“The connections that you make with the people and the chance to share the great natural resources that we have, that’s what it’s all about... The Sandhills are an absolutely beautiful place and we want everyone to take a little piece of that home with them.”
Looking out over the Sandhills of Nebraska.
Jody and Bob Dexter own the Lovejoy Ranch, where Jody’s family homesteaded back in 1886. Now in the sixth generation of running the family-operated, 5,000 acre cattle ranch, the Dexter family is excited to partner with LandTrust. Jody emphasizes how much she values working with others and sharing the land with those who care about the habitat.
Growing up in a small town, Jody recognizes that everybody knows everybody. ‘You get to talking to people and learn that the person selling you local honey used to work for your dad or granddad.’ Jody really values the relationships she forms with others around town and how much the community cherishes its wildlife habitat in the Sandhills. Jody notes that when family comes to visit, they always enjoy the agricultural lifestyle as well.
In partnering with LandTrust, Jody feels like she is able to share the land with others who will appreciate it as much as she does. Initially, Jody and Bob were hesitant when they first heard the name LandTrust because they assumed a negative connotation with land trusts, however, they quickly realized the difference. ‘Anyone who does a quick little research and looks at the LandTrust website will realize that there is absolutely no connection there.’
The Dexter’s first learned about LandTrust through another Sandhills Landowner, AJ Abbott. The LandTrust team met with Jody and Bob in Valentine, NE to chat about the opportunities available to them and after discussing it privately with each other, the Dexter’s didn’t see any reason not to sign up!
“We don’t have anything to lose. It’s such a good opportunity for sportsmen to come and have a great experience. We don’t need to have any outside investment to go into it and we truly felt like we didn’t have anything to lose. If we get into it and something isn’t right, it’s easy to say it’s not for us. But I really don’t see that happening!”
Jody especially values how much LandTrust is willing to assist in all of the busy work. She notes that with LandTrust handling the bookings and carrying insurance, she feels really secure in the process. Jody adds that ranchers just don’t have time to build a website, be on the phone all of the time or deal with advertising.
“You guys already have the connections with the sportsmen and that’s a huge bonus for us!”
After signing up just a few weeks ago, the Lovejoy Ranch already has bookings and inquiries!
Jody goes on to share that this is the least labor intensive stream of revenue for her family’s ranch. Her mom used to run a bed and breakfast for 15 years, which included opportunities for guests to go horse-back riding that added a lot of stress to her day. Jody and her mom were always busy with the upkeep of the B&B, washing, cleaning, liability issues with the horses, etc. 'Trying to generate another revenue of income is usually really tough and demanding on time and energy. However, this option with LandTrust is not and it’s a perfect way to just alleviate things and help pay some property taxes.'
“It’s so great, you don’t even have to sit on your email. With the LandTrust texting system, someone can make an inquiry that triggers a text to my phone and I can get online to answer any questions. It’s a really pretty simple process and I’m not techy by any means. If I can do it, then just about anyone can!”
Jody wraps up her thoughts with advice to other landowners, encouraging them to give it a try. She notes that the inputs are so little and there’s so much great potential for reward!
Appreciating the beauty of the land after a good day on the ranch.
If you have questions or comments about the LandTrust operation, we invite you to start a conversation with us in the comments section of this post or contact us directly. If you know of other sportsmen or landowners who might consider working with LandTrust, we'd like you to consider sharing our story with them.
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