Ben Palen

About Ben Palen

I lead Farrelly Mitchell’s North American operations and bring more than 35 years of hands-on experience in sustainable food, agriculture, farmland investment, and agribusiness management across the US and international markets. My expertise spans large scale land development, irrigation planning, precision farming, and optimization of agricultural assets. Over my career, I have advised family offices, institutional investors, and multi-national agribusinesses in building resilient agricultural enterprises. My work has taken me across North America, the Middle East, and Africa, where I have delivered projects involving everything from modern irrigation systems to integrated farm infrastructure and technology deployment. I have co-managed a US $200 million agribusiness in Saudi Arabia, overseeing operations on acres and delivering measurable gains in crop yields, cost efficiency, and water savings. I also played a key role with respect to a acre irrigation project in Zimbabwe. Holding a law degree from Northwestern, and having begun my career at Milbank, and Merrill Lynch, I bring a valuable legal and financial perspective to projects. I have led detailed due diligence exercises, negotiated complex land and water rights transactions, and built data-driven systems for zone mapping, water budgeting, and climate smart farming. As a regular contributor and speaker at international food and agribusiness conferences, I am known for my insights into farmland markets, sustainable land use, and the emerging role of agriculture in carbon and natural capital markets. By combining strategic advisory skills with deep technical knowledge I serve as a trusted partner for clients seeking to enhance the value, resilience, and sustainability of their agricultural investments.

Experience

1. Regional Director, North America

   Farrelly Mitchell

   Jun 2025 — Present · Lawrence, KS, US

Education

• The University of Kansas

  Bachelors

• Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

  Jd