 She says Columbia has a population of more than 50 million and its economy is poised for growth as inflation recedes. A certified appraiser based in the Upper Midwest says two factors are driving farmland values. Jeff Jens covers East Central Wisconsin for Compere Financial. Availability and location. He tells Brownfield the amount of available land continues to be tight. If a property comes up that's close by and you've had your eye on it for a while,