What drives farmland value in Northern California
Two parcels with the same acreage can be worth very different amounts. These are the things we look at, in the order they usually matter.
Water
Reliable irrigation is the largest single factor. District supply, wells, river rights, or a combination. Properties with dual sources (surface and groundwater) are generally more desirable, and groundwater-only ground should be looked at in the light of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Soils and crops
Soil class and Storie index ratings tell you what the ground can grow. What is actually planted matters too: age, variety and production history for orchards, rotation for row crops, forage and carrying capacity for pasture.
Layout and improvements
Rectangular, level fields farm efficiently. Wells, pumps, underground mainlines, corrals, packing sheds and housing all add to or subtract from value depending on condition.
What is recorded against the land
Leases, the Williamson Act, conservation easements, flood zone and zoning can each add or take away value. They are often the difference between two properties that look the same on a map.
Market evidence
We appraise and we broker, so we see both what land is worth on paper and what it actually closes for. Our closed sales are public on this site; they show the range from a $250,000 half interest in 79 acres to a $22.4 million rice drying facility with 835 acres of rice ground.
Closing prices are shown as published in our closed-sales list. They are not an appraisal of any other property.