Masters in Business At The Money: Monetizing Dirt
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Oct 29, 2025 Brandon Zick, Chief Investment Officer at Ceres Farmland Fund, oversees around $2 billion in agricultural land assets. He highlights exciting ways land can generate income, from mineral rights and timber to recreational and renewable energy opportunities. Zick dives into how solar and wind projects can enhance farm income and discusses the potential for biogas revenue from dairy farms. He also touches on innovative uses like AI data centers and the market for carbon credits, revealing how these can significantly increase land value.
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Land Offers Multiple Revenue Streams
- Land ownership creates multiple optionality buckets beyond farming, like mineral, timber, and recreation rights.
- These secondary rights can substantially exceed base farmland income in value and timing.
Marcellus Shale Changed Farm Economics
- Brandon recounts his northeastern Pennsylvania family farm where Marcellus Shale mineral rights created huge value.
- He explains that shale royalties often made land unattractive for pure farmland investment due to high prices.
Protect Mineral Income With Proper Unitization
- Structure mineral leases and units carefully to ensure proper royalty payments across neighbors and horizontal wells.
- Verify regulations and unitization rules to avoid unpaid extraction from your assets.