Blogs by Daran Becker
June 3, 2026
How DoD Changes Are Affecting Wind Energy Project Timelines
Recent Department of Defense review changes are delaying wind energy project approvals. Learn how these shifts affect timelines and what landowners need to consider.
May 21, 2026
Factors Appraisers Consider When Valuing Agricultural Land in Iowa
From soil productivity and drainage to interest rates and tract size, discover the key factors Iowa farmland appraisers use to determine agricultural land value — and why no two farms are priced the same.
March 20, 2026
Energy Market Update: Oil Prices Surge Amid Middle East Instability
Oil and gas prices are rising as geopolitical tensions disrupt supply chains and shipping routes. Learn what’s driving volatility, including Strait of Hormuz risks, production cuts, and global market reactions.
March 2, 2026
Interconnection Queue Explained: What Renewable Energy Landowners Need to Know
Learn how the interconnection queue affects solar, wind, and battery leases. Understand grid studies, upgrade costs, timelines, and the risks that determine whether your renewable energy project reaches construction.
January 23, 2026
Pooling Orders Explained: A Mineral Owner’s Step-by-Step Guide
Learn what a pooling order is, which states allow them, how mineral owners are notified, and what actions to take within strict deadlines to protect your mineral interests and value.
December 11, 2025
The Strategic Power of Sealed Bid Land Auctions
See how sealed bid land auctions create strong competition, protect privacy, and help sellers capture true market value. Learn how formats, psychology, and professional guidance shape results.
November 26, 2025
Wind Repowering: What Landowners Should Know About New Negotiation Opportunities
Across the country, thousands of wind turbines installed in the early 2000s are reaching the end of their original design life. Instead of retiring these projects, many developers are choosing to repower them, replacing older equipment with taller towers, longer blades, and more efficient technology.
November 18, 2025
The Life Cycle of a Farmland Appraisal | Understanding How Appraisers Determine Land Value
Explore how farmland appraisers determine value. Learn each step—from engagement and research to inspection and valuation methods—to understand what drives a credible farmland appraisal.
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October 16, 2025
Valuing Improved Rural Sites: Understanding Appraisal Realities and Market Considerations
Discover how rural building sites are valued, why specialized improvements may not add worth, and how appraisals determine the highest and best use.
August 28, 2025
What Landowners Need to Know: Renewable Energy Leases After the OBBBA
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has changed the future of renewable energy projects. See how shortened tax credit deadlines and rising power prices impact lease negotiations, and why farmland owners may see growing demand for battery storage.
June 30, 2025
Maximizing Farmland Value: Solar Lease or Let it Grow?
As solar energy expands across rural America, landowners are increasingly receiving enticing offers to lease their land for solar development.
March 12, 2025
Factors That Affect the Value of Agricultural Land: A Complete Guide for Buyers and Sellers
The value of agricultural land is influenced by several factors, from soil quality to market demand. Whether you’re buying, selling, or appraising farmland, understanding these elements can help you make informed decisions. In this blog, we’ll explore the most critical factors affecting farmland prices and how they impact land valuation.
February 20, 2025
Timberland as an Investment Strategy: A Long-Term Asset for Growth and Stability
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.
November 26, 2024
How Professional Imagery, Mapping, and Videography Elevate a Real Estate Listing
In the highly competitive real estate market, first impressions matter. With more buyers and investors turning to online platforms to discover properties, the visual presentation of a listing can make all the difference. High-quality imagery, mapping, and videography are no longer optional add-ons but essential tools for attracting potential buyers. These tools provide a deeper understanding of the property, build emotional connections, and ultimately drive faster and higher-value sales. Let’s explore how these elements work together to elevate real estate listings, especially when dealing with properties like farmland, large estates, or development tracts.
October 28, 2024
Market Insights from the Asset Database
Farmland can be a difficult asset class to participate in as there are significant barriers to entry, one of which is sourcing quality farmland for sale in a highly dynamic market. For the Farmland Investor, access to quality deal flow is essential for building your portfolio.
October 10, 2024
Investing in Recreational Land: A Guide to Smart Land Purchases
Are you considering investing in land for recreational purposes? Whether you're dreaming of a secluded hunting retreat, a serene fishing spot, or simply a piece of nature to call your own, purchasing recreational land can be a rewarding investment.
September 30, 2024
Digitization in the Farmland Transaction and Asset Management Business
The business of farmland transactions and asset management is digitizing quickly. Twenty years ago, a farmland professional needed to take a trip to the local USDA NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) office to get a soil map for a farmland asset. The NRCS staff would use the USDA farm and tract number to find the asset in a binder, pull the page(s) with the map, and run the pages through the copying machine to produce hard copies of the map.
June 13, 2024
Eminent Domain Valuation
Farmland owners face several challenges to ownership related to utility companies, pipeline companies, highways, and others who need to acquire property for a potential new corridor through their land. There are increasing demands for power and energy sources which is leading to increased demands from agencies needing to acquire land. It is important for landowners and companies that need to acquire a corridor to understand the process of completing appraisals for eminent domain purposes.
June 6, 2024
Carinata: A Promising Winter Crop in the Southeast U.S.
Wind and solar energy get significant attention as key renewable energy sources as the country diversifies from fossil fuels. Just as significant is the biofuels sector, where ongoing plant breeding research aims to increase yield and enhance production sustainability for biofuel feedstock.
April 3, 2024
2024 Planting Season
With planting season right around the corner, Peoples Company wanted to take this opportunity to remind growers of the upcoming important dates revolving around this next stage of the crop insurance cycle. Initial planting dates, replanting, and prevent planting are important topics to discuss during this time of year and play an important role in MPCI coverage moving forward after the sales closing deadline.
