2026 Alert — Before You List With Another Broker

Don’t Donate Your Land’s Hidden Value to the Next Owner.

Today, the most valuable land no longer produces crops, cattle, or timber — but recreation. We help working landowners capture 27% to 102% more value by showing what their land can become.
$6,900Avg. per acre — $1,000+ above market
58%Cash buyers — no rate sensitivity
61%Buyers already on our Rolodex
$1B+Working lands converted since 1991
#1 Recreational land broker in America
The 2026 Agricultural Reality

Your Market Is Softening. Ours Isn’t.

For decades, the math was simple: plant, harvest, repeat. Timber rotations paid on schedule. Commodity prices held close enough to plan around. That world has changed — and it didn’t change gradually. Input costs climbed. Markets softened. The land that was supposed to carry your retirement isn’t performing the way you planned.
You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You are caught in a structural shift that no amount of hard work could have outrun.
Independent Research — 2026 U.S. Agricultural Economy Outlook

“America is already in a farm crisis. We’ve heard from dozens and dozens of farmers whose cost of production is greater than the price of soybeans, corn, or wheat. Farmers did not have a good year.”

— Brian Kuehl, Farmers for Free Trade Executive Director

What’s happening now isn’t a bad season. Recreational buyers don’t care about your timber rotation or yield-per-acre averages. They care about what your land feels like — and they are writing cash checks to get it. The value may already be inside your fence lines. The question is whether you capture it before someone else does.

“The hardest part is watching good families — neighbors who did everything right — plan, prepare, and sacrifice for retirement, only to be hit by storms no one could have predicted. Many relied on timber and farm income, and with so many landowners facing the same pressure, those markets have gone flat. Their best opportunity is often to rise above that market entirely.”

— Jon Kohler, Founder

What the Data Shows — Right Now

52%
Of farm borrowers expected to profit in 2025
Nearly half of all producers operated at a loss — driven by rising costs, softer commodity prices, and higher interest expenses.
93%
Of ag lenders expect farm debt to rise in 2026
Tighter working capital and weaker operating margins are accelerating credit dependence across the sector.
55%
Rise in Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies (2024)
216 filings recorded — up sharply, with early indicators pointing higher through 2025 and 2026.
50%
Of producers expected to be profitable in 2026
That number was 80% just three years ago. Credit quality is deteriorating faster than most anticipated.
$594B
Total U.S. farm debt in 2025 — up 4%
Farm debt has more than doubled since 2003, and the debt-to-asset ratio is now trending back upward.
−3%
Crop cash receipts declined in 2025
Despite a 21% gain in net farm income — nearly 20% of that was government assistance, not market returns.
Sources: 2026 U.S. Agricultural Economy Outlook (AgAmerica) · USDA Economic Research Service · Farmer Mac 2025 Ag Lender Survey
Our Model

We Aren’t Typical Land Brokers. We Are Value Specialists.

For 35 years, we represented investors converting timberland and farms into premier recreational properties — for enormous profits. We didn’t stumble into this niche. We created it. Now we offer that same knowledge and buyer network to sellers of working lands.
Our model documents your land’s hidden intrinsic value — converting it on paper, without you spending a dime or lifting a finger. We show buyers exactly what the land can become, what it costs, and what the upside looks like. That vision is what commands a premium.

“Have you ever seen a property sell after being owned seemingly forever — only to resell shortly afterward for significantly more? That price gap is the intrinsic value the original owner unintentionally donated to the next buyer, who then monetized it. I hate seeing that, but it happens all the time. It’s common for us to uncover 27% to 102% more value. That’s a lot to give away just because you didn’t ask us what we thought.”

— Jon Kohler, Founder

“If someone owns working lands and wants to sell for a premium, what they need to do is show its unique intrinsic value. That’s worth a lot more today than the land’s annual income. The problem is most working landowners don’t understand how to do it — and they are missing the market of a lifetime.”

— Jon Kohler

Our Track Record
These aren’t projections. These are last year’s closed numbers — on real land, for real families.
$6,900
Avg. per acre closed
58%
Cash buyers — no appraisals
61%
From our private Rolodex
$750K+
Closed per day, 7 days a week
#1
Recreational broker in America (APEX)
$300M
Consecutive sales — zero financed deals
35 yrs
Pioneering this niche since 1991
102%
Max documented value gain

“High interest rates slow production markets. They don’t slow lifestyle demand. Our longest run was a straight $300M before we had even one financed deal.”

— Jon Kohler

“Appraisals measure history.
Buyers pay for vision.”

— Jon Kohler

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The Agricultural Economy in 2026

Net farm income rose 21% on paper in 2025 — but nearly 20% of that was government assistance, not market returns. Beneath the headline number, the structural pressure on crop and timber producers has never been greater.
−3%
Crop cash receipts declined in 2025 despite the income headline
USDA ERS · 2026
93%
Of lenders expect farm debt to increase over the next 12 months
Farmer Mac · 2025 Ag Lender Survey
50%
Of producers expected to be profitable in 2026 — down from 80% in 2023
American Bankers Association
+203%
Spike in government payments to farmers in 2025 — masking the real decline
USDA ERS · 2026
$594B
Total U.S. farm debt in 2025 — up 4% year over year and climbing
USDA ERS · 2026
55%
Rise in Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies in 2024 — trending higher
USDA ERS · 2026
70%
Of ag lenders now cite grain and cotton farms as their #1 credit concern
Farmer Mac · 2025 Survey
75%
Of lenders expect farm retirements to accelerate in the coming year
AgAmerica · 2026 Outlook
Source: 2026 U.S. Agricultural Economy Outlook — AgAmerica / USDA Economic Research Service / Farmer Mac 2025 Ag Lender Survey

“It’s sad to watch so many landowners who relied on timber and the land’s income for retirement see things deteriorate through no fault of their own. For many, if their property is a fit, we can get their land valued in today’s higher recreational asset class — and give them the outcome they worked their whole life toward.”

— Jon Kohler

The Decision

For Landowners Considering Selling, There Are Two Options.

One captures what your land is truly worth. The other leaves that value on the table — for the next buyer to monetize while you watch.
★ Recommended

01

Talk to Us First

Let us show you your land’s true intrinsic value before you commit to anything. One call. No obligation. We’ll be direct about whether our model fits — and what it could mean financially for your family.

  • Free property evaluation — zero obligation
  • We convert your land’s value on paper — you don’t lift a finger
  • 27% to 102% more value documented and proven
  • Immediate access to 61% of buyers already in our Rolodex
  • National buyer pool — not just local production-market interest
  • Cash buyers who don’t need appraisals or financing

Call 850.508.2999 Now

Status Quo

02

List “As Is” With a Regular Broker

Ignore the intrinsic value and never explore the difference we could make. This is the path most landowners take — and the reason so many properties resell shortly after for far more than the original seller received.

  • Limited to local production-market buyer pool
  • Valued solely on current crop, cattle, or timber output
  • Misses the recreational market premium entirely
  • Hidden value donated to the next buyer to monetize
  • Exposed to lender-dependent buyers in a high-rate environment
  • No conversion expertise, no national reach, no vision

“Appraisals measure history. Buyers pay for vision.”

— Jon Kohler

Proven Results

How Vision Changes Value.

This is not theory. This is repeatable.
Timber → Recreational · Georgia · 6,000 Acres

Southlands

Former International Paper industrial timberland repositioned as Georgia’s premier recreational property. Sold to boxer Jake Paul — the highest-priced recreational land sale in Georgia history. The land didn’t change. The vision did.

2× Its Timber Value

Cattle Ranch Resale · 489 Acres

Bar-C Ranch

Another broker sold it. We resold the same 489 acres by documenting its recreational — not just ranch — potential. Same land. Same fence lines. Completely different result because we showed buyers what it could become.

+102% Over Prior Sale

Previously Unsold · National Brokerage Failed

Ox Ranch

A national brokerage couldn’t move it. We repositioned the property’s intrinsic recreational identity — reframing what it was and who it was for — and closed at a regional record price. The model is everything.

Regional Record Sale

Single Property · Competitive Offer

$10M Above Competing Offer

On a single property, we brought an offer $10M above another broker’s BPO and $9M above the formal appraisal — by translating hidden intrinsic value into a buyer’s vision of what the land could become. The appraisal never saw it.

$9M Above Appraisal

South’s Signature Timber Property · 2025

Georgia’s #1 Recreational Sale

In 2025, we took what was renowned as the South’s signature timber property and resold it for $6,700 per acre as the #1 recreational land sale in Georgia history — proving once again that strategy and vision define value.

$6,700 Per Acre

Timber → Grass-Fed Ranch · Corporate Client

Madison Oaks

For Bubba Burgers, we converted a timber tract into one of the top grass-fed ranches in the Southeast — transforming a production asset into a premium operational property that matched a national brand’s specific vision.

Full Vision Conversion

“The worst thing about this niche is having to call someone who wasn’t my client and explain that they sold their land for far less than they should have gotten. In one property alone I brought an offer for $10M more than another broker’s BPO and $9M above the appraisal. We resold 489 acres for 102% more than another broker recently sold it for. In this niche, it’s really about knowing how to share the vision of what the land can be — not what it is right now.”

— Jon Kohler

Qualification

Is Your Property a Fit for the Initiative?

The Working Lands Initiative™ isn’t for every tract — and that’s by design. It works best where vision and intrinsic value can be converted into real dollars. If your land fits, you may already be sitting on an opportunity that most landowners never capture.
Farms, ranches, or timberland with natural water, wildlife, or scenic terrain
Land with history, family legacy, or generational identity
Properties with conservation easements or green-belt characteristics
Safe, private, and secure parcels — Social Storm™ candidates
Properties that deserve a national buyer pool, not just local interest
Land where vision, time, and capital can unlock a higher-value use
Owners considering retirement, succession, or generational transition
The Retirement Window — 2026 Data

According to the 2026 U.S. Agricultural Economy Outlook, 75% of agricultural lenders expect farm retirements to accelerate in the coming year. Farmland values remain historically elevated — but that window won’t stay open indefinitely. The landowners who move first are the ones who don’t donate that value to the next buyer.

“We’ll quickly and honestly tell you whether your property fits our model. If it does, we’ll show you exactly how to achieve a premium sale. If it doesn’t, we’ll give you our best guidance on next steps — even if that means pointing you somewhere else.”

We take on a limited number of Working Lands projects each season. Each listing is custom-marketed following our proven model. Our marketing investment is substantially higher than the status quo — because the results have to be too.
We are foresters, sportsmen, and long-term land investors who understand both the economics and the emotion tied to every acre. We’ve helped landowners sell more than $1 billion in working lands over 35 years. We’ve resold some properties three, four, even five times — that only happens when every party recognizes the value we bring.
If you believe your property might qualify, the smartest move is a call before you sign a listing agreement with anyone else.

Make the Call That Changes Everything.

Ninety-three percent of agricultural lenders expect farm debt to climb in 2026. Only half of producers are expected to turn a profit. Farm retirements are accelerating. The production market that was supposed to carry your retirement is no longer the market it once was. But the recreational market — and the buyers in it — has never been stronger.
We are limited in how many Working Lands properties we can accept at any one time. Don’t wait until after you’ve signed with someone else.
Jon Kohler & Associates · Working Lands Initiative™An equal housing opportunity broker. If your property is currently listed with a REALTOR® or broker, please disregard this offer, as it is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other REALTORS® or brokers. The information contained herein is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. Results vary by property. #1 Recreational Land Broker in America — APEX Award Winner. Over $1 Billion in Working Lands Conversions Since 1991. Statistical data sourced from the 2026 U.S. Agricultural Economy Outlook (AgAmerica), USDA Economic Research Service, and Farmer Mac 2025 Ag Lender Survey.
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