Strong Dollar Weighs on Rural Economy. Rural bankers saw a continued decline in both the rural economy and farmland prices over the past month. The strong U.S. dollar is making U.S. corn less attractive on the global market. The glut of corn and soybeans harvested in 2014 continues to weigh heavily on their respective prices. The stabilization of U.S. farmland prices has increased investor interest in farmland with investors purchasing a slightly larger number of acres than eight months ago. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), an index which ranges from 0 to 100 with 50.0 representing growth neutral, …READ MORE
