LandTrust connects homeowners with outdoor recreationists
Among the 77 Nebraska listings covering 260,000 acres available to reserve recreational opportunities on the LandTrust website, Henry Beel’s family ranch near Ainsworth has been earning additional income since spring 2021.
Known as “The Airbnb for Outdoor Recreationists,” LandTrust is an online marketplace that allows homeowners to connect directly with outdoor enthusiasts, providing opportunities to recreate on their property and allowing them to generate additional passive income. Owners can arrange experiences like hunting, bird watching, farm tours, RV stays and more, with full control over each reservation.
“At the LandTrust, we believe that the future of working land depends on a portfolio of income from agricultural production, conservation and recreational opportunities,” said Nic De Castro, LandTrust founder and CEO. “We help landowners harness the income potential of these recreational opportunities while opening up millions of acres of private land for outdoor enthusiasts to have new experiences and create lasting memories.”
Recreational opportunities at the 900 acre Beel Ranch include deer hunting, turkey hunting, coyote hunting, and bird watching. Beel’s family is highly focused on keeping animal populations healthy and appreciates the control they have with the LandTrust, which allows them to turn reserves on and off as populations fluctuate.
“LandTrust has been an easy way to expand our business beyond ranching – everything helps. And we have full control of who gets to hunt and on what days, rather than an outfitting service,” Beel said. “For example, we turned down about 20 turkey hunts this year in order to maintain a healthy population. We also limit the number of deer that hunters can take.”
Like other sharing economy companies like Airbnb and Vrbo, LandTrust is a land-sharing site where homeowners can list their properties online and outdoor enthusiasts can search for experiences that match their interests. Landowners primarily in Montana, Nebraska, and Kansas currently list more than 1 million acres with the LandTrust, which can be searched by state, property name, or type of experience.
“Compared to traditional annual leases, homeowners prefer LandTrust’s short-term rental model because it allows them to continue to let friends, family, and neighbors hunt, fish, and enjoy their land, and also generate income when they’re not on it. wearing”. DeCastro said.
For Beel’s family, LandTrust has been easy to use and has even led to long-lasting relationships.
“The LandTrust platform doesn’t take a lot of time to use and comes with the support of LSMs (Landowner Success Managers),” Beel said. “We’ve seen a lot of out-of-state hunters since we started using it and we’ve still been able to allow family, friends and locals to hunt on our property whenever we want. We’ve even had recurring guests – one I text regularly will be visiting for the third year.”
About LandTrust:
LandTrust is an easy-to-use online marketplace that generates income for homeowners and provides recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts by connecting them with one another. Hundreds of landowners, many of whom are fourth, fifth or even sixth generation, currently list more than 1 million acres in the LandTrust, offering reservations for DIY outdoor experiences from hunting and fishing to bird watching and foraging. , farming and ranch tours and more, while retaining control over your property. LandTrust currently lists properties in Rocky Mountain West and the Great Plains, and plans to expand to five more states by 2023.