This week's featured stories

Who's buying Nebraska ag land?

  • Billionaire Bill Gates, known for buying farmland across the United States, recently purchased more than 22,000 acres of Nebraska ag lands.
    Billionaire Bill Gates, known for buying farmland across the United States, recently purchased more than 22,000 acres of Nebraska ag lands.
  • Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates currently owns $113 million worth of land in Nebraska.
    Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates currently owns $113 million worth of land in Nebraska.
  • The 146 acres of Hamilton County farm ground owned by Mt. Edna Farms, a shell company owned by billionaire Bill Gates, is in two adjoining parcels (outlined in red) near the intersection of Highway 34 and Nebraska 2.
    The 146 acres of Hamilton County farm ground owned by Mt. Edna Farms, a shell company owned by billionaire Bill Gates, is in two adjoining parcels (outlined in red) near the intersection of Highway 34 and Nebraska 2.
  • A center pivot near Gates' land in Antelope County, Nebraska. The billionaire owns land in 19 Nebraska counties. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga for the Flatwater Free Press)
    A center pivot near Gates' land in Antelope County, Nebraska. The billionaire owns land in 19 Nebraska counties. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga for the Flatwater Free Press)
  • The sign at the entrance to Rex Ranch. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, now owns this ranch and a total of at least 365,000 acres of Nebraska agricultural land. In the past five years, it is the No. 1 buyer of ag land by acre in Nebraska. (Photo by Carrie Ryan, courtesy of AgReserves)
    The sign at the entrance to Rex Ranch. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, now owns this ranch and a total of at least 365,000 acres of Nebraska agricultural land. In the past five years, it is the No. 1 buyer of ag land by acre in Nebraska. (Photo by Carrie Ryan, courtesy of AgReserves)

This week's ANR takes an in depth look into who is buying Nebraska ag land. 
First, a front page story by News Editor Ron Burtz provides reaction from local ag producers to the news that tech billionaire Bill Gates recently purchased 146 acres of agricultural property in western Hamilton County, as part of more than 22,000 acres he has acquired throughout the state in the last several years. Area farmers Keith Heuermann and Brandon Hunnicutt weigh in and give the pros and cons of land ownership by outside parties with lots of money to spend. 
In our weekly Ag Life section (pages A7-8), the non-profit newsroom, Flatwater Free Press provides an article looking at the totality of Gates's Nebraska land holdings and outlines the various ramifications of local property being purchased by an out-of-state billionaire.
Finally, another article by Flatwater Free Press on page A4 looks at the recent shopping spree by the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints which makes it the largest single land holder in Nebraska. 
Pick up the print or e-edition of this week's ANR for all the details.