In this episode of Growing the Future Productions, Dan Aberhart sits down with Ted Cawkwell, the #1 RE/MAX farmland realtor in the world and founder of The Cawkwell Group, for a grounded conversation about liquidity, structure, and long-term positioning in today’s farmland market. Land values remain historically strong, but credit conditions are tightening and capital is becoming more selective. Ted shares what he’s seeing inside real-time farmland transactions — where pressure shows up first, how strategic sales differ from forced ones, and why liquidity often matters more than legacy in uncertain cycles. This is a practical discussion for farm owners thinking about timing, resilience, and protecting long-term value.
Liquidity & Legacy
With Ted Cawkwell, The Cawkwell Group
Farm balance sheets may look strong on paper. But beneath the surface, lending behavior is changing, capital is more disciplined, and the margin for error is narrowing.
In this live conversation, Dan and Ted discuss:
Why profitable farms can still experience financial pressure
The difference between strategic sales and forced sales
How liquidity issues surface before they become obvious
What well-prepared farm operations tend to have in common
Why “just hold the land” isn’t always a complete strategy
Ted works directly with farm families, lenders, and advisors across Western Canada and beyond. As the #1 RE/MAX farmland realtor globally, he has been involved in hundreds of farmland transactions and sees patterns long before they become headlines.
This episode is not about predictions. It’s about structure, positioning, and understanding how capital behaves when conditions shift.
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & why this conversation matters
02:30 – Market sentiment vs. reality on farmland values
06:45 – What’s changed recently in buyer and seller behavior
12:30 – Profitability, cash flow, and leverage pressures
18:00 – Liquidity vs. legacy: real tradeoffs
26:00 – Investor behavior, rental land, and capital availability
34:00 – Risk, balance sheets, and selling strategically
42:00 – Productive vs. marginal land dynamics
50:30 – Perspective, cycles, and long-term thinking