities decreased by $4.2 million primarily as a result of the following:

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​

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by (used in) investing activities increased by $218.9 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by (used in) financing activities increased by $194.3 million primarily as a result of the following:

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​

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

​

Funds from Operations (“FFO”) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”)

​

We calculate FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or Nareit. Nareit defines FFO as net income (loss) (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable operating property, real estate related depreciation, depletion and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs), impairment write-downs of depreciated property, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure. Management presents FFO as a supplemental performance measure because it believes that FFO is beneficial to investors as a starting point in measuring our operational performance. Specifically, in excluding real estate related depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from sales of depreciable operating properties, which do not relate to or are not indicative of operating performance, FFO provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs. We believe that, as a widely recognized measure of the performance of REITs, FFO will be used by investors as a basis to compare our operating performance with that of other REITs.

However, because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of our properties that result from use or market conditions nor the level of capital expenditures necessary to maintain the operating performance of improvements on our properties, all of which have real economic effects and could materially impact our results from operations, the utility of FFO as a measure of our performance is limited. In addition, other equity REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the Nareit definition as we do, and, accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs’ FFO. Accordingly, FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income as a measure of our performance. FFO should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or service indebtedness. FFO also should not be used as a supplement to or substitute for cash flow from operating activities computed in accordance with GAAP.

We do not, however, believe that FFO is the only measure of our operating performance. Changes in GAAP accounting and reporting rules that were put in effect after the establishment of Nareit’s definition of FFO in 1999 result in the inclusion of a number of items in FFO that do not correlate with the sustainability of our operating performance. Therefore, in addition to FFO, we present AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, both of which are non-GAAP measures. Management considers AFFO a useful supplemental performance metric for investors as it is more indicative of the Company’s operational performance than FFO. AFFO is not intended to represent cash flow or liquidity for the period and is only intended to provide an additional measure of our operating performance. Even AFFO, however, does not properly capture the timing of cash receipts, especially in connection with full-year rent payments under lease agreements entered into in connection with newly acquired farms. Management considers AFFO per share, fully diluted to be a supplemental metric to GAAP earnings per share. AFFO per share, fully diluted provides additional insight into

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how our operating performance could be allocated to potential shares outstanding at a specific point in time. Management believes that AFFO is a widely recognized measure of the operations of REITs, and presenting AFFO will enable investors to assess our performance in comparison to other REITs. However, other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, and, accordingly, our AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted may not always be comparable to AFFO and AFFO per share amounts calculated by other REITs. AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or earnings per share (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of financial performance or as a measure of our liquidity, nor are they indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make distributions.

AFFO is calculated by adjusting FFO to exclude or include the income and expenses that we believe are not reflective of the sustainability of our ongoing operating performance, as further explained below:

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of net income (loss) to FFO, AFFO and net income (loss) available to common stockholders per share to AFFO per share, fully diluted, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalents, respectively, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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​

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of AFFO share information to basic weighted average common shares outstanding, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalent, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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​

EBITDAre

​

The Company calculates Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization for real estate (“EBITDAre”) in accordance with the standards established by NAREIT in its September 2017 White Paper. NAREIT defines EBITDAre as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding interest expense, income tax, depreciation and amortization, gains or losses on disposition of depreciated property (including gains or losses on change of control), impairment write-downs of depreciated property and of investments in unconsolidated affiliates caused by a decrease in value of depreciated property in the affiliate, and adjustments to reflect the entity’s pro rata share of EBITDAre of unconsolidated affiliates. EBITDAre is a key financial measure used to evaluate the Company’s operating performance but should not be construed as an alternative to operating income, cash flows from operating activities or net income, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that EBITDAre is a useful performance measure commonly reported and will be widely used by analysts and investors in the Company’s industry. However, while EBITDAre is a performance measure widely used across the Company’s industry, the Company does not believe that it correctly captures the Company’s business operating performance because it includes non-cash expenses and recurring adjustments that are necessary to better understand the Company’s business operating performance. Therefore, in addition to EBITDAre, management uses Adjusted EBITDAre, a non-GAAP measure.

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We further adjust EBITDAre for certain additional items such as stock-based compensation and incentive, indirect offering costs, real estate acquisition related audit fees and real estate related acquisition and due diligence costs (for a full discussion of these adjustments, see AFFO adjustments discussed above) that we consider necessary to understand our operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDAre provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income and EBITDAre, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of our operating performance.

​

EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

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​

Because of these limitations, EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results of operations and using EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre only as a supplemental measure of our performance.

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of our net income to our EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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​

Seasonality

​

We recognize rental revenue from fixed-rate farmland leases on a pro rata basis over the non-cancellable term of the lease in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Notwithstanding GAAP accounting requirements to spread rental revenue over the lease term, a significant portion of fixed rent is received in a lump sum before planting season, in the first quarter, and after harvest, in the fourth quarter. We receive a significant portion of our variable rental payments in the fourth calendar quarter of each year, following harvest, with only a portion of such payments being recognized ratably through the year in accordance with GAAP, in relation to crop insurance contracts entered into by our tenants. The highly seasonal nature of the agriculture industry causes seasonality in our business to some extent. Our financial performance should be evaluated on an annual basis, which eliminates impacts of seasonality and other similar factors that may cause our quarterly results to vary during the course of the year.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Overview and Background

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Our primary strategic objective is to utilize our  position as a leading institutional acquirer, owner and manager of high-quality farmland located in agricultural markets throughout North America to deliver strong risk adjusted returns to investors through a combination of cash dividends and asset appreciation. As of December 31, 2022, we owned farms with an aggregate of approximately 165,200 acres in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. In addition, as of December 31, 2022, we owned land and buildings for four agriculture equipment dealerships in Ohio leased to Ag Pro under the John Deere brand and served as property manager for approximately 30,900 acres, including farms in Iowa. As of December 31, 2022, approximately 70% of our portfolio (by value) was used to grow primary crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton, and approximately 30% was used to produce specialty crops, such as almonds, citrus, blueberries, and vegetables. We believe our portfolio gives investors the economic benefit of increasing global food demand in the face of growing scarcity of high-quality farmland and will continue to reflect the approximate allocation of U.S. agricultural output between primary crops and animal protein (whose production relies principally on primary crops as feed), on one hand, and specialty crops, on the other.

In addition, under the FPI Loan Program, we make loans to third-party farmers (both tenant and non-tenant) to provide financing for property acquisitions, working capital requirements, operational farming activities, farming infrastructure projects and for other farming and agricultural real estate related projects.

​

FPI was incorporated in Maryland on September 27, 2013, and is the sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, which is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed on September 27, 2013. All of FPI’s assets are held by, and its operations are primarily conducted through, the Operating Partnership and its wholly owned subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2022, FPI owned 97.8% of the Common units and none of the Series A preferred units. See “Note 9—Stockholders’ Equity and Non-controlling Interests” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the non-controlling interests.

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FPI has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014.

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Recent Developments

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2022 Completed Acquisitions and Dispositions

​

During 2022, we completed 17 asset acquisitions, consisting of 20 properties, in the Corn Belt and High Plains regions. Aggregate cash consideration for these acquisitions totaled $54.4 million for real estate purchases accounted for as asset acquisitions plus $17.3 million for the purchase of land and buildings for four agriculture equipment dealerships in Ohio leased to Ag Pro under the John Deere brand which are accounted for as financing receivables. No intangible assets were acquired through these acquisitions. We also completed five dispositions consisting of five properties in the Corn Belt, High Plains and Southeast regions. The Company received cash consideration for these dispositions totaling $17.0 million in cash consideration and recognized an aggregate gain on sale of $2.6 million.

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ATM Sales

​

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold 8,594,940 shares of common stock and generated $122.7 million and $121.3 million in gross and net proceeds, respectively, under our at-the-market equity offering program (“ATM Program”). $50.5 million remains available under the $100.0 million ATM Program as of December 31, 2022 and we have an effective shelf registration statement with approximately $100 million of capacity whereby we could issue additional

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equity or debt securities. For more information on the ATM Program please see “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources”.

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Deleveraging and Enhanced Liquidity Position

​

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we reduced our overall indebtedness by $73.9 million, largely with proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock under the ATM Program.

​

In addition, in 2022, we entered into credit agreements with Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, Farmer Mac Mortgage Securities Corporation, (collectively, “Farmer Mac”), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”), and Rutledge Investment Company (“Rutledge”) for revolving credit facilities in an aggregate principal amount of $262.0 million. As of December 31, 2022, $169.0 million remains available under these facilities. For more information on our deleveraging efforts and liquidity please see “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources”.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

​

The COVID-19 pandemic and related stay-at-home orders caused significant declines in gasoline consumption, dining out, and other consumer spending patterns, which impacted demand for agricultural products. Though demand for food, fuel, and agricultural products in general has recovered since 2020, some experts believe the stimulus programs funded by the United States government of approximately $4 trillion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to elevated inflation levels in the United States in recent quarters. Inflation in food products is generally favorable for our tenants, while inflation in fuel, nutrients, agricultural chemicals, and other products is generally unfavorable for our tenants. We are unable to quantify the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, related government responses, and inflation on our business.

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Impact of the War in Ukraine

​

Food prices were near record highs even before the invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and the Russian Federation represent large portions of global trade in a variety of agricultural products (e.g., 34% of global wheat exports, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute). The disruption in farming operations in Ukraine, and trade from the Black Sea region has stressed the food supply for many countries that depend on imports of agricultural products from the region, such as Egypt (wheat for food products) and China (corn for livestock).

​

In July 2022, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement to allow exports of grain and other agricultural products from Ukrainian Black Sea ports to resume after months of Russian blockade. The agreement was reached at a time when storage capacity was reaching its limits. There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding this agreement, as less than 24 hours after it was signed, Russian rockets struck port facilities in Odessa, damaging grain loading facilities and casting doubts on insurers’ willingness to cover ships operating in the region.

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The Russian Federation is also a major exporter of fertilizers and trade restrictions have hampered the flow of fertilizers to countries dependent on imports from the Black Sea region. United States farmers, including our tenants, however, generally source fertilizers from the United States and Canada.

​

We anticipate that U.S. farmers will continue to be an important contributor to global food imports as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, and high demand for primary crops, which are the core of our business, together with high commodity prices, will enhance profitability for U.S. farmers. We can provide no assurances as to whether this anticipated increase in profitability will have an impact on rental rates in the regions in which we operate.

​

Inflation and Interest Rates

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Most of our farming leases have lease terms of two to three years for row crops and one to seven years for permanent crops, pursuant to which each tenant is responsible for substantially all of the operating expenses related to the property, including maintenance, water usage and insurance. As a result, we believe that the effect on us of inflationary increases in

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operating expenses may be offset in part by the operating expenses that are passed through to our tenants and by contractual rent increases because many of our leases will be renegotiated every one to five years. Furthermore, high levels of inflation are causing the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates which may increase interest expense for many businesses, including the Company.

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Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations and Farmland Values

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The principal factors affecting our operating results and the value of our farmland include long-term global demand for food relative to the global supply of food, farmland fundamentals and economic conditions in the markets in which we own farmland and our ability to increase or maintain rental revenues while controlling expenses. We are currently in an environment of appreciating land values, driven by, among other things, inflation, strong commodity prices (further exacerbated by the war in Ukraine) and a positive outlook for farmer profitability. Rapidly rising interest rates can serve as a counter-balancing external factor to this favorable environment. Each year additional farmland in various portions of the world, including the United States, is repurposed for commercial development, thus decreasing the land acreage available for production of grains, oil seeds, permanent and specialty crops necessary to feed the world’s growing population. Although farmland prices may show a decline from time to time, we believe that any reduction in U.S. farmland values overall is likely to be short-lived as global demand for food and agricultural commodities typically exceeds global supply and quality farmland becomes more scarce.

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Demand

​

We expect that global demand for food, driven primarily by significant increases in the gross domestic product (“GDP”) per capita and global population, will continue to be the key driver of farmland values. We expect that global demand for most crops will continue to grow to keep pace with global population growth. We also believe that growth in global GDP per capita, particularly in developing nations, will contribute significantly to increasing demand for primary crops. As global GDP per capita increases, the composition of daily caloric intake is expected to shift away from the direct consumption of primary crops toward more fruits, vegetables and animal-based proteins, which is expected to result in increased demand for primary crops as feed for livestock. We anticipate these factors will lead to either higher crop prices and/or higher yields and, therefore, higher rental rates on our farmland, as well as sustained growth in farmland values over the long term.

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According to “How to Feed the World in 2050,” a report by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (“UN FAO”), these factors are expected to require more than one billion additional tons of global annual grain production by 2050 to feed a global population in excess of 9 billion. The projected growth in grain production represents a 43% increase from 2005-2007 levels and more than two times the 446 million tons of grain produced in the United States in 2014. Furthermore, we believe that, as GDP per capita grows, a significant portion of additional household income is allocated to food and that once individuals increase consumption of, and spending on, higher quality food, they will strongly resist returning to their former dietary habits, resulting in greater inelasticity in the demand for food. As a result, we believe that, as global demand for food increases, rental rates on our farmland and the value of our farmland will increase over the long term. Global demand for corn and soybeans as inputs in the production of biofuels such as ethanol and soy diesel also could impact the prices of corn and soybeans, which, in the long term, could impact our rental revenues and our results of operations. The success of our long-term business strategy is not dependent on growth in demand for biofuels, primarily because we believe that growth in global population and GDP per capita will be more significant drivers of global demand for primary crops over the long term.

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Despite advances in income, according to “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022,” a report by the UN FAO, almost 3.1 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet, reflecting the rising consumer food prices coming out of the pandemic. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted supply chains and affected the prices of grain, fertilizer, and energy, further stressing food supplies for developing countries that are dependent on food imports.

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Supply

​

Global supply of agricultural commodities is driven by two primary factors, the number of arable acres available for crop production and the productivity of the acres being farmed. Although the amount of global cropland in use has

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gradually increased over time, growth has plateaued over the last 20 years. Typically, additions to cropland are in areas of marginal productivity, while cropland loss, driven by urban development, tends to affect primarily highly productive areas. Cropland area continues to increase in developing countries, but after accounting for expected continuing cropland loss, the UN FAO projects only 173 million acres will be added from 2005-2007 to 2050, an approximate 5% increase. In comparison, world population is expected to grow over the same period to 9.1 billion, a nearly 40% increase. According to the World Bank Group arable land per capita has decreased by approximately 50% from 1961 to 2018. While we expect growth in the global supply of arable land, we also expect that landowners will only put that land into production if commodity prices and the value of farmland cause landowners to benefit economically from using the land for farming rather than alternative uses. We also believe that decreases in the amount of arable land in the United States and globally as a result of increasing urbanization will partially offset the impact of additional supply of farmland. Additionally, we believe that farmland lost to urban development disproportionately impacts higher quality farmland. According to a study published in 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, urban expansion is expected to take place on cropland that is 1.77 times more productive than the global average. The global supply of food is also impacted by the productivity per acre of tillable land. Historically, productivity gains (measured by average crop yields) have been driven by advances in seed technology, farm equipment, irrigation techniques, and improvements in soil health, chemical nutrients and pest control. Furthermore, we expect the shortage of water in many irrigated growing regions in the United States and around the globe, often as a result of new water restrictions imposed by laws or regulations, to lead to decreased productivity growth and, in some cases, cause yields to decline on those acres. The supply and farmability of arable land is also impacted by international conflicts, as we are seeing with the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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Conditions in Our Existing Markets

​

Our portfolio spans numerous farmland markets and crop types, which provides us broad diversification across conditions in these markets. Across all regions, farmland acquisitions continue to be dominated by buyers who are existing farm owners and operators, whereas institutional investors constitute a small fraction of the industry (less than 5% of total farmland in the United States). We generally see firm demand for high quality properties across all regions and crop types.

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Farmland values are typically very stable, often showing modest increases even in years of commodity price weakness. We expect this trend to continue, with modest but consistent annual increases that compound into significant appreciation in the long term. Under certain market conditions, as in 2021 and 2022, with strong commodity prices and farmer profitability, there are periods of accelerating appreciation in farmland values. Leases being renegotiated under the robust market conditions experienced in 2021 and 2022, the first leasing cycles since the farm economy improved, reflected significant rent increases.

​

We believe quality farmland in the United States has a near-zero vacancy rate as a result of the supply and demand fundamentals discussed above. We believe that due to the relatively high fixed costs associated with farming operations (including equipment, labor and knowledge), many farm operators choose to rent additional acres of farmland when it becomes available in order to allocate their fixed costs over additional acres. Our view is that rental rates for farmland are a function of farmland operators’ view of the long-term profitability of farmland, and that many farm operators will compete for farmland even during periods of decreased profitability due to the scarcity of farmland available to rent. Furthermore, because it is generally customary in the industry to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to re-lease the land at the end of each lease term, we believe that many farm operators will rent additional land that becomes available in order to control the ability to farm that land in future periods. As a result, in our experience, many farm operators will aggressively pursue rental opportunities in their operable geographic area, even when the farmer anticipates lower profits returns or even short-term losses.

​

We renewed approximately 95% of row crop fixed farm rent leases expiring in 2022 (representing approximately 13% of 2022 total revenue) at average rent increases of approximately 16%. As the farm economy continues to be very strong, we expect to benefit from rent growth into 2023. This is consistent with robust prices in primary crop markets and tenant demand for leasing high quality farmland. Across specialty crops, operator profitability is recovering.

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Lease Expirations

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Farm leases are generally one to three years in duration. As of December 31, 2022, our portfolio had the following lease expirations as a percentage of approximate acres leased and annual minimum fixed rents:

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​

Rental Revenues

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Our revenues are primarily generated from renting farmland to operators of farming businesses. Our leases generally have terms ranging from one to three years, with some extending up to 40 years (e.g., renewable energy leases). Although the majority of our leases do not provide the tenant with a contractual right to renew the lease upon its expiration, we believe it is customary to provide the existing tenant with the opportunity to renew the lease, subject to any increase in the rental rate that we may establish. If the tenant elects not to renew the lease at the end of the lease term, the land will be offered to a new tenant. As discussed above, the vacancy rate for quality U.S. farmland is near-zero and there is often competition among tenants for quality farmland; accordingly, we do not believe that re-leasing farmland upon the expiration of existing leases is a significant risk for FPI.

​

The leases for the majority of the row-crop properties in our portfolio provide that tenants pay us, typically, 50% of their fixed farm rent in advance of each spring planting season. As a result, we collect a significant portion of total annual rents in the first calendar quarter of each year, which we believe mitigates the tenant credit risk associated with the variability of farming operations that could be adversely impacted by poor crop yields, weather conditions, mismanagement, undercapitalization or other factors affecting our tenants. Tenant credit risk is further mitigated by the farming industry practice of purchasing crop insurance in almost every circumstance because it is required by lenders who provide working capital financing to our tenants and due to requirements in our leases. In certain cases, the Company perfects its security interest in the crop insurance proceeds and the underlying growing crops using practices applicable in the state where the farm is located. Prior to acquiring farmland property, we take into consideration the competitiveness of the local farm-operator tenant environment in order to enhance our ability to quickly replace a tenant that is unwilling to renew a lease or is unable to pay a rent payment when it is due. Many of our leases provide for the reimbursement by the tenant of the property’s real estate taxes that we pay in connection with the farms they rent from us.

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Expenses

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Substantially all of our farm leases are structured in such a way that we are responsible for major maintenance expenses, certain liability and casualty insurance and taxes (which are sometimes reimbursed to us by our tenants), while our tenant is responsible for operating expenses, minor maintenance, water usage and all of the additional input costs related to farming operations on the property, such as seed, fertilizer, labor and fuel. We expect leases for farmland we acquire in the future will contain similar features related to expenses. As the owner of the land, we generally only bear costs related to major capital improvements permanently attached to the property, such as irrigation systems, drainage tile, grain storage facilities, permanent plantings or other physical structures customary for farms. In cases where capital expenditures are necessary, we typically seek to offset, over a period of multiple years, the costs of such capital expenditures by increasing rental rates.

We incur costs associated with running a public company and managing farmland assets, including, among others, costs associated with our personnel, our Board of Directors, compliance, legal and accounting, due diligence and acquisitions, including, among others, travel expenses, and consulting fees. Over the past 12 months, we have resumed

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our growth strategy, and our continued growth is likely to result in increases in certain general and administrative expenses. Inflation in personnel costs, which is impacting many United States businesses, is also likely to contribute to this increase.

​

We also incur costs associated with managing our farmland. The management of our farmland, generally, has significant economies of scale, as farmland generally has minimal physical structures that require routine inspection and maintenance, and our leases, generally, are structured to require the tenant to pay many of the operating expenses associated with the property. We do not expect the expenses associated with managing our portfolio of farmland to increase significantly as the number of farm properties we own increases over time.

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Crop Prices

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While many people assume that short-term crop prices have a great impact on farm values, we believe that long-term farmer profitability and revenue per acre, expressed as crop prices multiplied by crop yield, is a much more significant driver of farm value. Crop-yield trends in corn and soybeans have been steadily increasing over the last thirty years. After yields for the 2021/2022 marketing year (September 2021 to August 2022) increased for both corn and soybeans compared to the previous year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects lower yields for the 2022/2023 marketing year (September 2022 to August 2023), partly due to late planting and adverse weather conditions. Short-term crop price changes have had little effect historically on farmland values. They also have a limited impact on our rental revenue, as most of our leases provide for fixed farm rents, a common approach in agricultural markets, especially with respect to row crops. Fixed farm rent simplifies the administrative requirements for the landlord and the tenant significantly, as farmers benefit from the fundamental revenue hedging that occurs when large crop yields mitigate the effect of lower crop prices. Similarly, lower crop yields have a tendency to trigger higher crop prices and help increase revenue even when confronted by lower crop yields. Such hedging effect also limits the impact of short-term crop price changes on revenues generated by leases with a variable rent component based on farm revenues. Further risk mitigation is available to tenants, and indirectly to us, via crop insurance and hedging programs implemented by tenants. Our TRS also takes advantage of these risk mitigation programs and strategies with respect to the properties it owns.

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Crop prices are affected by many factors that can differ on a yearly basis. Weather conditions and crop diseases can create a significant risk of price volatility. Changes in government regulations and policy, fluctuations in global prosperity, fluctuations in foreign trade and export markets and eruptions of military conflicts, as we are seeing in Ukraine, or civil unrest also impact crop prices.

​

Since late 2020, prices rebounded to, or near, prior highs, driven by increased demand expectations from China and modest adverse weather conditions around the world.

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Interest Rates

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The Federal Reserve has engaged in a series of significant increases in the discount rate, which is the rate the Federal Reserve charges member banks for overnight funds. These increases affect all borrowing rates, and for variable rate debt and debt with rates that reset periodically, such increases have a direct and relatively immediate impact.

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As of December 31, 2022, $262.0 million of our outstanding indebtedness was subject to interest rates that reset from time to time (excluding our floating rate debt), of which $174.1 million was subject to interest rates that will be reset in 2023. As of December 31, 2022, the weighted average interest rate of the indebtedness subject to interest rate resets in 2023 was 3.23%. We have agreed with the lender on a reset interest rate of 5.55% with respect to $104.2 million (MetLife Term loans #1, #4 and #6) and 5.63% with respect to $5.2 million (MetLife Term Loan #5). All four loan modifications include an increased ability for the Company to prepay these loans without penalty. We have conducted no negotiations yet with respect to the $64.7 million of remaining loans subject to rate resets in 2023.

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At December 31, 2022, $152.5 million, or 34.7%, of our debt had variable interest rates, however, as stated in “Note 10—Hedge Accounting” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company has an interest rate swap with Rabobank for $33.2 million, which reduces floating rate exposure. Assuming no increase in the level of our variable rate debt spreads, if interest rates increased by 1.0%, our cash flow would decrease by approximately $1.2 million per year. If interest rates decreased by 1.0%, our cash flow would increase approximately $1.2 million per year.

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​

We expect that future changes in interest rates will impact our overall operating performance by, among other things, affecting our borrowing costs and borrowing costs of our tenants. While we may seek to manage our exposure to future changes in rates through interest rate swap agreements or interest rate caps, portions of our overall outstanding debt will likely remain at floating rates or subject to interest rates that reset periodically. In addition, a sustained material increase in interest rates may cause farmland prices to decline if the rise in real interest rates (nominal interest rates minus the inflation rate) is not accompanied by rises in the general levels of inflation. However, our business model anticipates that over time the value of our farmland will increase, as it has in the past, at a rate that is equal to or greater than the rate of inflation, which may in part offset the impact of rising interest rates on the value of our farmland, but there can be no guarantee that this appreciation will occur to the extent that we anticipate or at all.

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International Trade

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After a 55% increase in exports of corn for the 2020/2021 marketing year (September 2020 to August 2021), the USDA estimates corn exports will be down 10% for the 2021/2022 marketing year (September 2021 to August 2022) and a further 22% for the 2022/2023 marketing year (September 2022 to August 2023), based on a smaller crop and higher expected prices. After a 35% increase in exports of soybeans for the 2020/2021 marketing year (September 2020 to August 2021), the USDA estimates soybean exports will be down 5% for the 2021/2022 marketing year (September 2021 to August 2022) and a further 8% for the 2022/2023 marketing year (September 2022 to August 2023), based on lower supplies.

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According to the USDA Outlook for Agricultural Trade, the top three export countries from the United States are China, Canada, and Mexico. Exports to China for fiscal year 2022 (October 2021 to September 2022) were a record of $36.4 billion, up 9% from 2021. Exports to Canada were $28.4 billion, up 17% from 2021. Exports to Mexico were $28.0 billion, up 17% from 2021. Exports to China for fiscal year 2023 are forecast to decrease to $34 billion, while exports to Canada and Mexico are expected to be the same for 2023.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual amounts may differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. We have provided a summary of our significant accounting policies in the notes to the historical consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this filing. We have set forth below those accounting policies that we believe require material subjective or complex judgments and have the most significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We evaluate our estimates, assumptions and judgments on an ongoing basis, based on information that is then available to us, our experience and various matters that we believe are reasonable and appropriate for consideration under the circumstances.

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Real Estate Acquisitions

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When allocating the purchase price of properties acquired using the relative fair value, a number of significant assumptions can be used by management. We may utilize various sources, including third-party appraisals, our own analysis of recently acquired or developed and existing comparable properties in our portfolio, other market data and property specific characteristics such as soil types, water availability and the existence of leases acquired with the acquisition. The allocations of purchase price are sensitive and involve a degree of uncertainty due to the nature of the inputs and judgements, as well as the number, magnitude and complexity of these inputs and judgements made by management. See “Note 5—Real Estate” for additional discussion regarding acquisitions completed by the Company.

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Impairment of Real Estate Assets

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Assessing impairment can be complex and involves a high degree of subjectivity in determining if impairment indicators are present and in estimating the future undiscounted cash flows or the fair value of an asset. In particular, these estimates are sensitive to significant assumptions, including the estimation of future rental revenues, operating expenses,

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discount and capitalization rates and our intent and ability to hold the related asset, all of which could be affected by our expectations about future market or economic conditions. Assumptions are primarily subject to property-specific characteristics, especially with respect to our intent and ability to hold the related asset. While these property-specific assumptions can have a significant impact on the undiscounted cash flows or estimated fair value of a particular asset, our evaluation of the reported carrying values of long-lived assets during the current year were not particularly sensitive to external or market assumptions. There have been no impairments recognized on real estate assets in the accompanying financial statements.

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Results of Operations

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This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2022 to the year ended December 31, 2021

​

NM = Not Meaningful

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Our net income for 2022 was affected partially by acquisition of 20 properties and five dispositions that took place in 2022, as well as substantially lower legal and accounting expense and additional revenue from auction and brokerage activities.

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Rental income increased $0.4 million, or 0.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, resulting primarily from an increase in fixed farm rent of $2.1 million, solar rent of $1.3 million and recreation rent of $0.1 million partially offset by a decrease in variable rent of $3.1 million in part due to certain farms in the West Coast region converting to direct operations in the second half of 2021.

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​

Revenues recognized from tenant reimbursement of property taxes decreased $0.2 million, or 5.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This decrease is the result of asset dispositions and the conversion of certain farms to direct operations.

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Crop sales increased $4.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase is the result of a higher volume of crop sold on our directly operated properties.

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Other revenue increased $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily due to increased auction and brokerage income, crop insurance proceeds from farms under direct operations, management fees, and interest income on loans and financing receivables, partially offset by lower revenue from litigation-related proceeds.

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Depreciation, depletion and amortization decreased $0.7 million, or 8.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This decrease is a result of asset dispositions and more assets becoming fully depreciated partially offset by depreciable assets being placed into service.

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Property operating expenses increased $0.9 million, or 11.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, resulting from higher tax and insurance expenses, partially offset by lower repairs.

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Cost of goods sold totaled $6.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase is the result of a higher volume of crop sold as the Company directly operated more farms in the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.

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Acquisition and due diligence costs increased $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, This increase was primarily due to an increase in property acquisitions and related costs including travel and due diligence.

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General and administrative expenses increased $3.8 million, or 46.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, $2.7 million of this increase was related to the November 2021 acquisition of MWA. The remaining increase was largely driven by higher personnel costs and travel.

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Legal and accounting expenses decreased $7.3 million, or 71.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, which was primarily the result of lower legal fees incurred in relation to litigation, as discussed under Part I, Item 1 “Note 8—Commitments and Contingencies—Litigation”.

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Other operating expenses increased $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, This increase was primarily due to increased auction costs.

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Other income increased $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase is primarily due to proceeds from a property insurance claim due to weather-related damage and increased interest income on cash and our swap position, partially offset by a loss on early extinguishment of debt as the Company reduced its leverage during the year.

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Income from equity method investment remained relatively flat at $0.1 million and $0.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

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Gain on disposition of assets decreased $6.6 million, or 71.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to fewer property dispositions in 2022 as compared to 2021, as well as the Company incurring $1.3 million in losses on grape vine and citrus tree removal as part of redevelopment projects on certain properties during the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Interest expense increased $0.2 million, or 1.3%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase is the result of an increase in interest rates on our variable rate debt, significantly offset by a lower outstanding balance of debt.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

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Overview

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Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including ongoing commitments to repay any outstanding borrowings, fund and maintain our assets and operations, acquire new properties, make distributions to our stockholders and unitholders, and fund other general business needs. In addition, high levels of inflation are causing the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates which may increase interest expense for many businesses, including the Company. We expect to meet our liquidity needs through cash on hand, undrawn availability under lines of credit, operating cash flows, borrowings, proceeds from equity issuances and selective asset dispositions where such dispositions are deemed to be in the best interests of the Company.

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We entered into equity distribution agreements on October 29, 2021 in connection with the ATM Program, under which we were authorized to issue and sell from time to time, through the sales agents, shares of our common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $75.0 million (the “$75.0 million ATM Program”). In connection with our entry into the distribution agreements, we terminated the equity distribution agreements, each dated as of May 14, 2021, for our prior $50.0 million ATM Program. On May 6, 2022, we entered into equity distribution agreements under which we may issue and sell from time to time, through sales agents, shares of our common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $100.0 million (the “$100.0 million ATM Program”). During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company generated $73.2 million in gross proceeds and $72.4 million in net proceeds under the $75.0 million ATM Program and $49.5 million in gross proceeds and $48.9 million in net proceeds under the $100.0 million ATM Program for a total of $122.7 million and $121.3 million in gross and net proceeds, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had $0.0 million in availability under the $75.0 million ATM Program and $50.5 million in availability under the $100.0 million ATM Program. The ATM Program is intended to provide cost-effective financing alternatives in the capital markets. We intend to continue to utilize the ATM Program when the market price of our common stock remains at levels which are deemed appropriate by our Board of Directors. The Company may increase the size of the ATM Program in the future. In addition, in 2022, we entered into credit agreements with Farmer Mac, MetLife and Rutledge for revolving credit facilities in an aggregate principal amount of $262.0 million. As of December 31, 2022, $169.0 million remains available under these credit facilities and the Company has no material debt maturities due before 2025.

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During the year ended December 31, 2022, we reduced our overall indebtedness by $73.9 million, largely with proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock under the ATM Program. We believe that the use of proceeds from the ATM Program in the manner discussed above has substantially strengthened our balance sheet, positioned us to take advantage of growth opportunities that we believe will arise over the coming several quarters and will be significantly accretive to cash flow and to shareholder value.

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Our ability to incur additional debt will depend on a number of factors, including our degree of leverage, the value of our unencumbered assets, compliance with the covenants under our existing debt agreements, borrowing restrictions that may be imposed by lenders and the conditions of debt markets. When material debt repayments are due within the following 12 months, we work with current and new lenders and other potential sources of capital sufficiently in advance of the debt maturity to ensure that all of our obligations are satisfied in a timely manner. We have a history of being able to refinance or extend our debt obligations to manage our debt maturities. Our ability to access the equity capital markets will depend on a number of factors as well, including general market conditions. We have an effective shelf registration statement with approximately $100 million of capacity whereby we could issue additional equity or debt securities, which we have done successfully in the past as mentioned above.

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During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased no shares of its common stock. We currently have authority to repurchase up to an aggregate of $40.5 million in additional shares of our common stock or shares.

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Consolidated Indebtedness

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For further details relating to our consolidated indebtedness refer to “– Recent Developments – Financing Activity” and Note 7 – Mortgage Notes, Line of Credit and Bonds Payable included in the financial statement section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Sources and Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents

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The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

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Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2022 to the year ended December 31, 2021

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As of December 31, 2022, we had $7.7 million of cash and cash equivalents compared to $30.2 million at December 31, 2021.

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Cash Flows from Operating Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by operating activities increased by $9.2 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Cash Flows from Investing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents used in investing activities increased by $41.6 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

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Net cash and cash equivalents provided by financing activities increased by $7.0 million primarily as a result of the following:

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

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Funds from Operations (“FFO”) and Adjusted Funds from Operations (“AFFO”)

​

We calculate FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or Nareit. Nareit defines FFO as net income (loss) (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable operating property, plus real estate related depreciation, depletion and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs), and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. FFO is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure. Management presents FFO as a supplemental performance measure because it believes that FFO is beneficial to investors as a starting point in measuring our operational performance. Specifically, in excluding real estate related depreciation and amortization and gains and losses from sales of depreciable operating properties, which do not relate to or are not indicative of operating performance, FFO provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, captures trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs. We believe that, as a widely recognized measure of the performance of REITs, FFO will be used by investors as a basis to compare our operating performance with that of other REITs.

However, because FFO excludes depreciation and amortization and captures neither the changes in the value of our properties that result from use or market conditions nor the level of capital expenditures necessary to maintain the operating performance of improvements on our properties, all of which have real economic effects and could materially impact our results from operations, the utility of FFO as a measure of our performance is limited. In addition, other equity REITs may not calculate FFO in accordance with the Nareit definition as we do, and, accordingly, our FFO may not be comparable to such other REITs’ FFO. Accordingly, FFO should be considered only as a supplement to net income as a measure of our performance. FFO should not be used as a measure of our liquidity, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to pay dividends or service indebtedness. FFO also should not be used as a supplement to or substitute for cash flow from operating activities computed in accordance with GAAP.

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We do not, however, believe that FFO is the only measure our operating performance. Changes in GAAP accounting and reporting rules that were put in effect after the establishment of Nareit’s definition of FFO in 1999 result in the inclusion of a number of items in FFO that do not correlate with the sustainability of our operating performance. Therefore, in addition to FFO, we present AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, both of which are non-GAAP measures. Management considers AFFO a useful supplemental performance metric for investors as it is more indicative of the Company’s operational performance than FFO. AFFO is not intended to represent cash flow or liquidity for the period and is only intended to provide an additional measure of our operating performance. Even AFFO, however, does not properly capture the timing of cash receipts, especially in connection with full-year rent payments under lease agreements entered into in connection with newly acquired farms. Management considers AFFO per share, fully diluted to be a supplemental metric to GAAP earnings per share. AFFO per share, fully diluted provides additional insight into how our operating performance could be allocated to potential shares outstanding at a specific point in time. Management believes that AFFO is a widely recognized measure of the operations of REITs, and presenting AFFO will enable investors to assess our performance in comparison to other REITs. However, other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted, and, accordingly, our AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted may not always be comparable to AFFO and AFFO per share amounts calculated by other REITs. AFFO and AFFO per share, fully diluted should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or earnings per share (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of financial performance or as a measure of our liquidity, nor are they indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make distributions.

AFFO is calculated by adjusting FFO to exclude or include the income and expenses that we believe are not reflective of the sustainability of our ongoing operating performance, as further explained below:

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of net income (loss) to FFO, AFFO and net income (loss) available to common stockholders per share to AFFO per share, fully diluted, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalents, respectively, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

​

​

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of AFFO share information to basic weighted average common shares outstanding, the most directly comparable GAAP equivalent, for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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EBITDAre

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The Company calculates Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization for real estate (“EBITDAre”) in accordance with the standards established by NAREIT in its September 2017 White Paper. NAREIT defines EBITDAre as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding interest expense, income tax, depreciation and amortization, gains or losses on disposition of depreciated property (including gains or losses on change of control), impairment write-downs of depreciated property and of investments in unconsolidated affiliates caused by a decrease in value of depreciated property in the affiliate, and adjustments to reflect the entity’s pro rata share of EBITDAre of unconsolidated affiliates. EBITDAre is a key financial measure used to evaluate the Company’s operating performance but should not be construed as an alternative to operating income, cash flows from operating activities or net income, in each case as determined in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that EBITDAre is a useful performance

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measure commonly reported and will be widely used by analysts and investors in the Company’s industry. However, while EBITDAre is a performance measure widely used across the Company’s industry, the Company does not believe that it correctly captures the Company’s business operating performance because it includes non-cash expenses and recurring adjustments that are necessary to better understand the Company’s business operating performance. Therefore, in addition to EBITDAre, management uses Adjusted EBITDAre, a non-GAAP measure.

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We further adjust EBITDAre for certain additional items such as stock-based compensation and incentive, indirect offering costs, real estate acquisition related audit fees and real estate related acquisition and due diligence costs (for a full discussion of these adjustments, see AFFO adjustments discussed above) that we consider necessary to understand our operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDAre provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income and EBITDAre, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of our operating performance.

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EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

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Because of these limitations, EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results of operations and using EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre only as a supplemental measure of our performance.

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of our net income to our EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the periods indicated below (unaudited):

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Seasonality

​

We recognize rental revenue from fixed-rate farmland leases on a pro rata basis over the non-cancellable term of the lease in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Notwithstanding GAAP accounting requirements to spread rental revenue over the lease term, a significant portion of fixed rent is received in a lump sum before planting season, in the first quarter, and after harvest, in the fourth quarter. We receive a significant

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portion of our variable rental payments in the fourth calendar quarter of each year, following harvest, with only a portion of such payments being recognized ratably through the year in accordance with GAAP, in relation to crop insurance contracts entered into by our tenants. The highly seasonal nature of the agriculture industry causes seasonality in our business to some extent. Our financial performance should be evaluated on an annual basis, which eliminates impacts of seasonality and other similar factors that may cause our quarterly results to vary during the course of the year.

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Overview and Background

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Our primary strategic objective is to be a leading institutional acquirer, owner and/or manager of high-quality farmland located in agricultural markets throughout North America. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we own farms with an aggregate of approximately 160,200 acres in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virginia. In addition, we serve as property manager over approximately 26,300 acres (see “Note 4—Related Party Transactions”). As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, approximately 70% of our portfolio (by value) is used to grow primary crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton, and approximately 30% is used to produce specialty crops, such as almonds, citrus blueberries, and vegetables.  We believe our portfolio gives investors the economic benefit of increasing global food demand in the face of growing scarcity of high-quality farmland and will continue to reflect the approximate allocation of U.S. agricultural output between primary crops and animal protein (whose production relies principally on primary crops as feed), on one hand, and specialty crops, on the other.

In addition, under the FPI Loan Program, we make loans to third-party farmers (both tenant and non-tenant) to provide financing for property acquisitions, working capital requirements, operational farming activities, farming infrastructure projects and for other farming and agricultural real estate related projects.

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FPI was incorporated in Maryland on September 27, 2013, and is the sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, which is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed on September 27, 2013. All of FPI’s assets are held by, and its operations are primarily conducted through, the Operating Partnership and its wholly owned subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, FPI owned 97.0% of the Common units and none of the Series A preferred units. See “Note 9 – Stockholders’ Equity and Non-controlling Interests” within the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the non-controlling interests.

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FPI has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014.

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Recent Developments

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Rutledge Loans Refinancings

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On February 18, 2022, the Company and the Operating Partnership, as guarantors, and American Farmland Company L.P. (“AFCO”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company as the borrower, entered into an Amended, Restated and Consolidated Loan Agreement (the “Consolidated Loan Agreement”) with Rutledge Investment Company ("Rutledge"), pursuant to which the parties agreed to consolidate the Company's five outstanding promissory notes with Rutledge (the "Legacy Rutledge Loans") into a single revolving credit loan in an aggregate principal amount of up to $112.0 million (the "Consolidated Loan") maturing on March 1, 2027 (the "Maturity Date" and collectively, the “Refinancing”). As a condition to Rutledge providing the Refinancing, the Company and the Operating Partnership individually entered into Amended and Restated Guaranty Agreements with Rutledge, each dated as of February 18, 2022 (each, a “Guaranty Agreement”) whereby they are required to unconditionally guarantee AFCO's obligations under the Consolidated Loan, and AFCO entered into that certain Consolidated of Notes and Modification and Extension Agreement with Rutledge, dated as of February 18, 2022 (the “Modification Agreement,” and together with the Consolidated Loan Agreement and the Guaranty Agreements, the “Refinancing Agreements”). As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the $112.0 million was fully drawn on the Consolidated Loan.

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The interest rate for the Consolidated Loan is based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin for the Consolidated Loan will be 1.80% to 2.25%, depending on the applicable pricing level in effect. The Company previously paid a commitment fee to Rutledge equal to 0.50% of the aggregate principal

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amount of the Consolidated Loan. Generally, the Consolidated Loan Agreement contains terms consistent with the Legacy Rutledge Loans, including, among others, the representations and warranties, affirmative, negative and financial covenants and events of default. The Company will owe no prepayment penalty if it elects to repay the Consolidated Loan in full before the Maturity Date.

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The foregoing description of the Refinancing Agreements is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Refinancing Agreements, which are filed as Exhibits 10.26, 10.27, 10.28 and 10.29 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

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2021 Completed Acquisitions and Dispositions

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During 2021, we completed 12 asset acquisitions, consisting of 12 properties, in the Corn Belt, Delta and South, High Plains, Southeast and West Coast regions. Aggregate consideration for these acquisitions totaled $81.2 million of which $28.4 million was paid through the issuance of notes payable. No intangible assets were acquired through these acquisitions. We also completed 12 dispositions consisting of 20 properties in the Corn Belt, Delta and South and Southeast regions. The Company received cash consideration for these dispositions totaling $70.6 million in cash consideration and $2.4 million of convertible notes receivable (which was subsequently converted to membership interests in the OZ Fund on July 16, 2021), and recognized an aggregate gain on sale of $9.3 million.

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Stock Repurchases

During 2021, we repurchased no shares of our common stock and 25,073 shares of our Series B Participating Preferred Stock for $0.7 million at an average price of $25.92 per share.

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Redemption of Series B Participating Preferred Stock

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On October 4, 2021, the Company converted all 5,806,797 shares of the outstanding Series B Participating Preferred Stock into shares of common stock. Each share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock was converted into 2.0871798 shares of common stock, or 12,119,829 shares of common stock in total, less any fractional shares.  Holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock received cash in lieu of fractional shares. As a result of the conversion, the Company recorded a $5.7 million deemed dividend to the Series B Participating Preferred stockholders, which represents the conversion value as of the conversion date less the carrying value as of October 4, 2021.

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Opportunity Zone Agreement

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On January 20, 2021, we entered into an agreement with Promised Land Opportunity Zone Farms I, LLC (the “OZ Fund”), a private investment fund focused on acquiring and improving farmland in qualified opportunity zones in the United States ("QOZs"), as designated under U.S. tax provisions enacted in 2017. On March 5, 2021, the Company sold 9 farms to the OZ Fund. On March 31, 2021, the Company sold an additional property to the OZ Fund. The Company received approximately $19.1 million in cash and approximately $2.4 million in convertible notes receivable (the “OZ Convertible Notes”). The OZ Convertible Notes had an interest rate of 1.35% and an aggregate principal balance of $2.4 million. On July 16, 2021, the Company provided notice to the OZ Fund that it was converting its OZ Convertible Notes, and accrued interest thereon, into membership interests in the OZ Fund, in accordance with the terms of the OZ Convertible Notes. The value of the conversion was $2.4 million and the Company’s membership interests in the OZ Fund was approximately 7.6% upon conversion and increased to 9.97% as of December 31, 2021 after subsequent capital contributions. Please refer to “Note 4 – Related Party Transactions.” The OZ Fund has the option to purchase additional properties from the Company.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

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We are gaining a better understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the recovery relative to 2020. Gasoline consumption (and therefore ethanol, and its input product, corn) increased in 2021 over 2020, when consumption fell significantly because of the pandemic. Dining out (e.g., restaurants) increased in 2021 over 2020, when efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 included stay-at-home orders that led to significant changes in U.S. consumers' food-spending patterns. We are unable to quantify the ultimate impact of the pandemic on our business, as

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there are still significant uncertainties around the social and economic impact of the pandemic, and government responses.  In such trying times, we are proud to support the industry and hardworking farmers that feed the entire country.

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Factors That May Influence Future Results of Operations and Farmland Values

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The principal factors affecting our operating results and the value of our farmland include global demand for food relative to the global supply of food, farmland fundamentals and economic conditions in the markets in which we own farmland and our ability to increase or maintain rental revenues while controlling expenses. We are currently in an environment of rapidly appreciating land values, driven by, among other things, inflation fears, strong commodity prices and a positive outlook for farmer profitability.  Moreover, each year additional farmland in various portions of the world, including the United States, is repurposed for commercial development, thus decreasing the land acreage available for production of permanent and specialty crops necessary to feed the world’s growing population.  Although farmland prices may show a decline from time to time, we believe that any reduction in U.S. farmland values overall is likely to be short-lived as global demand for food and agricultural commodities typically exceeds global supply and quality farmland becomes more scarce.

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Demand

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We expect that global demand for food, driven primarily by significant increases in the gross domestic product (“GDP”) per capita and global population, will continue to be the key driver of farmland values. We expect that global demand for most crops will continue to grow to keep pace with global population growth. We also believe that growth in global GDP per capita, particularly in developing nations, will contribute significantly to increasing demand for primary crops. As global GDP per capita increases, the composition of daily caloric intake is expected to shift away from the direct consumption of primary crops toward animal-based proteins, which is expected to result in increased demand for primary crops as feed for livestock. We anticipate these factors will lead to either higher crop prices and/or higher yields and, therefore, higher rental rates on our farmland, as well as sustained growth in farmland values over the long term.

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According to “How to Feed the World in 2050,” a report by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (“UN FAO”), these factors are expected to require more than one billion additional tons of global annual grain production by 2050 to feed a global population in excess of 9 billion.  The projected growth in grain production represents a 43% increase from 2005-2007 levels and more than two times the 446 million tons of grain produced in the United States in 2014.  Furthermore, we believe that, as GDP per capita grows, a significant portion of additional household income is allocated to food and that once individuals increase consumption of, and spending on, higher quality food, they will strongly resist returning to their former dietary habits, resulting in greater inelasticity in the demand for food. As a result, we believe that, as global demand for food increases, rental rates on our farmland and the value of our farmland will increase over the long term. Global demand for corn and soybeans as inputs in the production of biofuels such as ethanol and soy diesel also could impact the prices of corn and soybeans, which, in the long term, could impact our rental revenues and our results of operations. The success of our long-term business strategy is not dependent on growth in demand for biofuels, and we do not believe that demand for corn and soybeans as inputs in the production of biofuels will materially impact our results of operations or the value of our farmland, primarily because we believe that growth in global population and GDP per capita will be more significant drivers of global demand for primary crops over the long term.

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Despite advances in income, according to “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,” a report by the UN FAO, 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020.

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Supply

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Global supply of agricultural commodities is driven by two primary factors, the number of tillable acres available for crop production and the productivity of the acres being farmed. Although the amount of global cropland in use has gradually increased over time, growth has plateaued over the last 20 years. Typically additions to cropland are in areas of marginal productivity, while cropland loss, driven by urban development, tends to affect primarily highly productive areas. Cropland area continues to increase in developing countries, but after accounting for expected continuing cropland loss, the UN FAO projects only 173 million acres will be added from 2005-2007 to 2050, an approximate 5% increase. In comparison, world population is expected to grow over the same period to 9.1 billion, a nearly 40% increase. According

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to the World Bank Group arable land per capita has decreased by approximately 50% from 1961 to 2018. While we expect growth in the global supply of arable land, we also expect that landowners will only put that land into production if increases in commodity prices and the value of farmland cause landowners to benefit economically from using the land for farming rather than alternative uses. We also believe that decreases in the amount of arable land in the United States and globally as a result of increasing urbanization will partially offset the impact of additional supply of farmland. Additionally, we believe that farmland lost to urban development disproportionately impacts higher quality farmland. According to a study published in 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, urban expansion is expected to take place on cropland that is 1.77 times more productive than the global average. The global supply of food is also impacted by the productivity per acre of tillable land. Historically, productivity gains (measured by average crop yields) have been driven by advances in seed technology, farm equipment, irrigation techniques, and improvements in soil health, chemical nutrients and pest control. Furthermore, we expect the increasing shortage of water in many irrigated growing regions in the United States and other growing regions around the globe, often as a result of new water restrictions imposed by laws or regulations, to lead to decreased productivity growth on many acres and, in some cases, cause yields to decline on those acres.

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Conditions in Our Existing Markets

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