2019 Fall PC Newsletter

PEOPLES REPORTFALL 2019PEOPLES COMPANY ACQUIRES A SHARE OF APPRAISAL FIRM VALUE MIDWESTMARKET REALITIES:FINDING THE OPPORTUNITIES IN ROW CROP PRODUCTIONA CASE FORCUSTOM FARMINGPEOPLES COMPANY AGENTS RECOGNIZED FOREXCELLENCE IN LAND SALES

AGENTSMatt Adams ................515.423.9235Daran Becker .............. 515.979.3498Robyn Bentley.............. 707.477.8420Bryan Bergdale ...........712.251.8588Steve Bruere ............... 515.240.7500Jared Chambers ..........641.414.0234Adam Curran ..............641.203.2931Sara Curran ............... 641.344.0847Keaton Dreher ............. 515.650.1276Chase Duesenberg .......641.529.0562Chuck Green .............. 563.343.0723Kenny Herring .............515.783.8718John Hutchcroft ............ 515.321.5970Stephanie Johnson .......541.709.8093Eric Lonnevik ...............515.473.0278Kalen Ludwig ..............515.402.3169Alan McNeil ............... 563.321.1125Mike Nelson .............. 641.223.2300Henderson Orchard .... 509.386.3962John Reburn ...............563.794.0600Jeff Segin .................... 515.669.1275Jake Sickels ................. 515.681.2103Riley Sieren .................. 319.591.0111Travis Smock ............... 319.361.8089Isaac Taber .................309.335.8081Brad VanWeelden ........515.745.4079Andrew Westlake ........515.771.7588Adam Woiblet ............. 509.520.6117Douglas Yegge ........... 563.320.9900Molly Zaver ................ 515.771.8316Andrew Zellmer ...........712.898.5913LAND MANAGERSMollie Aronowitz ......... 319.504.8182Peter Isaacson .............515.468.9393Randy Luze ................. 319.415.0455Kyle Walker ................ 515.291.5766AUCTIONEERSJared Chambers ..........641.414.0234Adam Curran ..............641.203.2931Riley Sieren .................. 319.591.0111APPRAISERSDan Edwards.............. 989.635.0086Bradley Hayes ............. 641.757.9808George Hunger .......... 989.635.0086Rob Lentz .....................810.417.0190Mary Marshall ........... 989.635.0086Mike McKee ............... 989.635.0086Michele Reamer .......... 989.635.0086Ricky Sommers ........... 989.635.0086Mark Van Den Berg .... 989.635.0086Mark Williams .............810.252.6938IN THIS ISSUE3 13th Annual Land Investment Expo4 Seeing Properties a Completely New Way5 Peoples Company Acquires a Share of Appraisal FirmValue Midwest as Both Firms Expand Their Expertiseand Service Offerings5 National Auctioneers Association “Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year” Awarded to Peoples Company6 A Case for Custom Farming8 Market Realities: Finding the Opportunities in Row Crop Production9 Peoples Company Recognized for Farmland Dealof the Year9 Peoples Company Named One of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies 10 Iowa’s Agrihood 12 Peoples Company Hires Sustainability Director to Aid Landowners in Maximizing Production and Appreciation 13 Peoples Company Agents Recognized for Excellencein Land Sales 13 Steve Bruere Receives REALTORS® Land Institute2018 National Broker of the Year AwardPage 2FALL 2019Since 2009, the Des Moines Register has worked together with employees to identify and honor companies across the state. Based only on employee evaluations, Top Workplaces celebrates those Iowa companies that have the state’s best working environments.Peoples Company is honored to have won the award the past four years.

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325Page 313TH ANNUALLAND INVESTMENT EXPOThe Land Investment Expo will once again feature high-caliber speakers, panels, experts and discussions on thought-provoking topics related to land investment, agriculture, economics, finance, public policy, and technology.With the Land Investment Expo held on January 14, 2020 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, just three weeks prior to the Iowa Caucuses, attendees can expect to get insider intelligence on what to expect out of the First in the Nation caucus as well.Presidential historian Jon Meacham, a New York Times best-selling author and political commentator on CNN and MSNBC, will be one of the featured keynote speakers. Known for his writing on The Bush family, Thomas Jefferson and his most-recent book, The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels, Meacham was named as a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum. Anthony Scaramucci – sometimes referred to as “The Mooch” – will bring his bold ideas to the Expo for an insightful discussion on investing and the intersection of politics and capital management. Scaramucci was named one of Worth Magazine’s Power 100 in the “100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance” in 2016. The founder and co-managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, Scaramucci skyrocketed to a household name when he served for a brief period as White House Communications Director to President Donald J. Trump. In recent weeks, Scaramucci has drawn the attention of national press – and the President of the United States – for publicly disagreeing with some of his former boss’ policies. Dr. Simon Atkins is a climate risk economist and forecaster who will change the way people think about business and professional growth. Known for his dynamic appearances, Dr. Atkins will share with attendees how to minimize risks associated with climate change and planarity perils and encourage attendees to optimize opportunities for professional growth.For a glimpse into the future, guests will want to have a good seat at the Land Investment Expo for world-renowned futurist, author and researcher Nikolas Badminton. Badminton, who has worked with NASA, the United Nations, Google and many government entities, will share how technological and cultural shifts will change our world in the future.To round out our keynote speaker slate, Dr. Thomas A. Lumpkin, Emeritus Director General of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), will discuss how science is allowing for the growth of more nutritious and resilient food sources around the world.Tickets for the Land Investment Expo are selling fast, and with the attention on Iowa ahead of the Caucuses, be sure to secure your hotel accommodations right away. Tickets and hotel information can be found at www.LandInvestmentExpo.com. See you in Des Moines on January 14, 2020!DR. SIMONATKINSClimate Risk Economistand ForecasterNIKOLAS BADMINTONWorld-Renowned Futurist, Author, and ResearcherDR. THOMAS LUMPKINEmeritus Director General, CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)JONMEACHAMPresidential Historian and AuthorANTHONY SCARAMUCCIFounder of Skybridge Capital and Former White House Communications Director

Imagine touring an agricultural property without physically stepping foot on the farm. While this may seem far-fetched, it is now a realty for Peoples Company’s clients. Peoples Company recently began providing 360-degree farm tours on its website, allowing prospective buyers to capture a bird’s-eye view of a farm from a variety of vantage points. By coupling the 360-degree tour technology with virtual reality headsets, clients actually feel like they are on-site viewing a farm.“We have taken property tours to the next level by giving people the ability to tour a farm from anywhere using a virtual reality headset,” said Peoples Company Vice President Molly Zaver. “Virtual reality technology delivers an innovative approach for prospective buyers to explore the lay of the land and view the unique features and characteristics of a property. The buyer pool for many of our large land listings spans across the nation. This technology gives them the ability to do a comprehensive property inspection without leaving their home or office.”Peoples Company will be showcasing these virtual reality property tours at upcoming auctions. Stop by to check it out!855.800.LAND | PeoplesCompany.comPage 4SEEING PROPERTIES A COMPLETELY NEW WAYFor additional information or to apply, visit www.CoverCropProgram.comA program designed to simultaneously protect the environment, maximize yields and improve overall return on investment.In order to qualify for the cover crop program, landowners must have their land professionally managed by Peoples Company during a three-year term and commit to planting Stine Seed during the three-year agreement.SUSTAINABILITYCOVER CROPINITIATIVEPeoples Company has partnered with Stine Seed to offer landowners a paid-in-full, managed cover crops program.

“Mark Williams and the Value Midwest team have built a reputation of being industry leading appraisers, particularly on agricultural properties, but also on unique tracts across the Midwest and beyond,” said Peoples Company President Steve Bruere. “With experience in thirty states, joining forces with Value Midwest makes sense for our company and our clients. Peoples Company’s footprint will expand, our appraisal expertise will grow, but our personalized service will remain.”Value Midwest (VM) will continue to operate based in Marlette, Michigan, while Peoples Company will continue to be headquartered out of Clive, Iowa. Since 1992 Value Midwest has provided quality valuation services coast to coast for a variety of agricultural properties including dairy and hog farms, irrigated and dry cropland, seed corn farms, permanent plantings (grapes, apples, cherries, etc.) and certified organic cropland. In addition, VM is an industry expert in the valuation of conservation easements, pipeline easements, and has completed statewide ag studies in more than 30 states.“We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Peoples Company. They are an industry leader in land brokerage, management, appraisal and investment services. In our business, we often find that combining two land sites into one offering makes the larger tract far more valuable than the two sites’ original combined value. I can’t help but see the similarities in this business agreement where both Peoples Company and Value Midwest, in sharing expertise and service, will have a greater reach and be able to better serve our clients,” said Mark Williams, President of Value Midwest.He added, “Peoples Company and Value Midwest have an industry reputation of being ‘problem solvers’ in the customer service business. We want to share those resources with the ag community, coast to coast. Simply put, with this agreement in place, both Peoples Company and Value Midwest have expanded the depth and breadth of our industry expertise.”PEOPLES COMPANY ACQUIRES A SHARE OF APPRAISAL FIRM VALUE MIDWEST AS BOTH FIRMS EXPAND THEIR EXPERTISE AND SERVICE OFFERINGSA PEOPLES COMPANY AFFILIATEPeoples Company recently acquired a share of Value Midwest, a well-respected Marlette, Michigan-based appraisal firm. In coming to an agreement, Peoples Company increases their team of expert appraisers with deep agricultural experience, while Value Midwest harnesses Peoples Company’s existing brokerage, land management and investment services.NATIONAL AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION“AUCTION MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR” AWARDED TO PEOPLES COMPANY The annual NAA Marketing Competition, presented in partnership with USA TODAY, continues to be the premier contest for NAA members to showcase their marketing efforts. Member participation increased this year with 950 entries overall! This top-level contest again produced some of the best marketing materials seen in the entire auction industry.The competition featured 56 sub-categories in seven categories across three divisions. Categories included but weren’t limited to: Postcards, Brochures & Catalogs, Newspaper/Magazine Print Advertising, Public Relations & Marketing, Photography, and Digital & Social Media.The task of determining winners was given to a panel of marketing and advertising professionals who represent backgrounds in branding, promotion, media, public relations, and graphic design. Judging criteria includes cohesion, information, entertainment, and interaction for Print and Digital entries; and clarity, composition, and emotion for Photography entries.The “Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year” was awarded to Jared Chambers of Peoples Company for his “8,075 Acres South Dakota Ranches” marketing campaign. This is the second year in a row that Peoples Company has won this prestigious honor. This particular campaign was magnificently executed and highlighted the company’s vision and full process for performing due diligence and effectively marketing these properties to their fullest potential.Chambers was formally recognized during the 70th International Auctioneers Conference and Show in New Orleans. He’s pictured here with Tim Mast, current NAA President, and Justine Madden and Patrick Burke from USA Today.12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325Page 5

855.800.LAND | PeoplesCompany.comPage 6In this current low-priced commodity environment, I’m often asked if custom farming makes sense versus the common cash rent model. Many landowners are facing compressed rental rates and looking for alternative opportunities to increase overall farm revenue. In March of 2018, I started managing a new farm located in Lucas County, Iowa. This farm is 282 tillable acres, equally distributed between bottom ground, rolling hillsides, and terraced ridges. Corn Suitability Rating (CSR2) for the farm averages 58.5, which is roughly 25% higher than the average CSR2 value of 43.8 in Lucas County. South-central Iowa is commonly known to be one of the tougher areas of the state to produce high yields due to the lighter soils and rolling slope. This usually equates to reduced rents compared to the flat black fields in northern Iowa. Public data from the annual Iowa State University Cash Rent Survey shows the typical Lucas County farm cash rented for $148/acre in 2018. I offered the farm to several operators at $185/acre, a 25% increase from the average rate of $148/acre correlated from the higher CSR2 value. I quickly learned many operators felt the $185/acre asking price was too steep, with most offers coming in at $165-170/acre. After discussing the pros and cons, the landowner and I decided custom farming was the best option. In a typical custom farming agreement, the landowner pays all the crop expenses and receives 100% of the crop revenue. This requires more extensive management as all marketing, agronomic, and production decisions are determined by the manager and landowner. An operator is hired to perform labor and machine operations in exchange for a set rate. This scenario is much higher risk for the landowner with the potential for higher rewards. A local operator was selected to complete all machine and labor operations for the 2018 soybean crop, including: planting, spraying, harvesting and trucking on the Lucas County farm. No-till practices were actively being applied so there were no additional expenses for tillage. Total invoiced machine, labor, and delivery expenses were $69/acre. Direct crop expenses were $187/acre which included seed, chemicals, insurance, maintenance fertilizer, and grain check off expenses.A CASE FOR CUSTOM MACHINE EXPENSE $/A TOTALSpring Spraying $ 7.00 $ 1,974.00No-Till Planting $ 20.00 $ 5,640.00Post Plant Spraying $ 7.00 $ 1,974.00Combine$30.00$8,460.00Transport/Delivery$5.00$1,410.00TOTAL MACHINE $ 69.00 $ 19,458.00DIRECT EXPENSE $/A TOTALCrop Protection (Chemicals)$54.00$15,228.00Seed$66.00$18,612.00Crop/Hail Insurance $ 19.00 $ 5,358.00Fert. & Spread (8.8-41.6-66 Actual)$45.00$12,690.00Grain Check-Off $ 3.00 $ 846.00TOTAL DIRECT $ 187.00 $ 52,734.00Grain Moisture Doc/Damage $ 10.00 $ 2,820.00TOTAL EXPENSES $ 266.00 $ 75,012.00

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325 FARMINGThe farm was planted in mid-May and received timely rains throughout the growing season. A total of 14,718 bushels of soybeans were harvested and delivered to a local elevator in early November. The farm averaged 52 bushels per acre across the 282 tillable acres. 9,000 bushels were forward contracted at an average cash price of $9.60 per bushel. Crop insurance at 80% coverage established the floor concerning the forward contract sales. The remaining 5,718 bushels were sold at a cash sale price of $8.26/bushel. Grain moisture, damage, and storage fees were also expensed at $10.00/acre. The total crop revenue was $474/acre, after subtracting $10/acre for elevator and doc fees. Total profit per acre would simply be the difference between total revenue ($474/acre) minus expenses ($266/acre) or $208/acre. The landowner also received an additional one-time payment from the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) implemented this past summer by the USDA. This program was established to support soybean farmers negatively affected by weakened soybean prices due to the lack of purchases by our most prominent buyer, China. This payment added $1.65 per delivered bushel or roughly $86/acre in revenue. After adding the MFP payment to the actual per acre profits, the landowner closed out the 2018 soybean crop with a profit of $294/acre before management fees were accounted. This extra profit allowed the landowner to seed 160 acres of cover crops, soil sample all 282 acres, and complete capital improvement projects focused on long term appreciation. In conclusion, custom farming was much more profitable in comparison to cash renting in 2018. Peoples Company Land Managers have a strong understanding of the cash rent market and custom farming alternatives. Our managers are also experienced at identifying alternative sources of income such as hunting leases, timber sales, utility and manure easements. There may also be opportunities to remove marginal acres from production, enrolling them into a conservation program. This allows our clients to capitalize on the productive acres while protecting the environmentally sensitive acres. To learn more about Peoples CompanyLand Management, please visit PeoplesCompany.com or email [email protected]$/ATOTALContracts$86,400.00Cash Sales $ 47,268.00TOTAL SALES $ 474.00 $ 133,668.00MFP$86.00$24,252.00TOTAL REVENUE $ 560.00 $ 157,920.00CUSTOM VS CASH RENT PROFIT $/A TOTAL2018 Custom Closeout $ 294.00 $ 82,908.00Cash Rent @ $185/Acre $ 185.00 $ 52,170.00Cash Rent @ $170/Acre $ 170.00 $ 47,940.00WALKER TAKES SENIOR LAND MANAGER ROLEKyle Walker, AFM, AAC, CAC, was recently named Senior Land Manager of Peoples Company’s Land Management division. In the past two years, Kyle earned the top three designations recognized by the agricultural land management industry: Accredited Farm Manager, Accredited Agricultural Consultant, and Certified Agricultural Consultant. The dedication and rigorous academic program to achieve these designations coupled with Kyle’s extensive experience, work ethic, and knowledge of asset management make him a vital part of the team.by Kyle Walker, AFM, AAC, CACPeoples Company Senior Land Manager

855.800.LAND | PeoplesCompany.comPage 8US row crop farmland is among the highest quality and lowest risk investment grade asset classes available to investors. Crop production characteristics in the US are among the best in the world, distribution and supply networks are unmatched, technology driven management systems lead the world, and the federal crop insurance program creates a minimum revenue guarantee that is unavailable in other asset classes. The primary challenges with US row crop farmland investing are access to deal flow and annual cash returns below investor objectives. Between 1%-2% of farmland transacts annually. High land prices, particularly in the Midwest where the largest area of investment grade farmland exists, lead to lower than target annual returns. Using USDA reported data, Figure 1 (below) calculates the annual capitalization rate for each state.Farmland investors are typically targeting annual returns of 4% or higher. One primary strategy to address this challenge is targeting below market acquisitions. The issues encountered with this strategy are two-fold: 1) the low transaction rate, 1%-2% for farmland, creates a scenario where demand consistently exceeds supply and 2) good to high quality land commands an additional premium making below market acquisitions less likely. Another strategy is pursuing farmer operators that will pay above market lease rates. The challenge with this strategy is that cost structures for producing commodities in the US are largely fixed with limited impact of standard variances in operational efficiencies. A significantly above market lease rate is unsustainable. Consider the simple example in Figure 2. A standard land purchase at $8,750/acre with a sustainable lease rate of $250/acre results in a gross return of 2.86%. Reducing the price to achieve a 4% return requires a 29% reduction from the market price. Increasing the lease rate to achieve a targeted 4% return results in a land cost of $350/acre which results in cost of production exceeding production revenues.Alternative Equity Advisors (AEA) is deploying three strategies with investor clients to simultaneously achieve their acquisition and return objectives in high quality US row crop farmland.• Organic production: Commodity premiums for organic feed grains are 2-3x conventional crops. The organic management systems are more challenging and there are significantly fewer capable operator tenants with organic expertise than with conventional production systems. AEA and Peoples Company have built a turnkey organic production platform that engages the required partners to successfully manage organic assets for investor clients. This platform delivers 5%+ annual cash returns for investors on high quality farmland assets.• Direct operations: AEA and Peoples Company are working with clients to increase annual cash returns through direct asset operations. This asset management approach is built through a technology and data driven custom farming program. The program utilizes digital agriculture management systems to gain efficiency and appropriately incentivize custom operator partners. The program can deliver additional returns to land that support investor objectives.• Asset business planning: Every row crop acre is unique in its production characteristics and management requirements. AEA and Peoples Company managed assets are put through an annual business planning process that identifies the profitability of every acre independently. Strategies to maximize the profitability of each acre are prescribed and executed through lease arrangements that improve investment returns, as well as sustainability and conservation outcomes. We believe the next phase of farmland investing will be built around a tightened relationship between investor capital and asset operations. The asset management strategies being developed and deployed by AEA and Peoples Company reflect the evolution in farmland investing to simultaneously meet emerging market requirements and deliver upon investor return objectives.by Dave Muth, Ph.D., Alternative Equity AdvisorsMARKET REALITIESFINDING THE OPPORTUNITIES IN ROW CROP PRODUCTIONFigure 1PRICE REDUCTION INCREASE LEASEBASELINE TO 4% CAP RATE TO 4% CAP RATELand Basis $8,750 $6,250 $8,750Lease Rate $250 $250 $350Cap Rate 2.86% 4.00% 4.00%Figure 2

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325Page 9Inc. Magazine ranked Peoples Company #3836 on its 38th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small and midsized businesses. Started in 1982, this prestigious list has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.“The Peoples Company team is honored to be recognized for our tremendous growth. Our success is directly tied to our dedicated, highly-productive team members, who have enabled the company to provide agricultural services in 21 states,” said Peoples Company Vice President Molly Zaver. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.PEOPLES COMPANY NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIESPEOPLES COMPANY RECOGNIZED FOR FARMLAND DEAL OF THE YEARThe Land Report recently named the Weidert Farm sale as its 2018 Farmland Deal of the Year. The new owner, Farmland LP, intends to transition the property from its longtime use of producing wheat, potatoes, and corn to organic and sustainable permanent crops such as wine grapes, apples, and blueberries. “We went through a pretty extensive visioning process, in terms of putting the marketing package together and the conceptional renderings of how this property could be developed and the financial performance it could produce,” said Steve Bruere. “We pulled together a top notch team in order to do this right. And it showed.”“We had a client who gave us the resources and helped us put the team together to go out and position this property in its most positive light. There were really no constraints.”STEVE BRUERE

855.800.LAND | PeoplesCompany.comPage 10This dynamic has led to growth in Agrihoods, which the Urban Land Institute categorizes as “planned or residential communities built with a working farm as a focus.” In these communities, families have the best of both worlds: a relatively small neighborhood, often built near a population center, that grows fresh foods, has neighborhood markets, and encourages an active, healthy lifestyle.Demographics shift, but Iowans stay true to their rural rootsIn 1987, Iowa had over 105,000 farms spread across its 99 counties. Today, the state has about 86,000 farms, with both the number of farms and total number of farm acres declining, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture. As the number of farms decreased, the trend of Iowans moving to the city grew. In 1980, only 15 Iowa counties had a population of less than 10,000, but by 2015, that number ballooned to 24. Even with fewer families farming and living in rural communities, Iowans still have an affinity for a tight-knit community where they work the land and raise the food they consume.First Iowa Agrihood plannedIn February 2019, concept partner Steve Bruere announced plans to build Iowa’s first Agrihood in Cumming, Iowa, a small town of 400 residents approximately 15 miles southwest of the state’s capital city, Des Moines. Cumming, a city already well-connected to the “big city” with a nearby interstate and highway system, and robust Great Western bike trail that runs through the city, embraced Bruere’s vision of a neighborhood that both meets the city’s plan for growth while staying true to its agricultural history.The Agrihood will be built on a 400-acre site that boasts rolling hills, ponds, and abundant timber. It will surround a working farm, marketplace with fresh food, and a retail and entertainment district that will serve as a destination for both neighborhood residents and community visitors.IOWA’SAGRIHOODAcross America, there has been a shift in consumer behaviors that seem to contradict: Families are increasingly residing in more urban population centers, while simultaneously wanting to understand how their food is raised and by what means, and seeking to be closer to where it is produced.

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325Page 11Agrihood’s Middlebrook Farm is planted, planning progress continuesAs the Agrihood awaits final Planned Urban Development (PUD) approval from the city of Cumming, Middlebrook Farm – the working farm within the Agrihood – was planted with some Iowa produce favorites, including sweet corn and pumpkins. Planting and establishing the garden first is symbolic of the emphasis placed on the community being built around food growth.The Agrihood is also moving forward with planning the footprint of the neighborhood market, dining, entertainment and retail district. Discussions are ongoing with floral farmers and an apple orchard that would each provide retail offerings, in addition to growing apples and flowers locally. A local brewery is being explored to enhance the neighborhood experience for both residents and visitors who ride along the Great Western Trail. Returning to our rootsSince news of Iowa’s first Agrihood broke, the response has been tremendous. The inquiries – including from individuals from across the United States and beyond – clearly demonstrate that there is a keen interest in returning to our agricultural roots.Even with strong interest, the Agrihood is committed to careful planning that creates a truly unique community. Bruere says it’s critical to secure the right partners to ensure the Agrihood has a diverse market, a healthy and plentiful garden, a neighborhood layout that fosters an active lifestyle, and a sustainable, environmentally-friendly building plan that promotes stewardship.After all, the objective in finalizing the plans for Iowa’s first Agrihood in Cumming is to enhance the sense of community, not change it.Follow Iowa’s Agrihood: facebook.com/MiddlebrookEstates MiddlebrookEstates @MiddlebrookEst MiddlebrookFarms.com www

855.800.LAND | PeoplesCompany.comPage 12Peoples Company recently announced the hiring efforts to offer its clients unmatched expertise of Mollie Aronowitz, AFM, as its Sustainability Director. Aronowitz, an Iowa native who will also continue serving as a land manager for Peoples Company, will work with landowners to determine how to harness the power of sustainable farming and land management in order to maximize production, profitability and appreciation of the land’s value.“Mollie’s new role as our Director of Sustainability will offer landowners the scientific and technological resources to not only identify areas of their land that is a drain of profit and production, but she’ll also work with them to subsequently implement a plan to harness their land’s full potential,” said Peoples Company Vice President Molly Zaver. “Farmers and landowners always strive to be good stewards of their land. Now, Peoples Company will use our expertise to help align current and future sustainability efforts with profitability, production potential and land appreciation.”Peoples Company’s hire of a Sustainability Director is yet another step in the company’s and service related to sustainable agriculture. Previously, Peoples Company and Stine Seed announced the offering of a paid-in-full cover crop management program for new land management clients.Anywhere from three to fifteen percent of all farm fields in Iowa are not profitable. These less-profitable areas are often the same places where environmental issues occur, like soil erosion and nutrient loss. Led by Aronowitz, Peoples Company’s Sustainability Assessment aims to address these issues, which will improve yields, ultimately increasing rents and land values. “Sustainability and profitability are often viewed as being in opposition to one another. The truth is that financial and environmental performance are directly linked,” said Aronowitz. “Advancing technology has afforded Peoples Company the opportunity to change our perspective on how we manage farms for the long-term. Instead of focusing solely on maximizing yield, Peoples Company is layering data to find opportunities to maximize profitability for both the landowner and farm operator.”Peoples Company is dedicated to bringing tools and services to the marketplace that address both annual return and long-term sustainability. A comprehensive Peoples Company Sustainability Assessment and after-action report will provide the landowner with a soil loss report and profitability land mapping to pinpoint areas that need attention. Following the assessment, Peoples Company provides the landowner with recommendations and counsel to improve sustainability, which will increase the land’s production, profitability and appreciation.Mollie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University. She is a past board member of Sustainable Iowa Land Trust and a member of the Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA). She is one of eight female accredited managers in the country, and currently the only one working in Iowa.PEOPLES COMPANY HIRES SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR TO AID LANDOWNERS IN MAXIMIZING PRODUCTION AND APPRECIATIONCompany notes that financial and environmental performance are directly relatedIS YOUR FARM BEING MANAGED FOR A Sustainability Assessment includes: SOIL LOSS REPORTPROFITABILITY MAPPINGFARM PRACTICE ASSESSMENTTo schedule your assessment contactPeoples Company Director of Sustainability Mollie Aronowitz, AFM at 319.504.8182or [email protected] APPRECIATION?

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste B | Clive, IA 50325Page 13Peoples Company President, Steve Bruere, received the Realtors® Land Institute (RLI) APEX Awards Program’s 2018 Broker of The Year Award in the Auction Land sales category. This award recognizes the highest producing agent in the country for auction land sales based on qualifying production volume.Bruere was also awarded as an APEX 2018 Top 20 Producer by the Realtors® Land Institute. He received the awards from RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE, as well as The Land Report’s Co-founders Eddie Lee Rider Jr. and Eric O’Keefe at a special awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 5, during RLI’s 2019 National Land Conference (NLC19) in Albuquerque, NM.“We are proud of Steve and all of our members that were recognized for their accomplishments in 2018. They truly are the crème of the crop when it comes to land real estate professionals,” said Kobernus about the award winners. The APEX Awards Program celebrated its second year by doubling in size with 100 applicants totaling a combined $2.3+ billion in qualifying transaction volume.The prestigious Realtors® Land Institute (RLI) APEX Awards Program, sponsored by The Land Report, is an annual production awards program designed to recognize the excellence and performance of RLI Members — the best in the business — with prestigious land real estate awards.Nine Peoples Company agents were recognized for being named to the 2018 RLI APEX National Producers Club, a recognition of excellence in land sales.PEOPLES COMPANY AGENTS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN LAND SALESMatt AdamsDaran BeckerSteve BruereJared ChambersKenny Herring, ALCEric LonnevikDouglas YeggeTravis SmockAndrew ZellmerSTEVE BRUERE RECEIVES REALTORS LAND INSTITUTE ®2018 NATIONAL BROKER OF THE YEAR AWARD

12119 Stratford Dr, Ste BClive, IA 50325PeoplesCompany.comCopyright © 2019 Peoples Company LLC.Peoples Company trademark symbol is a licensed trademark of Peoples Realty Company LLC.Each office is independently owned and operated. View our latest land listings and auctions at... PeoplesCompany.com12119 Stratford Dr, Ste BClive, IA 50325PeoplesCompany.comCopyright © 2017 Peoples Company LLC.Peoples Company trademark symbol is a licensed trademark of Peoples Realty Company LLC.Each office is independently owned and operated. Licensed in the State of Iowa.View our latest land listings and auctions at... PeoplesCompany.com