Peoples Perspective

When it comes to buying, selling, or managing agricultural land, accurate valuation is essential. Agricultural appraisers play a crucial role in ensuring that farmland transactions are conducted fairly and transparently. Their expertise helps buyers, sellers, financial institutions, and investors make informed decisions. This article explores the role of agricultural appraisers, their methods of valuation, and why their work is critical in land transactions.

Timberland as an investment strategy offers a unique combination of long-term value, inflation resistance, and income generation. Unlike stocks or bonds, timberland provides returns through biological tree growth, land appreciation, and timber sales, making it an attractive option for diversification. Challenges include market volatility, environmental risks, and liquidity issues, requiring strategic investment planning.

Peoples Company, a recognized leader in integrated land management, brokerage, appraisal, and energy solutions with offices across the nation, today announced it has acquired Wayne, Neb.-based Midwest Land Company and Plainfield, Iowa-based Roach Land Management. All clients from both firms have transitioned to Peoples Company, which is actively managing farmland in all major ag regions in the country.

The appraisal team at Peoples Company was able to track 76 tracts or 6,614 acres sold at public auction in Iowa during January 2025. The average dollar per acre was $11,295, the average dollar per tillable acre was $13,808, and the average dollar per CSR2 was $180.

Finding opportunities to maximize production on each farm while also protecting valuable natural resources is the core business of Peoples Company’s Land Management Team. What makes our work especially rewarding and challenging is that there is no simple solution to guarantee success. Even when a landowner and tenant farmer both want what is best for the farm, they may not see eye to eye on how to get there.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump initiated his second term with a series of executive actions aimed at reshaping U.S. energy policy. These decisions marked a significant departure from the previous administration's focus on renewable energy and climate change mitigation.

Peoples Company continues to lead the way in innovation within the agricultural real estate industry by exploring advanced technologies that enhance efficiency while maintaining the professionalism expected in our appraisal services. As part of this ongoing effort, we are in the testing phase of integrating AI technologies into our workflow. These tools have shown potential to streamline repetitive tasks, improve organization, and ensure precision in reporting. While AI plays a supportive role, the expertise and responsibility of certified appraisers remain central to every valuation.

In the January edition of the Landowner Insights series, Dr. Dave Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets covers key takeaways from the market over the past year, the regional view of farm incomes for 2025 and potential impacts and uncertainty from policy changes.

Peoples Company, a recognized leader in integrated land management, brokerage, appraisal, and energy solutions with offices across the nation, announced it has acquired Oswego-based Land Pro LLC. Effective on January 1, 2025, Land Pro LLC, its owner Ray Brownfield, and members of the Land Pro LLC staff became an affiliate of Peoples Company, harnessing the technology, expertise and capital markets resources of Peoples Company, while continuing to operate under the Land Pro LLC name. The acquisition grows Peoples Company’s presence in Illinois, having acquired The Atkins Group’s farmland management business and opening an Urbana, Illinois, office in March 2024.

Peoples Company, a recognized leader in integrated land management, brokerage, appraisal, and energy solutions with offices across the nation, today announced it acquired Lincoln-based United Farm and Ranch Management (UFARM). UFARM, a nearly 100-year-old land management company, will add 15 employees and four offices, along with more than 90,000 acres of farm and ranch land under management, to Peoples Company's growing team and portfolio.