Very thought provoking. As our forefathers were European, I suspect they were mesmerized by the abundance of quality farm land in the new world.

Today in parts of Canada, there are ranching and agricultural regions that have been bought up by ex-pat Germans. The area around 100 Mile House British Columbia comes to mind. You can visit local stores and hear German spoken.

During tourist season there are daily flights from Frankfurt to Whitehorse Yukon. Owning farmland in Europe is now out of reach for the middle class person.

Everything is supply and demand.