As investors continue to look for safe and productive returns on their dollars, increasingly they are turning to land. That’s been good for area farmers. Recently, a 77.5 acre tract southeast of Pella in Mahaska County sold in a sealed-bid auction for more than $15,000 per acre. Marion County Farm Services Agency Director Angie Vos says this has been the trend as stocks and other traditional investment options continue to face uncertainty. Vos says these high prices also make it more difficult for people to get into farming, creating a high barrier to entry. Those 77.5 acres carry with them a Corn Suitability Rating of 81, considerably higher than the county average of 68.2