America’s Biggest Owner Of Farmland Is Now Bill Gates

https://thepremierdaily.com/americas-biggest-owner-farmland/?J933GhEbr=5ryLvqAhEspON

 

 We all know that billionaire Bill Gates is interested in tech, science, and philanthropy. Did you know, however, that he also has a vested interest in farmland? That’s right: Bill Gates now owns more farmland than anyone else in America.

 

On January 11, The Land Report released its list of the top five farmland owners in the United States. Sitting in the number one spot on this year’s list are Bill and Melinda Gates. (1)

The billionaire power couple, whose net worth is over $120 billion, owns 242,000 acres of American farmland. This makes them the top private owners of this type of land in the country. (1)

 

• Louisiana, 69,071 acres
• Arkansas, 47,927 acres
• Nebraska, 20, 588 acres

They also own 25,750 acres of transitional land west of Phoenix, Arizona. Other states that have Gates-owned farmland are (1):

• Washington
• Colorado
• Wyoming
• Idaho
• California
• New Mexico
• Wisconsin
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Indiana
• Mississippi
• Florida
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Michigan 

 The couple holds some of the lands directly, while other portions are held by Cascade Investments, Gates’ personal investment firm. 

 

Sustainability Minded

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in sustainability and sustainable agriculture for quite some time. The foundation pledged $300 million in 2008 towards research to help low-income farmers in Africa and Asia adapt to climate change. Another $40 million was donated the following year to other projects helping those farmers.