LandTrust is the recreation access network that connects landowners to outdoor enthusiasts looking for higher quality experiences. In the process, we are working on opening millions of acres of private land for people to explore. Our recreators range from hunters/sportsmen and fishermen to wildlife photographers and mushroom foragers. Most recently, we have introduced birding to our network.
Miles and miles of rolling green hills as far as the eye can see; the wide-open space of a working cattle ranch could seem rather monotonous at first glance. Cattle grazing in a field with not much else on their agenda other than to continue eating. However, if one were to zoom in on a 10,000 acre ranch in the heart of Nebraska, they would see that there’s much more to this wild habitat than first meets the eye. Deer are stalking in the distance, taking advantage of the lush green grass to eat. Prairie chickens are popping up to say hello, while waterfowl flock on the pothole prairie ponds. Fish are dancing in the nearby lake as they feed on minnows and small insects. Meanwhile, those cows are back in the field, swishing their tails back and forth to the rhythm of a bird call in the distance.
Nebraska sits at the heart of our country. To most travelers, Nebraska might be considered a ‘flyover’ state as they bounce from coast to coast. From the Appalachian Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, the serene corn fields and majestic sandhills appear to be desolate as one looks out their window from an airplane. 430 miles across a sleepy and tranquil state, little does the onlooker realize the hum of activity happening below. Turns out this flyover state fills the same purpose for most bird species as they migrate during shoulder seasons. The difference is that these birds stop to take in the view from the ground.
Nebraska encompasses the prairies of the Great Plains, the towering dunes of the Sandhills, lush river bottoms that flow into the Missouri, and the panhandle’s dramatic rock formations. This diverse collection of terrain has allowed the whitetail population to boom in recent decades, however, it wasn’t always that way. Due to unlimited hunting in Nebraska, deer were nearly extinct by 1900. The Nebraska Legislature passed a law prohibiting the hunting of deer in 1907, but recovery took decades. It wasn’t until 1945 that the first modern deer season began with a harvest of 275 mule deer and two white-tailed deer. Over half a century later, whitetail deer have taken over and are now found in abundance statewide!
By John HansenLand ownership has been important to humankind as far back as we can we can determine from archeological, oral, and written histories. Starting with hunter/gatherer territories, through fiefdoms and kingdoms, to ultimately, private land ownership. This progression of, and desire for, land ownership has been driven by the desire for establishment and maintenance of food sources, security, and attainment of relative wealth. Individual land ownership, a historically recent development, has also yielded the aspect of diversification of wealth, privacy, and quiet enjoyment (read recreation) of the property.
Did you know that in Nebraska, you can buy an over-the-counter rifle mule deer tag as a non-resident? There are plenty of other states that offer OTC archery mule deer tags, but these states follow the trend of crowded public lands and don’t provide the variety of hunting options you might be looking for.
Landowners are talking about recreation as the new crop and LandTrust is proving there’s a simple way to tap into this additional income. Listing your land on LandTrust connects landowners to the recreation access network. Millions of outdoor enthusiasts are looking for opportunities to explore private land for their favorite activities such as photography, hunting, birding, fishing and more! LandTrust is working on expanding access nationwide, but currently focusing on growth in the central region in states such as Nebraska and Kansas. We are very excited to announce our partnership with the Kansas Farm Bureau as we grow throughout the grain belt!
For Sportsmen of all ages and experience levels, a safe and quiet place to hunt is important. Competing against the orange army on public land during the season is frustrating and dangerous at times. The National Deer Association, which educates thousands of new hunters each year, emphasizes safety during hunting training and makes sure its members are knowledgeable and protected. They prioritize this and look for partners that can help support this mission. That is why they recently partnered with LandTrust.
Having grown up on a farm, I considered the opportunity to join the Climate Corporation back in 2015 as their Chief Technology Officer one of the privileges of my career. Since that time, the use of digital tools in commercial agriculture has become the norm, helping to highlight the productivity of a producer’s operation by making better decisions. Growers and service providers alike now use data to understand the results of side-by-side trials, treatments, seeding rates, fertility, water, heat, and ultimately yields. .png?width=208&name=Frame%206%20(2).png)
Now the industry is evolving and adopting newer practices, intended to be better for the environment and more sustainable for soil health and biodiversity. You can’t pick up any ag publication today without reading about “regenerative ag” and it’s attracting a lot of investment dollars to help producers with adoption and implementation. If digital tools were all about quantifying productivity, these new practices add a layer of purpose on top.
Last week, we introduced Ches Meyer as one of our proud LandTrust Landowners. Ches took us through his journey of signing up as a landowner: the skepticism, the reassuring and then the reward that he and his family experienced in doing so. However, Ches’s direct relationship with LandTrust did not end once he signed up. In fact, Ches has continued to work very closely with the LandTrust team every day. In particular, with Mike Ryan.