date:May 31, 2012
quarter of 2012 compared with the first quarter of 2011 -- a shade down from the year-over-year increases of the past three quarters.
Just as elsewhere in farm country, sustained higher grain prices have had a lot to do with the bullishness in the land sector and farmers' general financial standing. Recent sluggishness in both the crop and livestock sectors is starting to feed speculation among ag lenders that the next few months could see a slide.
Upward pressures eased early in 2012. The US