Blogs by Setwise Agent

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.

For the May webinar in the Landowner Insights series, Peoples Company's Dr. Dave Muth characterizes the net zero economy impact on farmland returns.

When assessing new management farms, Peoples Company Land Managers seek to build farm-specific action plans to address each landowner’s goals, increasing long-term appreciation and maximizing annual cash yield.

Peoples Company, a recognized leader in integrated land management, brokerage, appraisal, and energy solutions with offices across the nation, today announced it has acquired The Atkins Group’s Farmland Management portfolio.

The Pacific Northwest stands as a beacon of environmental stewardship, and renewable energy plays a pivotal role in amplifying its positive impacts. With its lush forests, abundant rivers, and stunning coastlines, the region embodies a natural harmony that renewable energy technologies complement.

In the April edition of the Landowner Insights series, Dr. David Muth presented on market trends, economic drivers, and environmental policy impacting the farmland asset class as well as management strategies to regulate risk and optimize return.

In early April, I had the opportunity to join Peoples Company Delta Land Manager Julie Boggs and our 2024 Leading Harvest auditing team on managed farms in northern Louisiana.

Congratulations to Peoples Company agents Matt Adams, Steve Bruere, Adam Crist, and Travis Smock for each winning the coveted Land Star Top Performer Award in the Midwest Region! Their dedication and hard work haven't gone unnoticed, and this award is a well‑deserved recognition of their exceptional achievements in the land real estate market.

Please join Peoples Company for the latest installment of our webinar series "The Power of Energy Management: Unleashing Potential" with speakers Kayla Rowan, Mike Greczyn, Robert Wilson, and Blake Singleton.

Earlier this month OPEC+ announced it intends to continue production cuts through the second quarter of 2024. This announcement left forecasters at the EIA scrambling to adjust the Short-Term Energy Outlook stating, “We now forecast significantly less global oil production than world oil consumption through the first half of 2024, requiring draws on world petroleum stocks (inventory). Stock draws tend to increase oil prices.”

In this first webinar in the Landowner Insights series, Dr. David Muth of Peoples Company presented on market trends, economic drivers, and environmental policy impacting the farmland asset class as well as management strategies to regulate risk and optimize return.

Peoples Company, a national leader in land brokerage, agricultural appraisal, land and energy management, crop insurance, and capital markets, received top land auction honors at the REALTORS® Land Institute’s APEX Award ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. The APEX Awards, held in conjunction with The Land Report, is a top annual awards program designed to recognize excellence and performance of land sale professionals.

As of 2024, natural gas commodity prices have exhibited a dynamic and fluctuating trend influenced by various factors. One significant driver of prices has been the global demand-supply dynamics. Increased demand for natural gas, particularly in emerging economies, has contributed to upward pressure on prices.

The supply and demand market of agriculture that creates cashflow instability cannot be avoided, but having strong oversight on all expenses can help mitigate risk. Accounting for all expenses is critical to keeping a business running efficiently, from estimating upcoming fiscal needs to knowing what level grain and livestock sales need to be to produce a profit.

Thiago Lima, AFM, Peoples Company, Jacksonville, FL, has been awarded the Accredited Farm Manager (AFM) designation from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers® (ASFMRA®).

Community solar is a transformative and inclusive approach to harnessing the power of solar energy for the benefit of local communities. This innovative concept allows individuals who may not have the means or ability to install solar panels on their own properties to access clean and renewable energy.

I have worked with a variety of non-profit organizations, education institutions, and federal partners over the past 10 years in the farmland conservation space. Our vocabulary has changed over time, but the intent has remained constant: we work to leave the land better than how we found it.

Please join Peoples Company for our “Big Questions in Land Management” webinar series on Wednesday, February 28, from 3:00 - 4:30 PM Central Time. Founder and CEO, John Roach with Roach Ag will discuss “Use Fundamentals Plus an Algorithm for Crop Marketing.” Other topics include “Land Management Services” with George Baird, Owner of Landmark Ag, “Using Drones for Application” with Danny Assman, Partner of Terraplex, and “Renewable (Wind, Solar, Batteries) Discussion” with Brad Haight, Owner of Farm First Energy. Please mark your calendars for this free webinar to hear from these industry experts.

Beginning January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) will officially go into effect, which requires additional reporting obligations on U.S. entities and foreign entities doing business in the United States to provide beneficial ownership information to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). Congress established that the general intent of the CTA is to prevent illicit activities, including money laundering, financing terrorism, tax fraud, and other harmful activities related to national security interests, from occurring through the use of entity schemes. The CTA applies to any corporation, limited liability company, or other similar entity (limited partnership; limited liability partnership; limited liability limited partnership) that files an application (e.g., Certificate of Organization/Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State) under the laws of a State or Indian tribe, subject to certain exemptions. As a result, the CTA will impose the reporting burden on many farmers, landowners, and other industry professionals.

You don’t have to look far to find headlines highlighting the high entry costs of farming. For each of those headlines, another one can be found pointing to the issues of the aging American farmer and a “sidelined” next generation waiting for their opportunity to step in. A 65-year-old farmer has faced a lot of challenges in their lifetime from weather volatility and the 1980s farm crisis to the more recently rising cost of capital. There’s no question that they have earned their spot at the head of the operation.