Farmland investing used to be the kind of thing you inherited from a grandparent, bought after decades in agriculture, or discussed at a diner where everyone knew the price of soybeans before the weather forecast. Today, platforms like AcreTrader and FarmTogether let accredited investors buy fractional exposure to U.S. farmland without personally fixing irrigation lines, negotiating crop leases, or learning why tractors cost more than some starter homes.
That sounds wonderfully simple, but farmland is still a real asset with real risks. It is not a savings account wearing overalls. It is typically illiquid, long-term, dependent on land values and farm income, and offered through private securities structures that are generally available only to accredited investors. In other words, the corn may be passive, but your due diligence should not be.
This in-depth comparison of AcreTrader vs. FarmTogether explains how each farmland investing platform works, where they differ on fees, minimums, liquidity, investment selection, risk, and investor fit. If you are considering alternative investments, passive farmland income, real asset diversification, or agriculture investing, this guide will help you decide which platform deserves a spot on your research list.
Why Farmland Investing Has Become Popular
Farmland has attracted more attention because it offers something many portfolios lack: exposure to a tangible asset tied to food production. People may delay buying a new car, cancel a streaming service, or pretend the gym membership was “for research,” but food demand does not disappear. That gives farmland a unique role among alternative investments.
U.S. farmland values have also shown long-term appreciation. USDA data for 2025 placed average U.S. farm real estate value at $4,350 per acre, up 4.3% from 2024. Cropland values averaged $5,830 per acre, while pastureland averaged $1,920 per acre. Those national averages hide major regional differences, but they show why investors watch farmland closely. Land is finite, productive land is more finite, and high-quality farmland in strong growing regions can be especially competitive.
Investors usually seek farmland returns from two sources: annual income and long-term appreciation. Annual income may come from rent paid by farmers, crop revenue, or operating income depending on the management structure. Appreciation comes from the land becoming more valuable over time. The appeal is simple: own the dirt, collect potential cash flow, and hope the dirt becomes more expensive. Wall Street could never make it sound that rustic.
AcreTrader Overview
AcreTrader is a farmland real estate investment platform founded in 2018 and based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It focuses on giving accredited investors access to fractional farmland ownership through online offerings. Instead of buying an entire farm, investors typically buy shares in an entity, often an LLC, that owns a specific farm property.
How AcreTrader Works
AcreTrader reviews farmland opportunities, performs underwriting, and selects a small portion of properties for investment. Each farm is generally placed into a single-purpose entity. Investors buy shares in that entity, and AcreTrader handles administration, farm management coordination, insurance, accounting, and investor updates.
The platform’s return model is usually based on two components: cash distributions from farm income, when available, and potential appreciation when the property is sold. AcreTrader’s materials commonly describe target holding periods around five to ten years, although actual exits can occur earlier or later depending on market conditions and property strategy.
AcreTrader Minimum Investment and Fees
AcreTrader investment minimums vary by offering. Historically, many individual farm opportunities have started around $10,000 to $25,000, though exact minimums depend on the deal. AcreTrader’s public materials describe a flat annual administration fee of 0.75% of overall farm value, typically deducted from farm income before distributions. Some offerings may also include closing costs, transaction expenses, or deal-specific fees disclosed in the private placement materials.
The important lesson: do not rely on a single fee number from a blog post, including this one. Read each offering document like your future accountant is watching, because fees can materially affect net returns.
Who AcreTrader May Fit Best
AcreTrader may appeal to accredited investors who want to choose individual properties, compare specific farms, and build a farmland portfolio one deal at a time. It is especially attractive for investors who like property-level transparency: location, crop type, lease terms, projected returns, soil quality, water considerations, and exit strategy.
The trade-off is concentration. If you invest in one farm, you are exposed to that farm’s geography, tenant, crop economics, weather patterns, and market timing. Diversification may require multiple offerings, which means more capital and more tax paperwork. Farmland may be peaceful, but Schedule K-1 season can still kick down the door wearing muddy boots.
FarmTogether Overview
FarmTogether is another farmland investment platform focused on accredited investors. It offers several ways to access U.S. farmland, including crowdfunded offerings, a diversified Sustainable Farmland Fund, and bespoke opportunities for larger investors.
How FarmTogether Works
FarmTogether sources and manages farmland investments, with an emphasis on institutional-style underwriting, sustainability, and specialty agriculture. Its crowdfunded offerings allow investors to participate in individual farm deals, while the Sustainable Farmland Fund provides diversified exposure through a single allocation.
FarmTogether’s public materials show crowdfunded farmland offerings starting at $15,000. Its Sustainable Farmland Fund currently starts at $50,000 and offers a 2-year lock-up followed by quarterly liquidity, subject to fund terms and limitations. Bespoke offerings are designed for much larger investors and may start in the multimillion-dollar range.
FarmTogether Fees and Investment Structures
FarmTogether’s fees vary by product and property type. For crowdfunded row crop deals, public materials have shown one-time fees around 1% and annual management fees around 0.75% to 1.0%. For permanent crop offerings, such as fruit, citrus, or tree nuts, fees may be higher, including one-time fees up to 4%, annual management fees up to 2%, and performance fees tied to operating revenue. Exact fees depend on the private placement memorandum for each offering.
This fee variety reflects a key difference in farmland strategy. Row crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat are often lease-based and may offer simpler income structures. Permanent crops like almonds, apples, citrus, or pistachios can involve more active management, higher operating complexity, and potentially higher return targets. Translation: corn is not an almond, financially or emotionally.
Who FarmTogether May Fit Best
FarmTogether may fit accredited investors who want multiple product options. If you want individual farm selection, the crowdfunding model offers that. If you prefer diversified exposure through one vehicle, the Sustainable Farmland Fund may be more convenient. If you are a family office or high-net-worth investor seeking a customized farmland allocation, the bespoke model gives FarmTogether another lane.
AcreTrader vs. FarmTogether: Quick Comparison
| Feature | AcreTrader | FarmTogether |
|---|---|---|
| Investor eligibility | Generally accredited investors | Accredited investors |
| Primary model | Fractional ownership in individual farmland entities | Crowdfunded deals, diversified fund, bespoke offerings |
| Typical minimum | Often around $10,000 to $25,000, depending on offering | $15,000 for crowdfunding; $50,000 for Sustainable Farmland Fund |
| Fees | Often 0.75% annual administration fee plus deal expenses | Varies by crop and product; may include one-time, annual, and performance fees |
| Liquidity | Generally long-term and illiquid; individual deals often target multi-year holds | Crowdfunded deals are illiquid; fund has 2-year lock-up then quarterly liquidity subject to terms |
| Best for | Investors who want to select individual farms | Investors who want product flexibility and diversified fund access |
Key Differences Between AcreTrader and FarmTogether
1. Investment Selection
AcreTrader feels more like a property-by-property marketplace. You review individual farms, study the offering details, and decide which specific asset fits your goals. For investors who enjoy picking deals, this can be satisfying. You can compare a rice farm with a corn property, a timber opportunity, or another agricultural asset and build your own farmland basket.
FarmTogether also offers individual deals, but its broader product lineup makes it more flexible. The Sustainable Farmland Fund is especially useful for investors who prefer a professionally diversified structure rather than choosing each farm manually. If AcreTrader is more like building your own produce box, FarmTogether can be more like choosing between the produce box, the farm stand, and a private chef.
2. Diversification
Diversification is one of the biggest practical issues in farmland investing. A single farm can be a high-quality asset and still face localized risks: drought, flood, tenant problems, water restrictions, crop disease, regional price weakness, or a delayed exit. Investors who buy one offering should understand that they are not buying “the farmland market.” They are buying one slice of it.
AcreTrader investors can diversify by investing across multiple farms, regions, crop types, and operators. However, this may require substantial capital. FarmTogether’s fund structure may make diversification easier with one investment, though it comes with its own fund-level terms, fees, and liquidity rules.
3. Liquidity
Liquidity is where farmland politely reminds investors that it is land, not a stock ticker. You generally cannot click a button at 10:31 a.m. and sell an orchard by lunch. AcreTrader individual offerings are typically long-term and illiquid, with expected holding periods often around five to ten years. FarmTogether crowdfunded deals are also generally illiquid.
FarmTogether’s Sustainable Farmland Fund provides a more structured liquidity feature: a 2-year lock-up followed by quarterly liquidity, subject to fund limitations. That does not make it as liquid as an ETF, but it may be more flexible than a single-property private placement.
4. Fees
AcreTrader’s fee structure is comparatively easy to understand, with a commonly cited 0.75% annual administration fee for many offerings. FarmTogether’s fee structure varies more widely because its offerings may include different crop types and management models. Permanent crops can be more operationally intensive, and that complexity may show up in fees.
Neither platform should be judged only by headline fees. Investors should compare projected net returns after fees, the quality of the property, leverage assumptions, exit strategy, risk factors, and whether the manager’s incentives align with investors.
5. Tax Paperwork
Many fractional farmland investments are structured through entities taxed as partnerships, which can mean Schedule K-1 forms. K-1s are not scary, but they are also not exactly beach reading. Investors should ask whether each investment may create state tax filing obligations, when tax documents are expected, and whether a fund structure simplifies reporting compared with multiple individual deals.
Risks Investors Should Understand
Farmland has attractive qualities, but it is not risk-free. Private farmland offerings can be speculative, illiquid, and suitable only for investors who can tolerate long holding periods and possible loss of capital. Risks may include crop prices, weather, water access, tenant performance, operating expenses, interest rates, regulatory changes, environmental issues, and exit timing.
Accredited investor status is also not a magic shield. The SEC definition generally includes individuals with net worth over $1 million excluding a primary residence, or income over $200,000 individually or $300,000 with a spouse or partner in each of the prior two years with a reasonable expectation of the same for the current year. Meeting that standard means you may be eligible. It does not mean every deal is suitable.
Which Platform Is Better?
There is no universal winner in the AcreTrader vs. FarmTogether debate. The better platform depends on how you want farmland exposure.
Choose AcreTrader if you want a straightforward way to review and select individual farm investments, prefer property-level decision-making, and are comfortable building diversification across multiple offerings over time.
Choose FarmTogether if you want access to both individual farmland offerings and a diversified fund option, like the idea of sustainability-focused farmland management, or prefer a structure with potential quarterly liquidity after an initial lock-up.
For some investors, the answer may be neither. A publicly traded farmland REIT, agriculture-focused ETF, commodity exposure, or traditional real estate investment may be more appropriate if liquidity, lower minimums, or simpler tax reporting matter more than direct private farmland ownership.
Practical Example
Imagine an accredited investor with $75,000 allocated to alternative investments. If that investor chooses AcreTrader, they might split the capital across three or four individual farms, depending on minimums and availability. That creates direct exposure but still leaves concentration risk.
With FarmTogether, the same investor might put $50,000 into the Sustainable Farmland Fund and reserve $25,000 for one individual crowdfunded deal. That could provide broader diversification plus one property-specific opportunity. The better choice depends on the investor’s preference for control, liquidity, reporting, and manager selection.
Final Verdict
AcreTrader and FarmTogether both make farmland investing more accessible than buying a farm outright. AcreTrader shines for investors who want a clean, deal-by-deal farmland marketplace. FarmTogether stands out for its broader menu, especially its diversified Sustainable Farmland Fund.
Farmland can add useful diversification to a portfolio, but it requires patience. This is not the asset class for money you may need next year, emergency funds, or cash reserved for a house down payment. Farmland investing is more like planting a tree than flipping a switch. The tree may grow beautifully, but it will not care about your quarterly liquidity needs unless the offering documents say so.
Investor Experience: What It Feels Like to Compare AcreTrader and FarmTogether
Reading about farmland investing is one thing. Comparing actual platforms is another. The first experience many investors have with AcreTrader or FarmTogether is surprise: the dashboards feel modern, the offerings are polished, and the investment thesis is easy to understand. Then the documents arrive, and suddenly you remember that “simple idea” does not mean “simple security.”
A practical investor experience starts with the minimum investment. AcreTrader may show individual offerings with different minimums, which makes the platform feel flexible but also dependent on available deal flow. Some months may have several interesting farms; other times, the right opportunity may not be live. FarmTogether’s $15,000 crowdfunding minimum is clear, while the $50,000 fund minimum may appeal to investors who want broader exposure without assembling a farm portfolio one property at a time.
The next experience is comparing crops. Row crops often feel easier to understand because the lease model can resemble real estate rent. A farmer pays rent, the landowner receives income, and everyone hopes the soil keeps doing soil things. Permanent crops require more study. Orchards and vineyards may offer compelling economics, but they can involve tree maturity, harvest timing, water needs, labor availability, crop quality, and operating execution. That does not make them bad. It makes them less “set it and forget it.”
Investors also notice the emotional difference between public and private markets. With a stock, price changes show up constantly. With farmland, valuations update less frequently, and the investment may feel calmer. That calm can be helpful, but it can also hide discomfort. If you cannot sell easily, you need to be comfortable not knowing the daily market price. Farmland’s quietness is not the same as safety; sometimes it is just illiquidity wearing a sun hat.
Another real-world experience is paperwork. Private farmland investments may generate K-1s, and multiple properties can mean multiple documents. Investors who value clean tax reporting should compare whether a fund structure simplifies administration. This is not the glamorous part of alternative investing, but neither is cleaning a combine, and both still matter.
Due diligence is where the comparison becomes personal. A detail-oriented investor may enjoy AcreTrader’s individual farm model because each offering can be studied like a mini real estate deal. What is the soil rating? Who is the tenant? What is the water situation? What are nearby comparable sales? What exit assumptions are being used? A more hands-off investor may prefer FarmTogether’s fund approach, where diversification and selection are delegated to the manager.
The best experience comes from treating both platforms as research tools, not vending machines for yield. Read the offering memorandum. Compare projected returns with actual risk. Ask what could go wrong. Understand whether returns depend mostly on rent, crop income, appreciation, or a successful sale. Then decide whether the investment fits your broader financial plan.
In the end, AcreTrader and FarmTogether are not just competing websites. They represent two slightly different ways to access the same timeless asset: productive land. One gives investors a strong individual-deal flavor. The other offers more structure variety. The smartest choice is not the platform with the prettiest farm photos. It is the one whose terms, risks, liquidity, fees, and strategy match your goals after the novelty of owning “a piece of a farm” wears off.
Conclusion
AcreTrader vs. FarmTogether is ultimately a comparison between individual-control farmland investing and multi-structure farmland investing. AcreTrader is appealing for investors who want to pick specific farms and understand each deal at the property level. FarmTogether is appealing for investors who want individual deals plus a diversified fund option and broader product flexibility.
Both platforms can help accredited investors access farmland without buying an entire property. Both require careful review of fees, liquidity limits, risk factors, and tax implications. Farmland can be a powerful long-term diversifier, but it should be approached with patience, skepticism, and a willingness to read documents longer than a tractor manual.
Note: This article is educational content, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Platform terms, fees, minimums, and offerings can change. Investors should review current offering documents and consult qualified advisors before investing.
