Buying land to build a house on is an exciting and rewarding endeavor that allows you to create a home that perfectly suits your needs and preferences. However, it requires careful planning and consideration to ensure that you make a wise investment. It’s crucial to fully assess and evaluate the rural lot you’re buying before you seal the deal.

Due diligence for a land purchase simply means conducting a thorough investigation of the property before buying. You check for anything that could hamper your building plans like zoning laws, availability of utilities, drainage, soil quality, and title issues. Due diligence identifies the advantageous features and shortcomings of a property before buying it. It is essential for buyers so that they can avoid encountering undesirable results in the future.

When looking at lots for sale for building a home, there are some key checks and research to do both prior to purchasing the land and after you buy the property. In this video, Pat Porter, with RecLand Realty, discusses some of these checks so that the rural lot you buy isn’t a huge headache for you to prepare for your new home.

The post Conducting Due Diligence on Rural Home Sites appeared first on LANDTHINK.

For decades, the primary lender for agriculture producers seeking capital to expand their operations has been the Farm Credit System (FCS). While the FCS is a major player in agricultural lending, it is far from the only option available for buying land or financing an operation. A variety of alternative paths exist for securing rural capital.

Why Look Beyond Ag Credit

• Cutthroat Competition: Ag Credit can have tight credit qualifications and rigid structures with competition for traditional ag loans, a lengthly application process, and an institutional preference for large-scale operations.

• Limited Flexibility: Exploring alternative farm financing that bypasses rigid repayment schedules is essential because agriculture is deeply cyclical and unpredictable. The flexible options don’t hinder innovation and adaptability.

• Show Me The Money: Ag Credit relies heavily on collateral, such as farmland, machinery, and crop yields, which can be a barrier for younger farmers or those with less established operations.

What Is Private Credit?

Private credit for agribusinesses refers to customized, non-bank loans and debt financing provided directly to private farming, food production, and ag tech companies. Because these borrowers are not publicly traded on a stock exchange, they rely on private lenders rather than public bond markets to fund operations, expansion, or buyouts.

Key Characteristics of Private Credit Include:

• Diverse Range of Borrowers: Private credit addresses the heterogeneous nature of modern agriculture by funding a wide variety of operations that traditional banks might deem too niche or specialized. Private credit can be extended to small and medium-sized enterprises, middle-market companies, and even larger corporations.

• Not Traded on Public Exchanges: Unlike publicly traded bonds, private credit instruments are not listed on any exchange.

• Direct Lending: Lenders typically engage in direct negotiations with borrowers, offering customized loan terms.

Decoding Alternative Lenders: What to Consider

• Interest Rates and Fees: Carefully compare interest rates, fees, and repayment terms across different lenders and financing options.

• Eligibility Criteria: Understand the specific eligibility requirements and application processes for each option.

• Risk Tolerance: Assess your risk tolerance and choose financing options that align with your comfort level.

• Long-Term Goals: Consider how different financing options will impact your long-term financial goals and the sustainability of your business.

Harvest Returns has offered private credit investments to producers and other agriculture-related businesses since 2017, and they remain some of our most popular and successful vehicles. Agribusinesses come to Harvest Returns because of the flexible offering terms and streamlined capital raise process they provide compared to traditional ag lenders. Harvest Returns can help with land purchases, expanding your cattle herd, or even acquiring a new business.

The post Beyond Ag Credit: Exploring Unconventional Financial Arrangements for Agribusiness appeared first on LANDTHINK.

According to the April LANDTHINK Pulse results, 41% of respondents said that current U.S. trade tariffs have had NO IMPACT on their confidence in the land market and that tariffs don’t affect their land decisions. Another 41% expressed some degree of negativity, with 24% saying they were holding off on buying or selling, and 17% saying they were cautious but still looking for land. The tariff increases during the second Trump administration have been historic in their magnitude and scope, dwarfing even those from Trump’s first term. Many feared that these tariffs would have dramatic impacts on the economy, but for the most part, the tariff impacts have been muted in the U.S.

Last month, the April Pulse asked: How are current U.S. trade tariffs affecting your confidence in the land market?

While trade policy might seem distant from your daily life, it can have ripple effects that reach right into your community, influencing everything from the cost of building a new home to the interest rate on your loans. Whether you’re thinking of buying or selling land, understanding how tariffs might shape the real estate land market is crucial.

Most land buyers and sellers are relatively insulated from the direct impact of international trade tariffs, as raw land does not rely on global supply chains, imported building materials, or cross-border manufacturing. While tariffs can inflate construction costs for new housing and commercial developments, vacant and agricultural land primarily derive their value from domestic demand and local geography.

Why Land Investments Are Resilient to Tariffs

No Imported Components: Tariffs apply to physical, manufactured goods and raw materials. Land is a fixed, domestic asset and does not incur duties, shipping surcharges, or supply chain delays.

Diversified Usage and Revenue Streams: The intrinsic value of land can often be protected or monetized in alternative ways if trade policies affect broader markets. You can utilize options such as conservation easements, recreational leasing, or renewable energy partnerships (like solar or wind farms).

Defensive Asset Class: Historically, real assets like land act as a hedge against inflation and economic volatility. Because physical land is finite, its value tends to hold steady even when international markets face disruption.

Tariffs generally do not affect raw land directly, but they heavily influence its value indirectly by altering the profitability of the industries that use or develop it. Land values are deeply tied to agricultural commodity exports and the cost of construction.

Key Considerations for Farmland and Ag Investors

While general land investments largely avoid direct tariff costs, agricultural land is often tied to global trade through commodity exports.

Input Costs: Tariffs levied on imported goods, such as steel for tractors or foreign-made fertilizers, increase per-acre production costs.

Export Markets & Prices: Foreign retaliation targeting U.S. crops (e.g., soybeans, corn) restricts export volumes. Lower commodity prices and higher input expenses create a margin squeeze for farmers, which can suppress cash rents and soften buyer demand for farmland, leading to downward pressure on its value.

Commercial and Development Impacts

For raw land intended for commercial, industrial, or residential development, tariffs impact the broader real estate and construction sectors.

Building Costs: Tariffs on imported lumber, steel, and aluminum increase development costs. Higher building costs often force developers to pay less for the raw land to keep their overall projects financially viable.

Investor Confidence: Uncertainty in global trade policies and increased development costs can sideline real estate funds and institutional investors, reducing transaction volumes and blunting land appreciation.

How Tariffs Impact Consumer Confidence

Tariffs generally reduce consumer confidence by driving up the cost of living and fueling broader economic uncertainty. When import taxes are passed down to shoppers, the resulting higher retail prices and concerns about potential job impacts cause consumers to tighten their budgets and scale back spending.

Higher Prices: Tariffs act as a tax on imported goods. When companies pass these added costs to consumers, it leads to inflation on everyday items like groceries, electronics, and clothing. This directly eats into purchasing power and personal financial security.

Economic Anxiety: The process of enacting and altering tariffs creates market instability and unpredictability. Uncertainty regarding future job security and household budgets causes consumers to become significantly more pessimistic about the broader economy.

Slower Spending: When shopper sentiment sours, consumers often delay major purchases (such as vehicles or home goods) and prioritize bulking up emergency savings.

Broader Economic Headwinds

Tariffs do not directly prevent people from buying or selling land, but they indirectly make it harder by driving up the overall costs of building, borrowing, and living. By inflating the prices of essential goods, tariffs create a ripple effect that impacts land acquisition in several key ways.

It can affect the recreational land market, largely indirectly through the agricultural and broader economic ripples they cause. Tariffs drive market volatility that influences both the cost of owning and enjoying rural property.

The inflationary pressures created by tariffs often lead the Federal Reserve to maintain higher interest rates. Stricter or more expensive credit limits borrowing power for both homebuilders and agricultural buyers, which can cool overall land markets.

Tariffs add another layer of complexity to the real estate market. While the exact long-term effects remain to be seen and depend on specific policies and global responses, understanding the potential impacts is key. Higher construction costs, volatile mortgage rates, and general economic uncertainty are all factors to watch. Making informed decisions requires staying updated and working with professionals who understand these dynamics.

Do you have a suggestion for next month’s Pulse question? Submit your question and we might choose yours!

The post Pulse: Most Land Buyers Shake Off Tariff Shocks, Confidence Lagging for Others appeared first on LANDTHINK.

Owning land is a significant responsibility that extends beyond simple possession, requiring active stewardship and maintenance to ensure its health, productivity, and safety for both current owners and future generations. Whether you’re managing a recreational property, a future homestead, or a working farm, the small, strategic projects you tackle over the weekends compound into big long-term gains. These aren’t superficial chores – these are meaningful improvements that boost usability, value, and enjoyment of your acreage.

Here are five deeper, more impactful projects you can dive into this weekend.

1. Establish a Strategic Area for Wildlife or Land Management

Designating specific areas on your property into functional areas that serve a clear purpose will improve efficiency, aesthetics, and productivity. Whether planning a wildlife habitat area, an edible garden, a food plot, or even a small orchard, organizing by purpose allows for better maintenance and enjoyment.

This weekend, choose one area of your land and define its purpose, then start shaping it:

• For wildlife: clear understory selectively, hinge-cut a few non-valuable trees, plant clover or native grasses, or place mineral sites (where legal).
• For gardening or homesteading: test the soil, clear debris, lay out raised beds, or outline irrigation paths.
• For timber or habitat improvement: identify invasive species and begin removal or treatment.

Even a few hours of focused land improvement can create a solid, functional foundation you can build on throughout the year.

2. Improve Land Drainage Issues in Problem Areas

It is common for rural properties to have at least one spot with pooling water, rutting, or erosion. Ignoring water issues makes them worse, but correcting them does not always require heavy equipment, as many problems can be solved using manual tools and simple DIY techniques.

Spend the weekend:

• Clearing or reshaping shallow ditches
• Adding rock to high-traffic muddy areas
• Repairing washed-out slopes with native grasses
• Redirecting runoff away from roads and trails
• Installing a DIY French drain or gravel swale in troubled zones

Great drainage is one of the most underrated land improvements. Proper drainage is a crucial, often overlooked land improvement that protects property value, protects roads, reduces erosion, keeps livestock healthy, and preserves the land’s natural shape. Buyers notice it too.

3. Build or Refresh a Multi-Use Trail System

Trail building is essential to maximize the functionality and enjoyment of recreational properties. Even a few hundred yards of new or improved trail can open up access and transform how you enjoy your property.

This weekend’s trail project might include:

• Cutting a new walking or ATV path
• Reworking a muddy trail with rock or timber borders
• Bush-hogging overgrown access routes
• Adding simple trail markers for clarity
• Clearing limbs for better visibility and safer riding

A well-maintained trail adds functionality, boosts property value, and makes exploration easier for you, friends, or future buyers.

4. Tackle Infrastructure Upgrades: Gates, Roads, and Access Points

Improving access isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the most high-impact things you can do. Improving property infrastructure offers significant returns by increasing utility, safety, and long-term valuation. While aesthetic renovations grab attention, enhancing foundational components such as utilities, structural elements, and connectivity often yields greater long-term value.

Choose one infrastructure element and upgrade it:

• Replace or reinforce an old gate
• Add gravel to the entrance or key sections of road
• Install corner posts or stretch wire where fencing is weak
• Swap out temporary chains for proper latches
• Add a culvert in a low-lying spot for smoother entry

These small upgrades make your property feel more secure, more professional, and easier to navigate – and they help the land stand the test of time.

5. Document, Map, and Plan: Create Your Property Master Map

Mapping your land is crucial for long-term management and maximizing its value, as it provides transparency on boundaries, topography, and highlights unique features to prospective buyers.

Spend a few hours walking your acreage with apps like OnX, HuntStand, or LandGlide and mark:

• Trails, bedding areas, or wildlife activity
• Water sources, drainage patterns, and wet spots
• Old home sites or historical features
• Timber stands and tree species
• Future building sites or pasture expansions
• Areas needing erosion control or clearing

Then, create a simple property master plan. This might be a sketch, a digital map, or a saved file in your mapping app. It becomes the foundation for every improvement you make moving forward.

Final Thoughts: Stewardship Happens One Weekend at a Time

Improving your land isn’t always about big equipment or major renovations. It’s about intentional progress – shaping your property into something more functional, beautiful, healthy, and uniquely yours.

These weekend projects move the needle. They add real value, expand usability, and deepen your connection with the land.

The post 5 Weekend Projects to Level Up Your Property appeared first on LANDTHINK.

Absentee landowners are individuals or corporations who own property, land, or timberland but do not reside on or actively manage it. Oftentimes, being an absentee owner is just downright not fun. Owning a property that you don’t live on or near, often leads to significant logistical, financial, and management challenges.

Take, for example, owning land that’s located hundreds or thousands of miles away from where you live. What do you plan on doing with it aside from sinking your own money into it by paying taxes?

When it comes down to it, everyone could use a little extra cash. However, not everyone wants a random piece of land they don’t plan on doing anything with.

In this video, Pat Porter, with RecLand Realty, talks about dealing with a property as an absentee land owner. He shares the cautionary tale of an elderly couple living in California, who own 20 acres of timberland in Louisiana, with no access and no timber value. He shares why, at this stage of their life, their best option might be to sell.

Whether you’re leaning toward selling, maintaining ownership, or just trying to understand your options, the right starting point is a straightforward conversation with a land agent who knows the market.

The post Absentee Land Ownership: A Cautionary Tale appeared first on LANDTHINK.

Editor’s Note: This is the 11th in a question-and-answer series with land real estate professionals — land agents, mortgage brokers, auctioneers, attorneys, timberland professionals and more. There’s a lot of information about the national real estate market out there, but it’s tough to find answers to your specific land real estate questions — until now. LANDTHINK believes that a lot of the stress of buying, selling, and owning land can be reduced or eliminated with some simple information from some of the best in the land industry.

Landbuyer Question:

I’ve been thinking about buying land in a rural area in West Central Georgia. My plan is to build a house in the future, but I was thinking in the meantime I could use the land as my own personal shooting range. What should I look out for when buying land to shoot? If I buy a random tract of land in the middle of nowhere, can I build a range or do I need permits? Are there zoning restrictions? Can I go to a real estate agent and tell them that I’m looking to buy land to shoot and they’ll find it, or would they freak out? Sorry for the questions, but I really do want this to happen. Thank you in advance for any insight you can offer.

Cary Farrington, Land Broker, Southeastern Land Group, Licensed in GA and AL

First, never apologize for asking a question. Real estate professionals are here to help, not discourage. Now, we may not be able to work magic with your hopes and dreams, but many of us land agents also live on the land and steward it ourselves. So many of us are comfortable in this space. 

Now I’m no zoning attorney or an ammunitions expert – but I am Pro 2A and I believe keeping and bearing arms is core to who we are as a nation. “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Amendment II to the U.S. Constitution, 1791

If you’re thinking about buying land to shoot on, just know this – “middle of nowhere” doesn’t mean no rules. It still comes down to zoning. One important note – “My plan is to build a house in the future.” This is likely the most important piece to this puzzle because buying acreage just to shoot bullets on can be an expensive way to shoot bullets. Make certain, before closing, the land is buildable to suit your needs and will pass a soil test for a septic system. Also make sure you not only have utilities and internet figured out, in addition to cost estimates on having those items set up. “Power at the road” doesn’t mean “free to run to my house site.” If your land agent isn’t guiding you through this part of the discussion, find one that understands it.

In west Georgia counties where I live and am raising my family, some properties will let you shoot without issue, others won’t. If it’s not clearly allowed, you could be looking at a special use permit, and that’s where things can get complicated. On permits, it depends how far you go. If you’re just shooting privately on your own land and zoning allows it, you’re probably fine. But once you start moving dirt, building berms, or putting up structures, you may need permits. And if you ever turn it into a business, that’s a completely different ball of wax.

Beyond that, the makeup of the land itself matters. You need plenty of space, distance from neighbors, and a safe direction to shoot. What does “plenty of space” mean? Glad you asked… Clients often ask, “how many acres do I need?” And my answer is usually, “it depends.” It usually depends on how much you can afford, but the second big piece that makes up the answer is a response to what you plan to do. If someone wants privacy, I usually encourage them to start with 25-30 acres minimum. If someone just wants a homestead and doesn’t mind visible neighbors, 10-20 acres is plenty. If you came to me with this dream, shooting guns, I’d likely start at 50 acres and advise you, the more the merrier. Land topo and parcel shape always play a role, and these numbers are just generalities, but they’re good places to start. Can you shoot a gun on 1 acre, probably, are your neighbors going to appreciate that? Probably not. Always know what is behind your target, and always make sure you can see your target cleanly and clearly. Ideally a natural backstop, or at least room to build one. If you don’t have that, it’s not a range, it’s a problem waiting to happen. Accidents with guns can be tragic.

You’ll also want to pay attention to local rules on things like how close you can shoot to a road or property line, and noise. Georgia is a fairly gun-friendly state, but counties still have a say. And as we’ll discuss below, not all neighbors love the sound of you emptying a clip while they’re enjoying their morning coffee.

As for an agent- no, an experienced land agent shouldn’t freak out. A good land agent will understand exactly what you’re trying to do. Just don’t rely on them to figure out zoning. That part is on you to confirm you can do on the land what you want to do, before you buy. My best advice when interviewing agents is, ask them to tell you how much land and how many transactions they did in the last 12 months. Work with an agent that understands land. But also, before you start calling agents, make sure you’re ready to move forward. Buying land is different than buying a home. We all like to dream, but we also have to feed our families.

One more thing – and it matters more than you might think – be a good neighbor. Introduce yourself. Let folks around you know what you’re planning and find some common ground early. Shooting at daylight, dinner time, or late into the evening might not bother you, but it can wear on the people around you. And for some – especially veterans – it can hit a nerve you may not see. You don’t have to tiptoe, but you do need to be aware.

Bottom line, this is absolutely doable. Just make sure you buy the right piece of dirt on the front end, and handle it the right way once you’re there.

Do you have a specific land real estate question for one of our professionals? Submit your question and we might choose yours!

The post Land Q&A: Buying Land to Shoot On appeared first on LANDTHINK.

According to the March LANDTHINK Pulse results, 20% of respondents believe the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect the future of farming VERY POSITIVELY, while 22% of respondents believe the rapid advancement of AI will affect the future of farming SOMEWHAT POSITIVELY. Another 30% of respondents said they were UNSURE of its effects on farming. Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool that enables computer systems to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. AI is deeply embedded in daily routines, enhancing efficiency and personalization through tools like smartphone assistants (Siri/Alexa), navigation apps (Google Maps), and streaming recommendations (Netflix/Spotify). It powers social media feeds, spam filters, facial recognition, and smart home devices, automating tasks and improving convenience.

Last month, the March Pulse asked: How will the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence affect the future of farming?

The agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges as global population growth demands increased food production. By 2050, the world will need to grow around 60% more food to feed nearly ten billion people. This challenge is compounded by high production costs, labor shortages, and geopolitical events that disrupt supply chains.

Global farming systems are stretched thin due to the combined pressures of rising global food demand, climate change, and environmental degradation. AI in agriculture offers innovative solutions to these pressing issues. The AI in the agriculture industry is projected to grow from $1.7 billion in 2023 to $4.7 billion by 2028.

AI is firmly established in modern agriculture, serving as a critical tool rather than just a trend. It is becoming a valuable tool in agriculture, ushering in a new era of data-driven, efficient farming practices that optimize traditional methods. AI is helping farmers make decisions, improve yields and conserve resources.

There are many ways that AI can be leveraged within agriculture. Here are just some of them:

Cost Savings

AI is a high-upfront-cost investment that pays off through long-term efficiencies and enhanced sustainability. The initial capital requirements for hardware, software, sensors, and robotics can be high, and sometimes prohibitive for small-scale farmers, but the long-term benefits include reduced production costs. AI can streamline labor by automating tasks like harvesting, weeding, and pest monitoring, often reducing data analysis time by up to 90%. AI-powered robots, drones, and computer vision systems replace intensive manual labor, addressing labor shortages and optimizing input usage to increase yields.

AI-driven robotics and autonomous machinery are revolutionizing traditional farming practices, by optimizing machinery use and targeting the application of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides. Farmers produce more with fewer resources. Farmers can use AI-powered robotics to automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks that previously required a human eye, like sorting, seeding, weeding, and harvesting.

AI is revolutionizing crop monitoring and yield prediction by providing farmers with real-time insights, accurate forecasts, and actionable data. Predictive analytics based on historical data and weather trends also support better decisions around sowing, irrigation, and harvest timing. Some groups are even working on “smart” harvesting machinery that could identify ripe harvests automatically, leaving unripe plants to mature.

Between cost-savings in automation and harvest optimization, some studies have estimated that AI could reduce the costs of farming by at least 20% as the technology advances.

Sustainability

Sustainability in agriculture refers to the practice of producing food in a way that is environmentally, socially, and economically responsible. AI promotes sustainable farming methods by optimizing resource use. This includes reducing water consumption, minimizing chemical inputs and improving soil health. These practices help preserve farmland for future generations.

By monitoring and managing inputs like energy, water, chemicals, and soil health in real time, producers can make small adjustments that lead to big efficiencies, and better environmental outcomes.

AI could be the answer to sustainable farming as it:

• Reduces fuel consumption in farm machinery
• Enhances crop yields and their overall quality
• Conserves water but also improves nutrient uptake, prevents excessive watering, boosts efficiency
• Enables more accurate tracking of soil health metrics such as pH, moisture, and nutrient levels
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• Optimizes irrigation and crop rotation strategies to build long-term resilience
• Helps farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices, including reduced till, cover cropping and nutrient management

Data-Driven Decisions

Farming activities are complex processes with a high number of variables involved. Thanks to advances in precision agriculture, farmers can access comprehensive data on crop health, soil conditions and market trends. This enables them to make informed choices about farm operations.

Predictive analytics helps farmers mitigate risks by analyzing historical data, weather patterns, and real-time sensor inputs to forecast and manage threats before they cause damage. By identifying potential pest infestations, diseases, and severe weather events early, farmers can take proactive measures to protect their crops and livelihoods.

Seed Genetics

Artificial intelligence is transforming seed genetics by enabling breeders to analyze vast genomic and environmental datasets, accelerating the development of superior seed varieties from decades to just a few seasons. By using AI and machine learning, researchers can identify genetic markers linked to desirable traits, such as drought resistance, higher yield, and disease resistance, and predict how these traits will perform in different environments before they are even planted.

Livestock Health and Dairy Management

Artificial Intelligence is transforming livestock health and dairy management by transitioning from reactive to proactive, data-driven strategies. By integrating real-time data from IoT sensors, cameras, and wearable devices AI enables early disease detection. The sensors and cameras offer ongoing, real-time data, allowing for the observation of various health indicators, such as temperature, heart rates and activity levels. By analyzing and keeping track of this data, livestock managers can deal with any problems promptly before they worsen.

Within the dairy industry, there are many scenarios where AI usage can help farms achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, productivity, and sustainability:

• Robotic Milking: AI systems in robotic parlors can identify individual cows, analyze milk quality (color, impurities), and tailor feeding to their specific needs.
• Automated Monitoring: AI-powered health monitoring systems use wearable sensors to track vital signs and behavior of each cow. They can monitor calving in maternity wards and tracking cattle behavior in large, extensive systems.
• Precision Feeding: AI technologies enable precision feeding by tailoring the amount and type of feed to each cow’s specific requirements. AI analyzes feed intake and milk output to optimize feeding strategies, reducing waste and decreasing nitrogen excretion.
• Reproductive Management: Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are revolutionizing dairy reproductive management by optimizing heat detection, predicting ovulation, and enhancing breeding strategies for improved herd fertility.

Studies suggest that AI-powered monitoring could create $70-$90 billion in value by 2030, with early detection systems potentially increasing milk production by 10-20% and reducing operating costs by 15-25%.

No matter what your opinion about artificial intelligence, it is here to stay. Farmland, water, and other resources are already under pressure. With the global human population projected to be nearly 10 billion by 2050, these sorts of agricultural optimizations and cost savings will be necessary to keep everyone fed. This is why AI matters and why it now plays such a vital role in agriculture. By addressing challenges such as labor shortages, climate volatility, and resource scarcity, AI transforms farming from an intuition-based practice to a data-driven, precise, and sustainable endeavor.

Do you have a suggestion for next month’s Pulse question? Submit your question and we might choose yours!

The post Pulse: Americans Have Mixed Views of AI’s Impact on the Future of Farming appeared first on LANDTHINK.

February 2026 ended with the United States and Israel initiating joint strikes on Iranian and regional infrastructure targets. Ongoing and intermittent airstrikes, cyber operations, and retaliatory attacks continue to affect families, trade, travel, and markets around the world. In particular, Iran’s ability to constrain the Strait of Hormuz spotlights how this war has disrupted energy supplies and raised inflation to its highest level in two years.

The global price of oil serves as a key indicator for energy prices generally and economic instability. Since the U.S. war with Iran started, the price of oil has increased both in terms of level and volatility, regularly exceeding $100 per barrel. While extended higher oil prices translate into increasing costs throughout the economy as manufacturing and transportation of all goods become more expensive, how do they affect forestry products and timber?

Fuel Prices and Forest Products

In the forest products industry, rising oil and energy prices directly affect the costs of how firms make, move, and do things. Specifically:

Higher energy prices increase the break-even cost of making (manufacturing) forest products. Forisk tracks the cash costs associated with producing a range of forest products, including lumber, pulp, pellets, and structural panels (e.g., OSB and plywood). For most of these products in the U.S., energy accounts for 7% to 20% of the per unit manufacturing (production) costs, which does not include the cost of wood raw materials nor the cost of transporting finished goods.

Higher oil and diesel prices increase the cost to move (haul) wood raw materials and finished forest products. In the case of hauling logs from the woods to mills, each $1 dollar per gallon increase in the cost of diesel increases the per ton hauling cost by $0.90.

Higher fuel prices increase the cost of doing things such as harvesting trees, fertilizing forests, and managing timberlands. Logging relies on heavy equipment powered by petroleum products. Each $1 per gallon increase in the cost of diesel increases the per ton logging cost by approximately $0.70. Combined with increased hauling costs, adding $0.70 per gallon to current diesel prices could increase southern cut-and-haul costs by more than $1 per ton.

Past Forisk Silviculture Surveys highlight factors affecting forest management practices in the U.S., including the sensitivity of fertilization costs to petroleum prices. Fertilizer price increases can take time to work through the system, as analysis by Dr. Shawn Baker indicates per acre costs closely mirror prior-year petroleum prices.

In the forest industry, each part of the supply chain captures a piece of the end-product price paid by the ultimate user. When energy and oil take bigger shares of what a firm gets for a roll of pulp or stick of lumber, less is left over for the landowner, logger, or institutional shareholder. Higher oil prices, without commensurate increases in productivity or substitutions with other power sources, increase the out-of-pocket costs and reduce the margins, profitability, and sustainability of manufacturing, hauling, and in-woods operating activities in the forest industry.

Resource for forest owners and timberland investors: For those interested in AI and forestry, please enjoy this new, one-minute video about Aunt Fanny and managing timberland as an investment. For more info on the book:

Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry: Managing Timberland as an Investment
This 2nd Edition follows Aunt Fanny as she gets to know her recently inherited forest, learns investment concepts, and implements a forest management plan. The book serves any investor interested in a tight and entertaining tutorial for prioritizing what matters when managing their timber as an investment.

The post How Do Rising Energy Prices Affect Timberland Investments and the Forest Products Industry? appeared first on LANDTHINK.

As winter fades and the days grow longer, spring offers the perfect window to start putting fresh life into the ground. Whether you’re working with a backyard plot, raised beds, or a few containers on a patio, choosing the right crops can make all the difference in both yield and enjoyment. You can do a lot in a little space, thanks to the versatile nature of most vegetables, but careful planning is a must. The key to a productive garden is selecting plants that not only thrive in warming soil but also provide versatility in the kitchen and consistency in growth. Wherever you are, here are five vegetables to consider this spring, for a prolific, well-rounded garden.

Tomatoes: Absolutely A Staple Worth the Effort

Few crops define a summer garden quite like tomatoes. Tomatoes are the quintessential summer garden staple; tomatoes flourish in full sun and well-drained soil. Tomatoes grow like a weed all summer until the first frost hits. Starting with healthy transplants can give you a strong head start, allowing the plants to establish quickly and produce earlier in the season. From slicing varieties to smaller cherry types, tomatoes offer both variety and abundance. With consistent, deep watering, fertilizing and care, tomato plants will reward you with a bountiful harvest of delicious, home-grown tomatoes.

Peppers: Intense Heat And Flavor In A Small Package

Peppers are so much fun to grow and they don’t require a ton of garden space or work, but they give you a big payout. Peppers perform exceptionally well when planted in spring. They are premier warm-season favorites that thrive in full sun and high temperatures. Both sweet and hot varieties perform well in similar conditions as tomatoes, requiring plenty of sunlight and consistent moisture. Their compact growth habit makes them suitable for both traditional gardens and container setups. Beyond their ease of care, peppers offer a wide range of culinary uses, from fresh salads to grilled dishes. Pepper plants generally produce their best and most abundant harvest as the season progresses, with peak yields often occurring late in the summer or early fall, making them a reliable addition for gardeners seeking both flavor and productivity.

Cucumbers: Fast-Growing, Less Demanding, And Produce Like Crazy

For those looking to maximize output in a relatively short time, cucumbers are an excellent choice. Cucumbers are fairly agile climbers and can scale many types of supports, including trellises, or spread along the ground. They love warm soil and sunshine. Planting them in spring allows them to establish before the peak heat of summer, resulting in crisp, refreshing harvests. Keep your cucumbers picked, they come fast but if your vine gets loaded with mature cucumbers it will reduce production. Although there are hundreds of varieties, there are two main types of cucumbers – pickling and slicing. Whether pickled or sliced, cucumbers are a delicious addition to any garden plan.

Squash: Low Maintenance, Impressively High Yield

Squash, particularly summer varieties, are known for their productivity and ease of growth. Easy to start from seed, easy to transplant, fast growing and very productive, summer squash grow in a wide range of climates and soils with relatively little maintenance. They prefer full sun and fertile soil, and their broad leaves help shade the ground, reducing weed pressure. Whether you choose zucchini or yellow squash, planting in spring ensures a continuous supply during the height of the growing season. Their reliability makes them perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

Green Beans: Simple, Reliable, and Rewarding

Green beans round out the list as one of the most straightforward and rewarding crops to plant in spring. Growing them is easy and rewarding, and fun for both adults and kids. They germinate quickly in warming soil and require minimal intervention once established. Pole beans have several advantages over bush beans, including higher productivity, longer harvest periods, and better space utilization. The advantage bush beans have, besides not needing a vertical support, is their flexibility in succession planting. You can plant, harvest, and pull up, leaving time to plant another crop in its place. Consistent yields and ease of harvesting make them a practical choice for gardeners looking to enjoy fresh produce without extensive upkeep.

A Season of Opportunity

Spring planting sets the tone for the months ahead, and selecting the right crops ensures both success and satisfaction. By focusing on proven performers like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and green beans, gardeners can create a balanced and productive space that delivers throughout the season. With proper preparation, attention to soil health, and consistent care, even a modest garden can yield impressive results.

As the season unfolds, these foundational choices will not only provide fresh ingredients for the table but also serve as a reminder of the simple rewards that come from working the land.

The post Welcoming Spring: Five Best Vegetables to Plant Now appeared first on LANDTHINK.

In every state, the basic education to become a licensed real estate salesperson is the same. Every person seeking to obtain a license to sell real estate must complete a pre-licensing course. Once the pre-license course is completed, potential licensees must pass the state real estate license examination. Real estate agents who go on to specialize in land sales regularly encounter a number of issues that agents who work in the residential home sector rarely face when selling a home. Land agents must be armed with the knowledge, tools, and have the time needed to ensure quality service and a smooth transaction for their client.

There are several agent specialties and subgroups in the real estate industry, and each specialist can help you with different situations. Rural landowners need to choose an agent and a company that can market and sell their rural property in a way that meets the sellers’ objectives. Listing your timberland, recreational land, ranch or farm with a predominantly residential real estate agent can be a mistake. Pat Porter, with RecLand Realty, shares some questions you should ask that will help you choose a professional who can help you get the deal closed.

The post Avoid Residential Agents When Selling Rural Land appeared first on LANDTHINK.