Imperial Valley Grower Andrew Leimgruber Backs Trump Push to Limit China’s Farmland Buys
Andrew Leimgruber, a farmer from California’s Imperial Valley, is raising alarms over foreign ownership of American farmland, particularly by adversarial nations like China. According to Leimgruber, China has already acquired over 347,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land—an amount he sees as both an economic and national security risk.
“In my farming region alone, we have a naval air base, 50 miles of international border with Mexico, and sensitive infrastructure sites,” said Leimgruber. “It’s a national security issue. We shouldn’t have them owning ground anywhere near any of these bases.”
Leimgruber’s concern extends beyond defense infrastructure. He believes foreign land ownership undermines the values that make American agriculture successful: independence, stewardship, and family legacy.
“American farming is great because most of our farms are family-run and have been for generations,” he explained. “There’s a vested interest when the farmer owns his land. I just don’t think we’d have the same robust food supply if we were tenant farmers to a foreign country.”
The Trump administration has recently voiced its intention to investigate and address this growing issue. Leimgruber supports the initiative and urges stronger protections for American farmland.
“We need to be able to produce the food we need here at home,” he said. “It’s a real concern—and I’m glad someone is taking it seriously.”