01 Nov 2025

God's Acre: The Unlikely Landlord Dominating Illinois Farmland

The iconic family farm no longer defines Illinois' landscape. The state's single largest agricultural landlord is now the Mormon Church, whose quiet, decades-long acquisition spree is part of a vast strategy blending long-term investment with a global religious mission.

Business & Economics Religion & Philosophy Society & Social Issues

The View from the Combine

Imagine the quintessential Illinois landscape: miles of corn and soybeans stretching to a flat horizon, punctuated by silos and the occasional farmhouse. For generations, the story of this land was written by families, their names etched on mailboxes at the end of long gravel drives. That story is changing. The single largest owner of this iconic American farmland isn’t a family dynasty or a corporate giant like Gates or Turner. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Quiet Kingdom of Corn

Through its sophisticated, for-profit agricultural arm, Farmland Reserve, Inc., the Salt Lake City-based church has systematically become the top agricultural landowner in the Prairie State. This ascent from notable presence to number one was not the result of a single, dramatic land grab, but a patient, decades-long strategy of quiet acquisition. That quiet period, however, was punctuated by a thunderclap in early 2024. Farmland Reserve finalized a colossal $289 million purchase from The Scoular Co., acquiring nearly 42,000 acres of prime farmland across Illinois and neighboring states. This single transaction cemented its status and brought a long-simmering reality to public attention.

Not Just Illinois

This accumulation is not isolated to the Midwest. The church is a national agricultural powerhouse, ranked by The Land Report as one of the largest private landowners in the entire United States. Its holdings are vast and varied, from cattle ranches in Florida to nut orchards in California. The Illinois properties are simply a particularly valuable jewel in a much larger crown, a portfolio managed with the explicit goal of long-term stability and growth.

The Two-Fold Harvest

To understand the church’s motivation, one must look beyond a simple balance sheet. The strategy is built on two core principles that merge the sacred with the secular.

A Foundation of Finance

First and foremost, farmland is a remarkably stable investment. It's a tangible asset that serves as a powerful hedge against inflation and market volatility. Unlike publicly traded companies, the value of fertile ground does not typically vanish overnight. Farmland Reserve operates as a patient, buy-and-hold investor, not a speculative flipper. They are known within agricultural communities as responsible stewards of the land, often leasing their properties back to local farmers. Their timeline isn’t quarterly returns; it’s generational security.

A Mandate of Providence

The second pillar is theological. The church has a long-held doctrine of self-reliance and preparedness. These farms are the physical embodiment of that belief. They underpin a massive global welfare and humanitarian aid program, providing commodities for the church’s network of bishops’ storehouses, which in turn distribute food to the needy. In this light, the fields of Illinois are more than an asset; they are a reserve, a buffer against future famine or crisis, ensuring the institution can care for its members and others in times of need.

The New Face of the American Farm

The rise of the Mormon Church as a top landowner signals a profound shift in the American heartland. It represents the growing power of institutional investors—even faith-based ones—in a sector once defined by individuals. While the church may be a benevolent landlord focused on soil health and community relationships, its sheer scale changes the dynamics of land ownership and access for smaller farmers. The story of Illinois farmland is now a complex narrative of faith, finance, and food security, playing out on a scale that the original homesteaders could never have imagined.