Many factors—urbanization, rural amenities, government payment
programs, and others—contribute to the value of land in rural
areas. As an expert on these issues, especially the effects of urban
influence on farmland values, Charles Barnard was
recently recognized as USDA Economist of the Year by the USDA Economists
Group for his outstanding leadership in producing significant research
on land values issues. Charles’ research has covered all aspects
of rural land economics, including farm real estate assets, farm
commodity program payments, urban influence, farmland protection
programs, and rural amenities. Most recently, he led the team that
wrote Farmland Protection: The
Role of Public Preferences for Rural Amenities.
