California Farming CEO Flags Investment Pitfalls, Urges Sustainable Focus

The sixth-generation farmer said most institutional investors in California farmland focus on almonds, a crop that struggles in other regions.

Dead almond trees lie in an open field after being removed due to a lack of water for irrigation, in Huron, a town in the drought-stricken Central Valley, Calif., on July 23, 2021. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

California is the nation’s undisputed leader in agricultural production and a hotspot for institutional farmland investors. However, investing in farmland—especially in California—comes with many pitfalls, the CEO of a farming company recently warned, citing rising bankruptcies in recent years.

He also called for sustainable investor behavior so the state can maintain its productivity and deliver long-term profits for investors.

Farming Powerhouse

The Golden State produces about half of all the vegetables grown in the United States, and more than three-quarters of the nation’s fruits and nuts come from its sun-drenched soil, according to a report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture.