From the Fresno Bee:

In one of the worst real estate markets in history, one type of property has held its value and is now becoming red hot: farmland.

Amid a surge in commodity prices and tightening land supplies, farmland prices are rising fast in the Valley and nationwide.

Just last year, an acre of farmland in Fresno County went for about $11,000. Now it's risen nearly 20% to about $13,000.

The demand for farmland has become so intense that it's getting tougher for farmers to find and, in some cases, afford property. And farmers aren't the only ones looking for good ground. Institutional investors have taken a renewed interest in farmland, largely because of rising crop prices.

For more, see: It's a sellers' market for Valley farmland